Achuar // Amazon

Deep in the heart of Ecuador’s southeast corner of the Amazon rainforest, accessible only by small plane or canoe—far from modern life as we know it—the Achuar Nation has maintained their customs and traditions for centuries. The Achuar are a beautiful nation of indigenous peoples, with a rich, ancient culture, working tirelessly to preserve their forest and community. Despite contact with modern society this noble people choose to maintain their ways of life, conserve their culture, and protect their forest.

Unfortunately, with lack of clean water in the Achuar Territory, bacterial and parasitic water-borne disease are a persistent source of often severe illness, particularly in children. With little access to modern medicine, water-borne illness can be debilitating. To preserve this unique culture and their land—essential to survival of their communities—health through access to clean water is essential. In April 2019, our team was excited to launch our much needed Ecuadorian Amazon Clean Water Initiative with the aim of providing clean water to each and every household in the Achuar Territory.

Phase one started after we joined forces with a charismatic, well-respected Achuarian leader, Jose Peas, who has an extensive network over the breadth of the Achuar Territory and beyond. He is now a committed W4W champion for the region. Our journey took us down the Pastaza River where we targeted ten Achuar communities. After in depth education on water, sanitation, and hygiene conducted by Jose in the Achuar language, we provided water filtration systems for every household, school, and health center in the targeted communities.

With Phase 1 complete, we have mapped out 4 additional phases to ultimately bring clean water to all of the Achuar Territory. We are looking for support for Phase 2 to:

• Reach communities in the eastern most portion of the territory
• Build awareness through professional content creation