1. 1st Active Project – Sachawa Saturday School continues with theoretical and practical instruction focusing on medicinal plants, elders‘ wisdom, handcrafts, traditional dances, indigenous Kichua language, English and math. Meetings continue to be held at the Ruku Samay Ecolodge, Grefa family home, whose members guide the children, and at the botanical garden at the Život postaru’s Reserve on the Huambuno River. Children from surrounding communities (about 25 children in total) attend the school every Saturday from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. 2-5 teachers (depending on lessons and trips) and 2 cooks (children have breakfast and lunch) are needed.

Since we have not been able to get enough regular funding, we are doing this activity on our own. The staff works voluntarily without salary, and the necessary transportation/gasoline and food costs are covered by the income of Život postaru (about $65/week).

For more information regarding the Sachawa School and its current activities, follow regular posts on our Facebook page

2. We continue to seek help to legalize the SACHAWA alternative school. Therefore, any help is very important to us.

3. Crowdfunding on HitHit „T-shirts for the Rainforest“ in support of Sachawa, created by Lucie Manawa with the support of Jan Killian. In exchange for a financial contribution, donors will receive original rewards – either original t-shirts with prints from Lucie Manawa’s workshop or pictures and scrubbed necklaces directly from the children of Sachawa.. The project runs until 21.3.2022

4. Taking care of the botanical garden in the Huambuno River Reserve, weeding, plant control, replanting of non-viable plants, surveying the land and checking against illegal logging

5. 2nd Active project – Supporting the Rio Blanco Community in the fight against illegal immigrants on community land in the province of Orellana. Agustin visited the site with other community representatives and officials from the Ministry of Environment and other agencies in February 2022. Read more about the current situation in the article HERE

6. 3rd Active Project – We continue to look for assistance purchasing land along the Huambuno River to the Anaconda Falls to prevent gold mining near the community that would result in the destruction of the rainforest and poisoning of the land and river. Livelihood of 7 communities scattered along this river depend on it. To learn more about the actual prices and dimensions, see this article.

7. Quarterly to semi-annually cleaning out the boundaries of both our reserves, the lagoon and the land on the Huambuno River. We need manpower of 6 local workers for two days. The lagoon is located in the remote province of Orellana, and in addition to labor and food, travel and cook costs are required

8. Since the pandemic has put most of the activities of Život postaru on hold, our support is also focused on the Ruku Samay Ecolodge so that they can complete the revitalization of the accommodation for tourism, which is a significant income for the community and a necessity to achieve economic self-sufficiency. ŽP is also involved in educating people on economics, management and financial values to create independent income, concepts that are non-native to the local people and have only been brought to the rainforest by recent infrastructure development and mining issues and the impacts associated with this

9. Buying local handcrafts and gifts from the forest from local people for sale in Europe. Proceeds go back to support community development

10. Organize a camp on the second property with a water lagoon in April 2022

11. WORKSHOP with the directors of the Scio School from Olomouc and Prague in Ruku Samay, Ecuador. Date subject to current travel restrictions. These workshops are based on school principals inspiring us with their experiences on how to work in an alternative school

12. We offer tourist and transformative stays in Ecuador – see more info on the tab “Retreats in Ecuador”

13. Presentations and seminars about the organization, the development of the Sachawa school and travelogue from Ecuador at the Amazonian café – Step In in Prague (22.3.22), the Cestovatelsky Klub/Travel Club in Prague (26.4.22) and Ostrava (March/April 2022), and other locations around the country and in Berlin. For more info follow our Facebook @zivotPostaru and its events and posts