Dona Josa

From this 'corner' of the continent, in the Brazilian state of
RIO GRANDE DO NORTE, a beautiful legacy emerged.

This is an inspiring story about Dona Josa, who affectionately calls herself 'Josa do Junco na Juta.'

In Pirangi do Norte, lives the craftswoman Dona Josa, who is a Caiçara woman, a river dweller from the Northeast, and a natural-born fighter.
From her hands come centerpieces, handbags, cushions, hats, and coin purses like the one she graciously gifted me – everything is created by her.

The Junco, "reed", or juncus effusus, is widely used to produce tatami mats in Japan and reflects its flowers in the water. ´Juta" or Jute from Corchorus capsularis is highly esteemed for its fiber, which is widely used for weaving and other applications.

"Josa crosses, enters a lagoon, transported by a tire, and extracts this Junco, walking along the river, carrying bundles of fibers, which she loads into the truck's bin"

For a week, the Junco or the reed as it is wellknown is worked until it dries in the wind as it cannot be exposed to sunlight. Then Josa weaves the Junco in the jute, which is the fabric where the Junco is sewn.

The Junco, reflects its flowers in the water. It has rapid growth, and its roots are also used for homeopathic purposes. It typically grows quickly in partial shade and reaches a height of 30cm to 1 meter. According to the Coordination of the Craft Program of RN , - Josa follows Phoenician traditions , Junco is a fiber that has always existed in the world, but since Rio Grande do Norte is at the corner of a continent, people from all over the world entered there, and there, in the lagoons, it grows in the lagoons, explains her and proudly concluded.

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