By Charlotte Biren | Communications Coordinator
"Bekanwe" means welcome in Shipibo-Konibo.
Alianza Arkana has welcomed ARIAP (Asociación de Raices Indigenas de la Amazonia Peruana) to share the Casa Ametra office space. ARIAP is a newly established indigenious association that focuses on intercultural and bilingual education.
It has a been a little over a month and they have hit the ground running! Alianza and ARIAP held a conference on Shipibo Language Revitalization a couple weeks ago and are working together to create culturally appropriate educational resources for indigenous communities.
As a part of the language revitalization work, ARIAP has kicked off "Axenon Ikanwe," a radio program entirely in Shipibo dedicated to promoting and strengthening Shipibo language use. Alianza is supporting the new program and excited to be involved as a partner.
Our crowdfunding efforts for our new Nomaboan Nete Youth Workshops were more than successful!
We surpassed our $4,000 goal with the help of supportive donors and our generous partners at Sinchi Tribe, Aya Healing Retreat, and Girls for the World. We are getting ready for Shipibo youth empowerment workshops and a Shipibo girls leadership conference. A huge thank you for everyone that contributed. There will be ways to get involved and to continue supporting our work with Shipibo youth.
"Pepino, Pepino, Pepino, Aji Dulce!"
Imagine you are in the community of Santa Clara with our volunteers Maya and Joscha and the 15 students who are learning about the cucumber, the aji dulce, and the onion. Today, Maya and Joscha have planned a class focusing on these three vegetables that are grown by the students in the permaculture garden. After the students learn about vitamins A, B, C, D, E, K, magnesium, iron, and more they are put to the test.
Maya asks the kids to get together in groups and make skits to perform in front of their class so the class can guess what vegetable they are describing based on the nutrients and healing properties they have. The three groups take their turns acting out different illnesses and the class erupts into screams and shouts as they guess if it is the cucumber, aji dulce, or cebolla being acted out. Class ends outside in the garden with the kids identifying the cucumbers, aji dulces, and onions as they grow.
As part of the permaculture project, our volunteer, Maya, has been working with the children of Santa Clara, teaching them about the vegetables, fruits, and roots that the kids are growing in the permaculture garden. Maya works with the students to explain health and nutritional benefits of everything being grown in the garden. Her work also connects permaculture to environmental conservation, reforestation, and sustainability. She has been here for three months and works with other volunteers to teach interactive classes in the community twice a week.
Youth Association at Work
On the other side of the permaculture project in Santa Clara, we visit the Asociación de Jovenes de Santa Clara (Youth Association of Santa Clara). Alianza Arkana's volunteers have been collaborating with the Youth Association to develop projects that build off and expand the reach of the permaculture project.
Meet Amadeo. He is an active member of the Youth Association of Santa Clara and has been working with volunteers on ways to grow food security within the permaculture project. Amadeo has been working with other youth on setting up a plan for a chicken rearing coop, which would provide Santa Clara with chickens for consumption and for sale. This past month Alianza's volunteers have provided weekly workshops on project development and management. Through this alliance, the Youth Association have created budgets and timelines to execute the chicken rearing venture to promote a sustainable economic alternative.
We thank you and encourage you to continue supporting the Intercultural Education and Permaculture project. We need your help in building capacity for our young Shipibo leaders like Amadeo. Your donation help create long-term sustainable change as we focus our energies on developing Shipibo leaders and making their visions become fruitful realities.
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By Dr Paul Roberts | Director Organizational Development and Research
By Dr Paul Roberts | Director of Research & Organizational Development
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