The Awajun people have lived in the Amazon rainforest for thousands of years but their way of life and environment is under threat from deforestation and unsustainable farming. Now Awajun women farmers have begun mixing old traditions with new technology to make a material which offers an alternative to leather made from animals. The women are working with a fashion company which helps turn the sap from the local Shiringa tree into a rubber-like fabric used in clothes and shoes. We also find out how one native plant which grows in the desert regions of Niger has been rediscovered by locals. Hansa was previously seen as a food only eaten in desperation but a social enterprise has changed its image. It’s now become popular in local cookery and has been found to be both nutritious and sustainable. Plus we hear from a member of the Western Apache community in the US who tells us how learning about her native foods has helped both her and her community eat more nutritiously. People Fixing The World from the BBC is about brilliant solutions to the world's problems. We'd love you to let us know what you think and to hear about your own solutions. You can contact us on WhatsApp by messaging +44 8000 321721 or email peoplefixingtheworld@bbc.co.uk. And please leave us a review on your chosen podcast provider. Presenter: Myra Anubi Niger reporter: Sasha Gankin Producer/reporter: Claire Bowes Editor: Jon Bithrey Sound mix: Andrew Mills (Image: Members of the Awajun tribe in Peru looking up at a Shiringa tree, Collective Fashion Justice)
People fixing.
People Fixing the world.
It's time to escape into a world of solutions, because this is People Fixing the World from the BBC World Service with me, Myra Anubi.
Now, every week I tell you about people who are changing our world for the better.
And this week, I'm taking you back, way back, to find out how lost, abandoned or old fashioned traditions and practices can help to improve the way we live.
Today, we're stepping into the Peruvian jungle, going to the edge of the Sahara Desert, and then visiting the mountains of North America.
So buckle up.
Now, as kids, when we were unwell, my mother would make us a hot bath.
But it wasn't your typical bubble bath.
She would use a mixture of these odd looking green leaves in hot water and then the bath would turn purple and it smelled horrible, but it worked like magic.
Now, I have no idea what she used, but honestly, it's just one example of the many other practices and medicinal brews that I saw from my parents and grandparents growing up.
Traditional knowledge that you wouldn't necessarily find in books.
And as it turns out, there is plenty more around us.
Now, according to the World bank, there are almost half a billion native people worldwide, and many have faced cultural oppression, land grabs and economic hardships over centuries.
Although they represent just 6% of the global population, they make up nearly a fifth of the world's poorest people.
However, they have a wealth of knowledge.
One community in Peru, for instance, has found a way to maintain their way of life and protect their homes by making a product which could eventually be seen on the catwalks of New York, London and Paris.
Someone who's familiar with this project is Emma Hackinson, a former model who's become a campaigner for better practices in fashion.
Well, I actually got dumped from one of my modeling agencies because they said I was too difficult, which is interesting.
I think if you can't be a model, if you won't wear materials derived from peeling animals or that are from sweatshops, that says something about the state of the fashion industry, right?