Kenyan women in raising butterflies and exporting them to Turkey and the United Kingdom have found a means of subsistence for cutting and selling trees in forests, and also contribute to protecting those forests and the country's natural wealth.

This was due to the efforts made by Kenyans to obtain the eggs of many species of butterflies that are endemic in the forests of Arbuko Skoki in the east of the country.

Women in eastern Kenya are taking special care of butterflies' eggs into cocoons, with the aim of exporting them to many countries, including Turkey. Efforts have been successful, with support from the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) aimed at protecting trees in the Arbuko Skoki forests.

In the early 1990s, the UN Program launched a project called Kipepeo to protect the arched trees of Arbuku.

Butterflies have enabled Kenyans to conserve forests (Anatolia)

Additional financial resources
The project is a successful example of supporting local development by changing patterns of access to economic resources to protect forests and natural resources.

By raising and exporting butterflies, Kenyan women have been able to contribute to the conservation of forest biodiversity, as well as supporting their families with additional financial resources of up to $ 130 per month, for the sale of about 200 cocoons.

Rahma Hassan, from the eastern coastal town of Keda, said the work in butterflies has radically changed her life. People in the area used to make a living by cutting down trees and selling coal, she said.

She pointed out that bringing cocoons and raising butterflies provided her and her family with a better income than logging, and this work contributed to the protection of the natural resources of her country.

She added that this work provided her with a good income that enabled her to provide for the needs and education of her children, considering that butterflies are "everything for us".

And their export enabled them to support their families financially (Anatolia)

No butterflies without forests
Fatuma Khamisi, a participant in Kibibiu, said that women in the region (eastern Kenya) work in forests to collect butterflies, especially endemic species.

She added to Anatolia that the way they work can be summarized in the care of butterflies to lay eggs, then comes the stage of feeding the larvae on the leaves of trees, to become cocoons.

She pointed out that once the eggs turn into cocoons they sell before turning into butterflies, pointing out that this work contributes to the protection of forests, because there are no butterflies without forests.

The most requested pupae
Kibibiu project manager Sharo Ngombao said Turkey and the United Kingdom were the two largest importers of butterflies being obtained in Kenya.

He told Anatolia that Papillon and Sharakis are among the most wanted butterflies in Turkey and the United Kingdom.

"We are currently sending shipments of butterflies to Turkey on Monday every week, while similar shipments are sent to the UK on Fridays," Ngumbao said.

He said that butterflies, although different in type and size, usually live a few weeks, and that the demand for cocoons is high because of the short age.

Not all cocoons are sold, but some are left to increase their numbers in nature.

Awareness of women
Khret Ingrid Dirksens, a member of the UN team to reduce the negative effects of deforestation and deforestation, said the project is a role model for changing access to economic resources to protect forests and natural wealth.

The population of eastern Kenya is now generating higher economic income through forest conservation, and the annual revenue of the butterfly breeding project was $ 1.9 million, she said.

She applauded the awareness of Kenyan women who deliberately did not sell all the cocoons, sometimes leaving butterflies in the forests to increase their numbers in nature.

The country's eastern coastal forests host some 230 species of butterflies, 800 of which are found throughout the country.