What are we doing in the Peruvian jungle?
In 2021, and for the first time in Amantani’s history, our Transitions team launched a pilot version of a new project in the Peruvian Amazon. Dr. Thilo Böck, Projects Director, and Eduardo Espinoza, Youth Work Coordinator, were responsible for the preliminary coordination and field work that kickstarted Amantani’s Amazon Youth Project last year.
In the Loreto region, there’s a district called Santa Clotilde an 8-hour boat ride away from the region’s capital, Iquitos. The communities of Santa Clotilde have access to untreated running water for only one hour a day and there are no central sewage systems. There is electricity, but for only 10 hours a day. Communications are also challenging as there is limited phone and internet service.
These living conditions make it almost impossible for young people to access information, opportunities and guidance regarding academic and professional opportunities that could lead families to break the poverty cycle.
In Santa Rita de Castilla, another Amazonian district that we are starting to work with, families face very similar challenges. Our Amazon Youth Project uses a similar methodology to our Transitions Project in Cusco, but our team has adapted it to best address the different cultural and geographical needs of these communities. “Since we had been working in Ccorca and Huanoquite for years, we had some pre-conceived ideas about how this new experience would be,” says Eduardo. “But on arrival, we understood we needed to make more adjustments and offer even more highly contextualized workshops to get it right.”
Young people in Santa Clotilde working together.
Young people in Santa Clotilde participate in an introductory workshop.
Unlike our Pathways Programme in Cusco, the Amazon Youth Project doesn’t guarantee the participants will receive an Amantani scholarship for higher studies. Instead, the project focuses on guiding young people in identifying potential life plans and building the skills they need to achieve their goals. We also run capacity building workshops with local educators and education authorities.
In this second half of the year, we feel confident about our future in the Peruvian Amazon. “During these trips we have been pleased to witness firsthand the commitment of local organisations and educators. We’ve met interested communities, young people who believe in themselves, families with big hopes for their sons’ and daughters’ futures, and academic institutions willing to help. To this mix, we must add the dedication of our spectacular team, who are excited and motivated by these new challenges,” says Rodrigo Bustos, Executive Director.
Currently, our team is raising funds to expand our impact to over 400 young people and teachers during 2023. If you are interested in supporting us, please, click here: