Guardians of the Jungle

Dear Friends,

A devastating fire in the Brazilian Amazon has destroyed the Maloka—the heart of the Huni Kuin Boa Vista village. This sacred structure served as the village's house of prayer, where the community came together for traditional prayers, cultural events, and even education, as it also doubled as the village school. Now, without the Maloka, the Huni Kuin people have no space to carry out their most important activities, leaving a void in their cultural and spiritual life.

About the Boa Vista Village

Boa Vista village is located in the Huni Kuin indigenous territory of the High Jordão River in the state of Acre. This is an extremely isolated area with no road access. The only way to reach Boa Vista is via air taxi followed by several hours by boat from the state capital. The community is self-reliant, receiving minimal support from the government, and no government assistance will be provided for the Maloka’s reconstruction.

The Role of the Maloka

The Maloka is much more than just a building. It’s the heart of the community—a place where the Huni Kuin people gather for prayers, cultural events, and ceremonies, and where children receive their education. It is also a central gathering point for over 40 nearby villages, making it a crucial space for hundreds of families in the region.

Why We Need Your Help

The original Maloka was built through immense effort and with the support of the international community. Unfortunately, the cost to rebuild has now doubled due to rising prices. Our NGO, Guardians of the Jungle (501c3), has been working directly with the Huni Kuin people on different projects and is organizing this fundraiser to support the Huni Kuin in rebuilding their Maloka, restoring a vital space for their traditions, culture, and education. As an NGO, we have the means and structure to make sure all donations will arrive fully to where they are meant.

Any amount you can give will make a significant difference. Your generosity will help preserve the cultural heritage and spiritual practices of the Huni Kuin people.

Thank you for your support.

Guardians of the Jungle is a 501c3 nonprofit that focuses on supporting indigenous communities located in the remote areas of the Amazon rainforest by funding endeavors that enhance infrastructure, education, healthcare, and cultural preservation. We envision a world in which our indigenous communities are thriving once again; a world that allows them to continue to live their lives sustainably with access to electricity, clean drinking water, healthcare, and financial solvency. Our objective is to provide resources that will help our indigenous communities flourish in the 21st century and beyond as part of a global community, while maintaining their unique culture, heritage, and traditions.

Strategic objectives we strive to accomplish through our various projects include:

• Implementation of sustainable, solar energy systems and networks

• Building water wells for potable water in the villages

• Construction of essential community buildings, infrastructure, and transportation

• Preservation of indigenous art, crafts, and music

• Building walking bridges to create safer, easier access throughout the villages

• Education in agriculture, reforestation, and land acquisition

• Organization of international events to promote social and cultural projects

To date, Guardians of the Jungle has focused its efforts on serving the Huni Kuin tribe, a population of ~4,000 indigenous people located in the state of Acre in the Amazon rainforest in northwest Brazil. This population is spread across 40 villages along the Jordão and Taruacá Rivers. We have prioritized bringing solar electricity and clean drinking water to each of the 40 villages.

Installing artesian well water systems within each village has become imperative, as the water that the tribes rely on to drink, cook, bathe, and clean comes directly from the Jordão and Taruacá Rivers, which are becoming increasingly contaminated due to illegal mining pollution, deforestation, and agricultural pollution. The contamination of these rivers causes significant health issues for the Huni Kuin and other indigenous communities, such as neurological damage, kidney problems, impaired fetal development, skin rashes, gastrointestinal sickness, and increased susceptibility to waterborne diseases. Furthermore, the Huni Kuin rely on fish from these rivers as a primary food source, and the water contamination leads to decreased fish populations, as well as mercury poisoning, which causes neurological damage and developmental problems in children.

Since obtaining our 501c3 status in April of 2023, we have completed 5 projects in 4 villages with project costs totaling $40,000. This included the installation of solar equipment to bring electricity and light to the villages of Boa Vista, Bari, and Nova Fortaleza, as well as the installation of solar pumps in the well water systems in the villages of Bela Vista and Nova Fortaleza, eliminating the need for batteries to operate their well water systems. Additionally, we upgraded the batteries in the solar energy system in the village of Bela Vista, providing them with 6 LED solar batteries.

The focus for our next projects is fivefold. The first two phases entail the installation of solar energy systems in the villages of Sacado and Novo Coração, neither of which currently have electricity. Each village will receive 16 batteries, 6 photovoltaic solar panels, an MPPT charge controller, a DC to AC power inverter, a battery management system protection system, posts and cables to cover all of the villages’ buildings, a small house with an aluminum roof to keep all of the core systems protected from the elements, and up to 40 lamps.

Our third initiative is to build a water distribution system in the village of Boa Vista, which includes installation of pipes, taps, and sinks to cover all of the main side of the Boa Vista village. The goal is to provide water individually to EVERY house on this side of the village. Heavy equipment and manpower will be required to dig the necessary ditches to house the piping systems.

Additionally, the solar energy system in the Boa Vista village needs battery replacement. Funding will provide 4 LED-acid stationary batteries for the solar energy system to run the electrical pump, an internet satellite connection, and the energy supply (for illumination and recharging of electronic equipment) for the Boa Vista community.

Lastly, we are planning to install a complete potable water supply system for the Boa Vista village that will include an artesian well that reaches up to 60 meters, four 330-watt solar panels, a solar pump, two 3,000-liter water tanks, a service station with taps and a shower for community use, and pipes connecting the well to the water tanks and service station.

Given the remote locations of these villages, timing for these projects is critical. The work must be completed during the dry season, September through January. The total cost to complete all 5 projects is $66,885. Guardians of the Jungle has already raised ~$29,000. Our goal is to raise the remaining $37,885 through this fundraiser. Your donation will go directly to funding these projects.