Indigenous Youth Leading the Amazon's Future

Dear Friends and Supporters,

We are excited to share the latest updates from our journey alongside Indigenous youth during the first months of 2026. This period has been defined by significant academic milestones and essential spaces for reflection that continue to strengthen the future of the Amazon.

One of our most rewarding initiatives this quarter was the academic reinforcement program. Throughout January and February, we accompanied 46 young applicants from OEPIAP as they prepared for their university entrance exams. By diving into subjects ranging from psychology to philosophy, these students demonstrated incredible dedication. We are proud to announce that on February 22nd, 12 students (6 women and 6 men) successfully secured their places at the university. Seeing their motivation—and knowing that many others were only a few points away—inspires us to keep refining these tools for academic success.

We also celebrate a historic achievement for Llerlin José Pacunda Cruz, a young Awajún from the community of Ajachim. On February 6th, José reached a major milestone by successfully defending his thesis in Environmental Management Engineering at UNAP. His research on the conservation of the Lagothrix lagotricha (woolly monkey) beautifully integrates technical expertise with the ancestral knowledge of his people. Having begun this path in 2019, overcoming both cultural and geographic barriers, José’s graduation stands as a powerful inspiration for other Indigenous youth dreaming of protecting their territories through professional leadership.

Finally, in March, we turned our focus inward to the safety and well-being of the student community. We facilitated participatory workshops with 44 students to begin drafting an internal protocol against gender-based violence and harassment. These sessions provided a vital space to reflect on rights and safety, while also offering training in sexual and reproductive health. By promoting self-care and mutual respect, we continue to build the foundations of Buen Vivir within the organization.

Whether it is a university admission, a successful thesis defense, or a new protection protocol, each step confirms that Indigenous leadership is built on a foundation of both modern tools and deep-rooted identity. Thank you for walking this path with us and for making this vital work possible.

With gratitude,

The Chaikuni Team

Dear Friends and Supporters,

Over the past months, we have continued walking alongside Indigenous students as they navigate their studies, face challenges, and take steps toward becoming the leaders the Amazon needs. Your support allows us to stay close to their processes, listening, advising, and responding to what they need at each stage of their lives.

One new initiative that brought us great satisfaction was accompanying a group of Indigenous youth through the application process for a scholarship call. We provided hands-on support to help students clarify their ideas, strengthen their proposals, and better understand how funded projects work. As a result of this process, José, an Awajún graduate in Environmental Engineering, advanced to the next stage of the selection process with a proposal focused on environmental conservation. We are excited to continue accompanying him and to see how this opportunity unfolds.

In recent months, we reconnected with Sacha Cine, an ally we have worked with in the past exploring themes of identity and interculturality through audiovisual creation. Over seven sessions, a group of students immersed themselves in the foundations of audiovisual storytelling, working collectively to develop short videos grounded in their own perspectives and experiences. This process strengthened their confidence, creativity, and capacity to communicate ideas connected to buen vivir and their role in promoting it.

The videos created through this process were later presented at the forum “Analysis and Dialogue on Higher Education for Indigenous Youth in Loreto,” which we organized on November 14 in the city of Iquitos. The event brought together Indigenous students, universities, government institutions, Indigenous territorial governments, and allied organizations to reflect on access to higher education, the challenges students face, and the need for more relevant and intercultural educational pathways. The forum concluded with a Final Declaration, in which participating institutions committed to working together to strengthen intercultural higher education for Indigenous youth in the region.

These moments - supporting proposals, creating videos, opening spaces for dialogue - may seem small on their own. But together, they form the foundation that allows Indigenous students to strengthen their voices, expand their opportunities, and shape their own paths forward. We are grateful to you for being part of this process and for making this work possible.

With gratitude,

The Chaikuni Team