PROJECTS
PROJECTS
The A´I Kofan are descendents of ancient riverine people, and hold tremendous medicinal wisdom particularly of ayahuasca, or “yagé”. They speak their own language called A´I NGE. Expert hunter-gatherers and navigators, they travelled all over the Sucumbios province and southern Colombia to collect forest food and medicine, fish and hunt.
During the Texaco-Chevron oil scandal, beginning in the 60s, Kofán territory was systematically contaminated by careless oil dumping practices in one of the worst disasters in history. Much of their forest was lost and deforested, but small pockets were protected, one of which is Dureno.
Many Kofán are working hard to revive important lost cultural practices, and rescue knowledge about plants providing highly nutritious foods, handicraft materials and traditional medicines to keep their culture alive. YAKUM has supported this work since 2018.
THREATS IN THE AREA
The A´I Kofan are descendents of ancient riverine people, and hold tremendous medicinal wisdom particularly of ayahuasca, or “yagé”. They speak their own language called A´I NGE. Expert hunter-gatherers and navigators, they travelled all over the Sucumbios province and southern Colombia to collect forest food and medicine, fish and hunt.
During the Texaco-Chevron oil scandal, beginning in the 60s, Kofán territory was systematically contaminated by careless oil dumping practices in one of the worst disasters in history. Much of their forest was lost and deforested, but small pockets were protected, one of which is Dureno.
Many Kofán are working hard to revive important lost cultural practices, and rescue knowledge about plants providing highly nutritious foods, handicraft materials and traditional medicines to keep their culture alive. YAKUM has supported this work since 2018.
THREATS IN THE AREA
SUKÛ WOMEN´S HANDICRAFT FOREST
SUKÛ women’s association have more than 30 members and produce necklaces, bracelets, earrings and bags from rainforest plant fibres, seeds and fruit husks for sale. The materials are scarce – SUKÛ lose profit making trips to collect or purchase elsewhere. YAKUM and SUKÛ are reforesting with trees which produce these ancient materials on-site, to expand forest cover and improve profit margins.
SUKÛ women’s association have more than 30 members and produce necklaces, bracelets, earrings and bags from rainforest plant fibres, seeds and fruit husks for sale. The materials are scarce – SUKÛ lose profit making trips to collect or purchase elsewhere. YAKUM and SUKÛ are reforesting with trees which produce these ancient materials on-site, to expand forest cover and improve profit margins.
MILLENIUM CITY PROJECT
Over the last decades, the people of Kofán Dureno have lost access to important food-producing plants that offered first-rate nutrition to their ancestors. YAKUM has been working since 2018 with the Ortiz family and the Dureno school children to reforest family areas in the “Millenium City” housing project with trees providing ancestral foods, to support Kofán food sovereignty and improve nutrition.
Over the last decades, the people of Kofán Dureno have lost access to important food-producing plants that offered first-rate nutrition to their ancestors. YAKUM has been working since 2018 with the Ortiz family and the Dureno school children to reforest family areas in the “Millenium City” housing project with trees providing ancestral foods, to support Kofán food sovereignty and improve nutrition.ç
