Printer-friendly versionSend to friendPDF version

Beside the struggle for landtitles and recognition of indigenous people’s rights in Ecuador, the Kichwas biggest challenge is to find a way of living off the land that provides the cultural and modern necessities, and at the same time doesn’t take away the same possibilities for the future generations.

Although the majority of the Kichwa indians today are self-reliant in terms of food production, there still exists a increasing need to earn money to pay for their children’s education, health services, transportation, clothes and other consumption goods in order not to become marginalized in the Ecuadorian society. Until now the only possibility for the Kichwa to obtain money has been by selling their timber, bushmeat, growing export crops or accepting unfavorable offers from mining companies that would leave their forest, water and natural resources devastated.

Based on a desire to preserve their forest and culture, the villagers agreed to enter a partnership with Aalborg Zoo in 2002 that would enable them to take charge over their own destiny and to create and develop livelihoods based on their own experience and visions, free of what outside mining companies are dictating.

The future challenge of the project is to create a legal platform and help generate the necessary income to address the problems faced the villagers, stop the negative development and create a diffent development path that can serve as a model for other communities in the area as well.