Rainforest protection through support for indigenous peoples
Various studies confirm that rainforest areas managed by indigenous communities are best protected from exploitation. However, the lives of indigenous people have changed, and many are seeking new opportunities in the cities. We aim to prevent this by enabling the Achuar people in the Ecuadorian Amazon to live and work in the forest in a modern way.
GREEN BOOTS has already supported the Achuar in the project region with training in vegetable cultivation and poultry farming for self-sufficiency. In 2023, we helped the village communities with the construction of a new water supply system and the repair of an existing drinking water facility. Now, the next project is to be implemented, which will further advance sustainable community development and offer people a long-term perspective in the forest.
The goal of the new project is to build a traditional house in the Kapawari community, which will serve as a multi-purpose educational center.
Use of the Educational Center
The educational center in Kapawari is to serve mainly three purposes as a multi-functional building:
- Use by about 1,500 Achuar from neighboring villages for training on various topics relevant to sustainable community development, as well as for meetings and clan discussions from different village communities.
- Use by national and international universities with their professors and students for seminars, project work, and research.
- Use by private visitors, who can enjoy very individualized and sustainable tourism in small groups (2 to 12 people). The building will provide food services and also serve to present indigenous traditions.
Benefits for the Achuar and the Rainforest
- A meeting and training place for the Achuar from surrounding villages.
- Work and income opportunities for the Achuar through moderate, community-based tourism as an alternative to rainforest exploitation.
- Protection of the 75,000-hectare intact rainforest area that belongs to the Achuar with land title.
Facilities of the Educational Center
- Traditional construction made of wood, bamboo, and palm leaves.
- A large, well-equipped kitchen to provide food for visitors from neighboring villages during meetings (which could include more than 100 people), as well as for scientists and small tourism groups.
- Running water, solar power, and dry composting toilets for modern use.
Construction plans for the planned education center in Kapawari. The building will be 16 meters long and 8 meters wide. © amazonica
The Achuar Need Your Help!
The Achuar will handle the construction of the building's shell themselves. However, for the costly interior work and the solar power system, they need professional craftsmen from the city and funds for the materials. They rely on your support for this.