Ayni, Regenerative Food Forest in the Amazon

Dear Friends and Supporters,

The past few months have flown by, and as we approach the end of May, we’re excited to share our progress with you. Our motivation remains strong, fueled by the advances in our projects, new allies, and promising initiatives on the horizon.

In the beginning of May, we hosted our third Diálogo de Saberes (Wisdom Dialogue) event. This gathering, which we try to organize once a year, holds a special place in our hearts. It allows us to connect with the communities and allies we partner with in a special way. By bringing them all to our Permaculture Center for three days, it gives us precious time together to share and exchange knowledge and allows us to help build stronger bonds, both between Chaikuni and our partners, but also between our partners.

This year, we were honored with the presence of representatives from the Bora, Maijuna, Kukama, Awajún, Wampis, and Shawi peoples, as well as our allies from the Achuar Cooperative Shakaim, Camino Verde, One Planet, and Mi Amazonas. In our two previous gatherings, we explored new approaches to addressing the environmental, cultural, and productive challenges of the Amazon. Building on that experience, this year indigenous representatives took a leading role by sharing their work on sustainable productive alternatives. Bora representatives, for example, shared their experience with agroforestry systems involving the precious rosewood tree; the Maijuna representatives talked about their vast knowledge of beekeeping and honey production; and our Kukama promoters discussed how they are advocating for diverse non-burning agroforestry systems in their communities.

Another central topic of this year´s gathering was the transformation of harvested crops into value-added products. We were fortunate to learn about the inspiring work from the Achuar Agricultural Cooperative Shakaim, which sources all ingredients from remote Achuar communities, and then transforms them into value added natural products such as essential oils, soaps, chocolate, medicines, etc., benefiting the Achuar families that participate in this enterprise. Learning about their efforts inspired us not only to continue developing our line of natural products but also to connect both initiatives and include their products, such as essential oils, as ingredients in ours.

Our Chaikuni natural products line continues to grow, establishing connections with indigenous allies and expanding our points of sale. Over the last months, we have been intensifying our efforts to offer our products in shops in the city of Iquitos. Finally, a few weeks ago, we achieved this goal. If you are curious, you may follow this initiative here .

Finally, we would like to seize this opportunity to share our Annual Report 2023 with you, which we released a couple of weeks ago! It is a testament to our collective efforts and the impact we've achieved together last year. We invite you to read it and join us in celebrating our accomplishments and the inspiring stories from our partners and allies.  

We dream big, but every small step is a victory and inspires us to keep working on initiatives relevant to the reality of the indigenous peoples of the Amazon, anchored in their concept of "buen vivir" (or good living), placing indigenous peoples at the center as the protagonists of their own well-being. We are grateful to have you with us on this journey.

With heartfelt gratitude,

The Chaikuni Institute Team

Dear friends and supporters,

We step into the new year with thanks and optimism, wishing you a strong and fulfilling start. Your support fuels our purpose, and we're eager to share the exciting progress we've made during the past months.

Over the years, we have cultivated partnerships with various organizations that share our goals and vision, both locally and internationally, many of them indigenous. We are excited to let you know that we recently signed a cooperation agreement with the Autonomous Territorial Government of the Wampis Nation (GTANW). While international law recognizes the right of indigenous peoples to autonomy and their intact integral ancestral territories, unfortunately, Perú has yet to do so. Despite this antiquated Peruvian legislation, the Wampis went ahead, got organized and, as the first indigenous peoples in Peru, auto declared themselves as an indigenous nation in Peru. Our newly established alliance with the GTANW opens doors to a multitude of possibilities and collaborative efforts with the Wampis people.

As the first activity of this agreement with the Wampis Nation, in late October, we welcomed two young Wampis interns, Noe and Leydi, to our Permaculture Center, for a one-month training and knowledge exchange. Our team also guided Noe and Leydi in designing their own projects, for forest regeneration and the strengthening of their culture, which they hope to implement in their communities. We maintain close contact with Leydi and Noe and are looking forward to seeing how they will manage to turn their project ideas into reality.

The recovery of Amazonian traditional knowledge is at the core of our mission, a journey we share not only with local and indigenous communities but also with international visitors. Since our last report we welcomed our firsts trainees and continued to receive volunteers. Breen, from Ireland, became a resident and as such an integral part of our team, after having been a volunteer with us for three months. Long-term volunteers become more involved, and we encourage them to play a more significant role in our projects and the development of our Center.

Our Permaculture Center is not just a demonstration site but also a meeting place where indigenous leaders, interns, students, local families, our team from across Peru, as well as international visitors come together to exchange and appreciate a wide range of diverse experiences. In the end of October, we welcomed the first participants in our new “Traditional Knowledge for Self Sufficiency” course, focusing on Amazonian knowledge skills and offering strategies for creating a sustainable and thriving environment.

Last month, a storm felled some trees in an area of our Permaculture Center. Our team seized this natural process in the Amazon rainforest to establish a new demonstrative agroforestry plot with an emphasis on citrus trees. Adapting to and living in harmony with the Amazonian ecosystem might be challenging, but it also offers great opportunities. At the Chaikuni Institute, we try to turn the challenges into opportunities and solutions. Knowing that supporters like you not only sustain our ongoing efforts but also contribute to our continuous growth, we continue our mission to regenerate the Amazon with great optimism.

With heartfelt gratitude,

The Chaikuni Institute Team

Links:

• Join us as a trainee or volunteer