Achuar People: Covid Relief Fund
Donation protected
The purpose of this funding effort is to provide Covid-19 humanitarian relief for over 1000 Achuar people in 7 villages in the headwaters of the Amazon in southeast Ecuador. The funding goal is $40,000 which is only $40/person for the next year. These villages own and operate the Kapawi Ecolodge (https://www.kapawi.com) that has been closed due to Covid-19 since March of 2020 causing severe economic stress. Funds will be used for food, medicines including Covid-19 vaccines, and education support. This funding will support humanitarian relief as well as continued protection of one of the most biodiverse forests on the planet. The funds will go directly to: Achuar Association: Defensor of their Territory. (MAANA); a very well-organized local association of 7 villages connected to Kapawi Ecolodge. The MAANA Achuar Association is a subset of the entire Achuar Nation.
The Achuar people live in and protect over 2 million acres of pristine rainforest at the headwaters of the Amazon. They consider themselves as a part of the Forest. They first made real contact with the outside world in the 1970’s. Since that time, they have developed a balanced relationship with the first world culture, while holding steadfast to their traditional life and connection with the Forest. Their land is now threatened by oil development. They are working fiercely to protect their Forest and preserve their culture. These two 3 minute YouTube video will give a graphic overview of Achuar people and the issues they face (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdzHmIf4Yc4) (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Y0Ogneq0cQ)
I am a wildlife biologist and have made a career of working with indigenous people to support their empowerment in the use and conservation of their local resources, including subsistence hunting and rural livelihoods. Three years ago, my wife and I spent a week at Kapawi Ecolodge. In 30 years of work in community-based conservation, I personally have never witnessed a better organized and developed model for ecosystem protection and rural lifestyle maintenance than what is happening with the Achuar and this portion of the Amazon. They are hardworking industrious people and hold steadfast to their culture and relationship with the Forest. This model program is being threatened, as are the Achuar and the Forest, with this pandemic. I ask all who see this funding request to help the Achuar bridge the financial gap until they can again support themselves through the Kapawi Ecolodge.
The vision for Kapawi Ecolodge is to fulfill an ancient Achuar prophecy that envisions global unity & collaboration for the survival of all people.
Celestino, a Kapawi guide says that tourism helps his people. “Now we can hunt less and buy notebooks and clothes for our children, and hardly even use bartering. This is good because we are helping nature. Kapawi is different because we have protected it from oil companies.”
Thank you;
William A. Wall, PhD
Ramiro Vargas, President
MAANA ACHUAR ASSOCIATION
The Achuar people live in and protect over 2 million acres of pristine rainforest at the headwaters of the Amazon. They consider themselves as a part of the Forest. They first made real contact with the outside world in the 1970’s. Since that time, they have developed a balanced relationship with the first world culture, while holding steadfast to their traditional life and connection with the Forest. Their land is now threatened by oil development. They are working fiercely to protect their Forest and preserve their culture. These two 3 minute YouTube video will give a graphic overview of Achuar people and the issues they face (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdzHmIf4Yc4) (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Y0Ogneq0cQ)
I am a wildlife biologist and have made a career of working with indigenous people to support their empowerment in the use and conservation of their local resources, including subsistence hunting and rural livelihoods. Three years ago, my wife and I spent a week at Kapawi Ecolodge. In 30 years of work in community-based conservation, I personally have never witnessed a better organized and developed model for ecosystem protection and rural lifestyle maintenance than what is happening with the Achuar and this portion of the Amazon. They are hardworking industrious people and hold steadfast to their culture and relationship with the Forest. This model program is being threatened, as are the Achuar and the Forest, with this pandemic. I ask all who see this funding request to help the Achuar bridge the financial gap until they can again support themselves through the Kapawi Ecolodge.
The vision for Kapawi Ecolodge is to fulfill an ancient Achuar prophecy that envisions global unity & collaboration for the survival of all people.
Celestino, a Kapawi guide says that tourism helps his people. “Now we can hunt less and buy notebooks and clothes for our children, and hardly even use bartering. This is good because we are helping nature. Kapawi is different because we have protected it from oil companies.”
Thank you;
William A. Wall, PhD
Ramiro Vargas, President
MAANA ACHUAR ASSOCIATION
Organizer
William Wall
Organizer
Seeley Lake, MT