About this project
Pablo and Stephanie have been invited to live with the Achuar, custodians since time untold to the mother of all jungles, a truly magical place where every day life begins and ends, the verdant and luscious Amazon rainforest. We are more than excited by this incredible opportunity and welcome the challenges ahead with open hearts and minds.
Location:
El Oriente. Pastaza, Ecuador; snuggled right up against the Peruvian border. We're going as deep as one can get into this corner of the jungle, where the Achuar people have lived for as long as anyone can remember.
The people:
The Achuar had lived without any major contact from the outside world up until the 1970's, enjoying their visionary life without any of the excess and material goods we seem to need in the developed world. This amazingly indomitable tribe has managed to keep their traditions and culture and way of life surprisingly intact, and--besides the outboard motors and the technocumbia dance-offs--live today as they have for generation after generation.
Take a peak:
http://www.youtube.com/watch...
http://www.youtube.com/watch...
Why:
Ancient wisdom is slowly but surely slipping away. These people have managed for centuries to tread upon our planet with little to no impact in a hostile but fragile ecosystem, yet live in abundance and natural wealth. They are the 6,000 odd owners of six million acres of pristine, untouched rainforest. However, the surrounding territory is ever-shrinking and the Amazon rainforest has now become one of the most crucial, crux locations on planet earth--the lungs of the world. These people are the caregivers, the stewards of an extraordinarily complex and important chunk of our globe. We are there to help them maintain their strength and solidarity. In teaching them to utilize English, we are facilitating a broader process of cultural exchange, allowing the Achuar themselves to communicate directly with outsiders: professionals, academics, dreamers and tourists. In organizing themselves they can effectively protect an enormous swath of jungle and the highly evolved culture it sustains. The ultimate goal--native warriors with bachelors and masters, equipped mentally and physically and spiritually to maintain one of the most unique and diverse ecosystems known to man--is to the ultimate benefit of everyone, in all corners of the world.
So what can the Achuar do to protect their territory and the incredible biodiversity that it hosts?
This is where we (Stephanie and Pablo) come in. The Achuar have specifically asked, and are reaching out to, the "eagle" people the people of the North, to partner up so that we can empower each other. They've recently finished construction on a brand-new, traditionally-built house for volunteers in the village of Wachirpas, and have invited us to live amongst them and develop an English program alongside sustainable community-based projects.
For six months we will be living in Wachirpas (a community of about 200 men, women and children), bathing in the Pastaza river (a major tributary of the Amazon), cooking dinner by fire and candlelight, and to find a road, we'd walk a probably deadly ten days through the thickest of jungle.
We believe that we cannot impose our ideas upon the Achuar, but think that a partnership is necessary. We're at a bottleneck point in history where honoring and empowering the ancient peoples of the earth, those that are left, those who hold a knowledge that much of the planet has forgotten, is an absolute must in the middle of a strained, globalized world. If we don’t, we might suffer immeasurable costs the likes of which we can only imagine. As we pass through this bottleneck, a lot will be lost but so much can be saved and pulled through to the other side.
The Achuar are, after all, the natural custodians of their part of the Amazon, and we are committed to teaching and sharing in whatever way needed so that they can stand strong and united against those who wish to encroach on their territory, monger for oil, and exploit their ways of life. Rather than going in with preconceived ideas about what we think they need, this is an experimental project that needs your help to get off the ground.
So what exactly are we doing?
All the above being said, we will be some of the first volunteers and real outsiders to live with the Achuar for a solid six months, a new situation for both us and them.
Stephanie will be teaching English while Pablo supports--sharing his knowledge of sustainability, ecology, guiding and ecotourism--putting the Achuars' new language (their third!) into a graspable, practical context. The Achuar plan to continue hosting volunteer teachers each semester, and someday develop forward-thinking forms of ecotourism.
Who are We?
Stephanie is a well versed globe trotter (31 countries!), certified English teacher, artist and writer who is passionate about ancient wisdom and preserving cultural diversity.
Pablo is an environmentalist and a certified permaculture designer who has many years working in sustainable tourism and conservation projects.
Why do we need to raise the money?
We're the very first full-time volunteers, and we need to outfit the brand-new volunteer house with basic living equipment that will be left behind for the next set of volunteers. We also need to raise money for English-teaching materials. Previous volunteers have distributed hundreds of copies of a beautiful English language textbook designed specifically for the Achuar, which is ready for a second printing. The Achuar will be donating all the plantains and peccary soup... but in terms of dollars, we are starting from scratch, folks!
What the money will go towards specifically:
bedding, mosquito nets, cooking utensils, water filters, machetes, rubber boots, markers, whiteboards, books and any other necessities indispensable to a gringo in the middle of a rainforest!
What your investment is supporting:
The Achuar's strength and solidarity in utilizing our language to their benefit and ultimately the benefit of the earth and all its peoples. Helping the earth and in turn the human race from the short-sighted greed that some big corporations and business’ can inflict upon us.
Below is a great link to click to if you are interested in learning more. It is a blog written by the first English teacher who is Achuar her self:http://whatsupinwachirpas.blogspot.com/
Some other useful and interesting links about the Achuar
http://www.youtube.com/watch...
http://www.youtube.com/watch...
http://www.kapawi.com/en/home.html
http://www.pachamama.org/
http://www.pachamama.org/content/view/262/97/
FAQ
Have a question? If the info above doesn't help, you can ask the project creator directly.
38
Backers
$2,010
pledged of $1,000 goal
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Funding Successful
This project successfully raised its funding goal on August 20, 2010.
Pledge $20 or more Pledge $20 or more
A small trinket or token from the colorful handcrafts of the Achuar. You will have access to our blogs, which will give the inside scoop of daily jungle life as well as progress in the Achuar community of Wachirpas.
Pledge $50 or more Pledge $50 or more
A personal hand made thank you note, five little beautiful hand made Achuar goods, such as feather earrings, beaded bracelets and carved trinkets. You will also have access to our blogs, which will give the inside scoop of daily jungle life as well as progress in the Achuar community of Wachirpas.
Pledge $100 or more Pledge $100 or more
A personal hand made thank you note and emails and updates from the jungle, a nice bunch of beautiful hand made Achuar goods, such as feather earrings and beaded bracelets. You will also have access to our blogs, which will give the inside scoop of daily jungle life as well as progress in the Achuar community of Wachirpas.
Pledge $200 or more Pledge $200 or more
A personal email and update from the jungle and a big shout out on our blog for supporting the project. A really great Achuar souvenir, like a headscarf or a carved trinket. Also a nice bundle of beaded bracelets. You will also have access to our blogs, which will give the inside scoop of daily jungle life as well as progress in the Achuar community of Wachirpas.
Pledge $1,000 or more Pledge $1,000 or more
We will come to your school/house/party and give a slideshow and talk about our experience in the Achuar community. Of course you will also receive a personal email and update from the jungle and a big shout out on our blog for supporting the project. A nice bunch of beautiful hand made Achuar goods, such as feather earrings and beaded bracelets will be brought home to you. You will also have access to our blog(s), which will give the inside scoop of daily jungle life as well as progress in the Achuar community of Wachirpas.
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