Dear friends,
What is happening now?
We are strong women sitting in the jungle, laughing and building a makeshift shelter from the rain to sit and write you under. June is weaving the roof out of palm leaves and her inkis girlfriends are passing her the leaves. Today we are singing, “Jubilation!”
Why are we happy today?
“Today I have a river of joy inside because I look around and where before I found students, now I see teachers. I have watched beautiful young women and men growing up and finding new and creative ways to live in their world. I have lived in this jungle for a year and a half, and soon I am leaving. I have dared to develop something new here. As a direct result of the generosity and support of countless kind souls, classrooms will be home to new methods, new ideas, and new energy in my wake. I am happy because together with my brothers and sisters we’ve created conditions conducive to life and learning. More than happy, though, I am honored. Swollen with pride to be passing my work into such strong hands, and filled with peace at knowing I shall return, and be always finding new paths to come home by.
Thank you, eternally!”
-Lily
“I am happy because I look at my students, and I see myself in them, like I was years ago. But yet not much time has passed. I have completed only five months of work, but I am with children like me, helping them through the same journey that I made, that I started five years ago. Now I have worked without money, out of love for my people, love for my jungle, wanting to share what I know. And I am excited to keep helping, sharing, teaching and learning together with them. I have accomplished something, and I have something to show for it, as an Achuar woman.
Those five months have ended and my brother and sister, Kayu and Lily, are leaving for their country, but they are going back after having shared their wisdom with my people, with me in my jungle. It is very sad to know they are leaving, and the fact that they’re leaving me on my own demands a great responsibility to take this program to my people, but I accept it gladly. I am thankful from the bottom of my heart. Now they are not only friends, they are my family. Even my mom says “uchir” to Kyle and “nawanchir” to Lily- son and daughter. And they say mom-“nukuchir.”
But now two new friends are coming from North America, Stephanie and Pablo, to support me and support my community, and they will be part of my family, too. All the people here are waiting for them with open arms, just like me, to exchange our knowledge in the heart of the jungle.
Support these people to arrive in my sacred forest so that together we can transform our dreams into reality:
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1157786407/empowering-the-achuar-of-the-amazon-wachirpas-engl?ref=email
Maketai. Thanks!”
-June Jiyunt Uyunkar
