Support the Autonomy of Sick Kichwa Napo Elders

Kausanguichu (Hello!)

My name is Fredy Grefa, and I am a first generation indigenous professor-scholar from the Napo Region (Amazon) and working in a private university in Ecuador.

Thanks to the help of my parents, I had the opportunity to be college-educated and eventually receive my doctorate in Indigenous geography at UNC Chapel Hill. It's my mission to pass down their wisdom and ancestral knowledge with students who might not otherwise be introduced to Amazonian ways of seeing the world.

But in their advanced age, Rafael Grefa and Carmela Andi -75 and 74, respectively- have diabetes, and my mother suffered a stroke last year. They are terminally ill. Irrespective, they love working in their Chakras (forest gardens) so much that their shared condition does not keep them from staying active.

Last year, my father mentioned to me that they would like to find an alternative that allows them to work but in accordance with their age. We eventually decided that they could become chicken farmers, to sustain themselves, but we lack the money for the infrastructure and equipment necessary to start.

My father is a veteran, one of the first indigenous marines, and my mother was the leader of an influential indigenous organization (OCKIL) for many years. They have led very active, impactful lives, but nowadays they seem to be forgotten both by the state and their former organizations.

For these reasons and more, I call upon you to help me raise $10,000 to alleviate their circumstances and bolster their autonomy through this project.

100% of the funds will be used to support the construction, equipment purchases, and any sustaining medicine they may need. We will post regular updates with photos at least bi-monthly.

*Note: an American student in one of my classes is helping me with this project; thus, the location is marked "Omaha". Gofundme currently does not operate in Ecuador.