Women Empowerment: Viva Argentina
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"She was powerful, not because she wasn't scared but because she went on so strongly, despite her fear." ~Atticus
Women Empowerment: Buenos Aires
From the moment I stepped off the plane in Buenos Aires, Argentina- I could feel that something was different. I could sense it. It was my fifth time to Buenos Aires, Argentina and as I sat in my friends apartment writing this, listening to the street work outside, I was reminded that Argentina has been always working, always fighting, always in a struggle to become something better than she is.
In many ways Argentina has moved forward by leaps and bounds and in many ways she has not. You could say that about all of us, could you not? It is a country that is full of contradictions. And maybe that is why I love her so much because she and I are so similar in that way. For as long as I have known her (14+ years) Argentina has always been in a state of transition.
As I was coming back from La Feria de Matadores one Sunday, I looked out over the cityscape; it made me think of the work I do. I don't just want to help artisans succeed, I want to encourage the women I work with to grow and expand outside of their cities and countries- outside themselves. But little did I know, the women I work with have given me something far greater in return- empowerment.
I had the opportunity to visit with each artisan that Mariposa Skies' works with in Buenos Aires and each of them in their own unique way is empowering women to be better, to do better, to live better lives. Whether they are fighting for their body's rights or ensuring that the future generations have free schooling; they are all empowering one another. I sat at the table listening to Patricia of Pinarte talk about how all women, even myself need to empower one another. Passionately she spoke about how it's time for a major change in her country- a major change in the world. I get goose bumps even now, thinking back on our conversation.
Women Empowerment: Enduring strength
Every time I visit Buenos Aires it has changed. I think that is why I get a little hesitant to go each time because it is always different from the way I remember it. As humans we like consistency, but one thing I have learned is Buenos Aires is never consistent.
At this very moment, Argentina is enduring another economic crisis. The one thing on everybody's minds while I was there, was the US dollar and the Argentine peso. People are worried about their money and what will happen to it if the US dollar continues to rise in value. You could see this on the streets, you could hear it in peoples' conversations as you passed by. When I arrived the exchange rate was at 30 ARG Pesos to 1 USD, and by the time I left (15 days later) it had skyrocketed to 48 ARG Pesos to 1 USD.
This country for as long as I have known her has always been in a state of something. Karina, my friend who was born and raised in Buenos Aires, said to me, "We are always fighting. I just want a break, a little break from all of this. Just for a little while."
If you know anything about Argentina's past it is riddled with tribulations. Las Madres de Plaza de Mayo is an organization that was formed by mothers whose children had "disappeared" during a state of terrorism and military dictatorship between 1976 and 1983. Still to this day, Las Madres refuse to give up. Every Thursday they go to the Plaza de Mayo that sits right in front of the Casa Rosado (where the Argentine President lives) and they march around the plaza center. They do this to remind people of what happened to their children under such rule, but even now there is still a hope that their children will one day return. They will never give up, they will continue on.
This is the way life is in Argentina. I don't want to paint the country as needy or unsafe. Because it is neither of these two. It is a country filled with beauty and pain, rich and poor. But what has always impressed me about this country and her people, especially her women, is their strength. Though they may be weary from the constant fight, everyday they get up and do it again and again. They will not stop showing up, they will not give up their rights, they will continue to fight.
Women Empowerment: Viva Argentina
I have also seen many changes for the better in Buenos Aires. Changes such as recycling and organic based and farm to table restaurants. Those were not around even five years ago. I have known this country for almost 15 years now. I have known my friends and family for as long as that as well. When I was 21 I lived in Buenos Aires and I told my friend Luz before I left the first time that, "Ustedes estan en mi furturo!" Which translates to, "You are in my future!"
Argentina is a part of me just as my blood is part of my body. It is a second home, where I struggled to learn a language and survive through a time of many changes in my life. My wish for you, through the work that I do with Mariposa Skies, is that Argentina will be in your future as well, and for many years to come by the artisans you support through your purchases of their beautiful work. I also want you to be empowered, to feel that empowerment through the energy that each artisan puts into their fashion wares. They are the future of Argentina and you are part of empowering them to create a future of change. We are all in this together, and together we are powerful.
I will leave you with Lanaria's tagline that seems to fit so beautifully here, "Vive simple, Vive bien." which translates to, "Live simple, Live well."
If you would like to learn more about each of the artisans we work with in Argentina and shop the fashion they create, check them out below!
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To connect to someone else's culture through the traditions of their fashion, you can also check out these fashions from Bali and Japan:
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