Aims

Brief history

There are still 70.000 Kichua Amazon Indigenous living in the jungle of Ecuador. With the Shuar Amazon Indigenous they are the 2 biggest groups in the Amazon.

The village of Sarayaku with about 2.000 inhabitants has successfully been fighting against the invasion of oil companies in its territory for about 9 years. These people fight - fortunately still with success to maintain their culture. They speak Kichua and Spanish. There is lack of a good specialized education and professions.

The Kichua Amazon Indigenous of the Foundation live primitive and walk usually on bare feet. There is lack of income, means of communication, varied alimentation, transportation, materials for schools, a good education and a good health centre.

Fiftynine percent does not have an income, five percent works as a teacher in a primary school or college.They eat and grow ‘yucca’ (cassave or maniok) plantain, pineapple and papaya. By abundant harvests they sell part to obtain income.

Aims

The aims of the organisation are based in the following areas:

• protection of the natural resources
  (for example trees, rivers, animals and medical plants)
• rescue of the native cultures of the Amazon region
• conservation of the biodiversity of the Amazon region
• scientific research
• environmental education
• construction of a health centre by giving a better medical service
• reach by means of communication in case of emergencies (satellite phone)
• providing school materials by lack of money
• improvement of the quality of life of the families (hygiene, supplying water)
• providing varied alimentation
• sustainable tourism
• cultural exchange
  (foreign and/of national volunteers)
• providing jobs so that they have income