Preserve Mayan culture with Arutam

1.  CONTEXT:

Created by a handful of enthusiasts of Amerindian traditions, Arutam, is dedicated to making known to the greatest number the vision of the world that the Indians preserve: the art of living in harmony with nature.

From 1992 to 2002, at the request of Indian organizations, Arutam focused on the establishment of indigenous primary health care networks in the Amazon rainforest for the Shuar, Achuar, Shiwiar, Zapara and Awa populations of Ecuador. The programme included the creation of a central community pharmacy (botica popular) outside the forest at the headquarters of each Indian organization, the equipping of villages with first-aid equipment and the training of indigenous health personnel.

After ten years of effort in the field, the health networks thus formed have managed to cover half the total population, i.e. about 30,000 Indians in the Amazon provinces. These networks are made up of 3 central pharmacies, 50 nursing auxiliaries and about 200 health promoters.

The formation of indigenous teams to collect oral knowledge in the field has led to the creation of a data bank and live samples of the most widely used medicinal plants, which has been widely disseminated.

However, the Arutam team also faces another challenge: the despoilment and destruction of ancestral lands. Fortunately, part of the Shiwiar and Sapara territories have been officially recognized by the Ecuadorian government since 1992. However, nothing has been done since then to effectively protect their biodiversity, which is the source of life for these indigenous populations who still live traditionally from hunting, fishing, horticulture and gathering.

2.  OUR IMPACT:

Since October 2019, International Impact has provided Arutam with 2 Civic Services in Mexico.

3.  PROJECT TO SUPPORT:

In Mexico, in the Yucatan peninsula, the Mayan culture is threatened by folklorization.
Worse still, traditional agriculture is in danger of disappearing.

Arutam proposes to combine agro-ecology, ecotourism, traditional health and cultural revaluation through a pilot centre with the participation of a Mayan community.

 

 

Return to the Pre-Impact Calendar and discover new projects day after day: