ARCC Partners with Waorani Women to Bring Sustainable Handicrafts to the US
OBATAWE is a bio-entrepreneurship initiative of AOWARE — the Waorani Women’s Association of Orellana — and brings together the handicrafts made by Waorani women from the 23 communities of Orellana Province in the Ecuadorian Amazon.
At ARCC, our conservation work in the Amazon has always been rooted in supporting Indigenous communities on the frontlines of rainforest protection. Yet we’ve seen firsthand a hard truth: creating sustainable, income-generating opportunities that can truly compete with extractive industries like oil and mining is a constant uphill battle for indigenous peoples. Building viable business models, developing meaningful products, and fostering trust and collaboration takes time and persistence. That’s why we are especially excited to announce our new partnership with the Waorani Women’s Association of Orellana (AOWARE) — a remarkable group of women working to empower their communities and preserve traditional knowledge through sustainable craft-making in the Amazon.
AOWARE was formed to connect women from across Waorani communities — communities that together protect thousands of kilometers of rainforest in one of the most biodiverse regions on Earth. The association began with the leadership of Isabel Baihua, who for the past five years has worked tirelessly with Waorani women throughout the province to organize, market, and improve their traditional handicrafts. What began as a grassroots effort has grown into one of the most important sources of sustainable income for many Waorani families.
For generations, Waorani women have woven bags, hammocks, and ornaments from the strong, glossy fibers of the chambira palm (Astrocaryum chambira). In communities near ecotourism hubs or towns, these works of art can be sold directly to travelers. But for communities deep within oil-producing zones, or several days’ journey from the nearest market, those opportunities simply don’t exist.
To address this, Isabel and AOWARE created OBATAWE — a bio-entrepreneurship initiative and brand that unites the work of Waorani women from across the province. OBATAWE collects and markets handicrafts made by Waorani women, providing a shared platform for artisans to reach customers far beyond their villages. At first, members carried their crafts to the city of El Coca, where they could be sorted, stored, and sold collectively. As the network grew, Isabel traveled to more remote communities, leading workshops where women could innovate, refine designs, and create new products together. With the help of the local municipality, OBATAWE even secured a sales space along El Coca’s waterfront — turning the city into a marketplace for rainforest artistry.
Today, more than 150 women from across 23 participate in OBATAWE. The system is simple but transformative: women bring their creations to El Coca, where the association safeguards and displays them for sale. In this way, artisans from some of the most remote parts of the province gain a direct link to customers — and travelers passing through the Ecuadorian Amazon take home more than a souvenir; they take home a piece of Waorani culture.
After forming a deeper collaboration with AOWARE, ARCC is proud to announce we will begin distributing OBATAWE handicrafts in the United States. By opening access to larger markets, we hope to expand economic opportunities for Waorani women, strengthen community resilience, and demonstrate that protecting the rainforest can go hand-in-hand with building a sustainable local economy.
ARCC team member Joseph See (center) with AOWARE leader Isabel Baihua (right) and a colleague (left) on the waterfront of El Coca, Ecuadorian Amazon. The ARCC team visited to package and collect our first shipment of OBATAWE handicrafts for distribution in the U.S.
This work has never been more urgent. Oil extraction remains one of the greatest threats to Waorani sovereignty and to the Amazon as a whole. In July 2025, Ecuador’s national government dissolved the Ministry of Environment, folding it into the Ministry of Energy and Mines — a shift that risks undoing years of environmental protections and accelerating extractive projects in fragile rainforest ecosystems.
In the face of these challenges, it can be hard to imagine a future beyond extractivism. But each initiative that grows a green economy brings that future closer. Partnerships like this one with AOWARE and OBATAWE are about far more than selling crafts — they are about safeguarding culture, empowering women, and protecting one of the most vital ecosystems on Earth for generations to come.
Want to support this initiative? Join as a member and receive authentic OBATAWE handicrafts at year’s end — along with our Annual Report and other exclusive benefits — all while helping protect the most biodiverse rainforest on Earth.
