Fall 2023, Amazon Pueblo News from the Jungle and the USA

We give a warm thank you to every one of our sponsors and donors. Without their help, our progress in supporting the students of La Libertad and their families would not have been possible!

On this Giving Tuesday, we are starting our student scholarship drive.  If you sponsor a student or would like to sponsor a student, please visit the GIVE page on our website.  There, you will find multiple ways to donate.

And now, on to the news!

In the Amazon

STAIRS AND SIDEWALK FOR THE HEALTHCARE CENTER

In August, we completed work on a sidewalk and walkway in front of the health center.  While we originally planned to plaster the walls, a lack of skilled labor (no one had experience plastering) led us to revise our plan.  But the walkway is greatly needed!

Gustavo and Victor are pouring the concrete.  It was a hot weekend with little rain.  The walkway is needed to help reduce erosion and slipping on the mud and grass when it rains.  The sidewalk took about two weeks to make, accounting for... READ MORE

DENTIST VISITS AND HAIRCUTS: WHAT FUN!

Sometimes, our students do not brush or floss and eat candy when the opportunity arises.  This leads to problems.  Many of their parents are missing teeth.  A person over 60 years old may only have half of their original 32 teeth.

In early times, the villagers' diet mainly consisted of fruit, tubers, fish, limited vegetables, and infrequent wild game.  But with more significant... READ MORE

INTERNET FOR THE STUDENTS OF THE VILLAGE

We provide Starlink Internet for the villagers of La Libertad. Being a very remote location, people often need a cell phone signal.  The strength is insufficient for cell data, even if they can make voice calls.  By connecting to the internet, they can use phone communication apps to talk with family, friends, work, and school!

The internet system is powered by two 550-watt solar panels, a voltage regulator, a power inverter, and a 100 amp-hour lithium... READ MORE

In the US

CRAFT FAIR FOR THE SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM: CAMDEN MAINE, DECEMBER 2

Join Us for the Christmas by the Sea Craft Fair!

• When: Saturday, December 2, 2023, 9 am - 2 pm
• Where: The First Congregational Church in Camden, Maine
• What: Sales of indigenous handcrafts, Colombian emerald jewelry, and more!
• Why:  To benefit the education of indig... READ MORE

MEET KO-FI: OUR NEW DONATION, MEMBERSHIP, AND SALES PORTAL

And now we present Ko-Fi!

What is Ko-Fi?  First, it is pronounced like "coffee."  Ko-fi is an online platform that helps creators get much-needed financial support from their supporters.

It allows us to receive donations, have membership subscriptions, sell products and services directly to our supporters, and keep... READ MORE

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!  CHECK OUT OUR NEW SUPER-FANCY ONLINE TO-DO LIST

Help us!  We need volunteers!

Volunteers are the lifeblood of our organization.  As an all-volunteer force, we could only work towards our mission with the help of everyone who has given their time since we started in 2012.

Things that we need help with:

• Volunteer in the village
• Help with social media (Facebook, LinkedIn, or others)
• Blog... READ MORE (and see our fancy to-do list)!

That's it for the newsletter.  Thank you for reading!

 

Volunteers Needed! And Check Out Our Super-Fancy, Online To-Do List

Help us!  We need volunteers!

Volunteers are the lifeblood of our organization.  As an all-volunteer force, we could only work towards our mission with the help of everyone who has given their time since we started in 2012.

Things that we need help with:

• Volunteer in the village
• Help with social media (Facebook, LinkedIn, or others)
• Blog posts
• Finding sponsors for scholarships
• Maintaining contact with our sponsors
• Grant research and/or writing
• General fundraising
• Selling at craft fairs
• Selling on eBay or Etsy

Trello, an Online to-do List

And now, presenting an excellent productivity tool, the online "To-Do" list, Trello.  Click on the image to visit our Trello board.  There, you will see what we are currently working on.  If you would like to help with any of our tasks (or develop your own) to help the project, please message us!

Meet Ko-Fi: Our New Donation, Membership, and Sales Portal

And now we present Ko-Fi!

What is Ko-Fi?  First, it is pronounced like "coffee."  Ko-fi is an online platform that helps creators get much-needed financial support from their supporters.

It allows us to receive donations, have membership subscriptions, sell products and services directly to our supporters, and keep in touch with our community.  It charges donors no fees for the service (our subscription is $80 yearly).

Please scroll down to see some of its key features.

One-time donations

Monthly memberships

Photo Gallery

Gift shop

Custom-made emerald jewelry

Please visit us at Ko-Fi to see our new platform in action!

Dentist Visits and Haircuts: What Fun!

Teaching dental care and encouraging good personal hygiene.

Sometimes, our students do not brush or floss and eat candy when the opportunity arises.  This leads to problems.  Many of their parents are missing teeth.  A person over 60 years old may only have half of their original 32 teeth.

In early times, the villagers' diet mainly consisted of fruit, tubers, fish, limited vegetables, and infrequent wild game.  But with more significant contact with modern processed food, their teeth have become much worse.

Part of what we do is to educate our students on good oral hygiene practices.  We do this by talking with them and using pamphlets and videos when computers or tablets are available.

We always bring donated toothbrushes and other oral care items from the States.

In extreme cases, the students may need to have many teeth restored and some extracted.  This boy lost one permanent tooth and needed five restorations.

Dental care costs in Colombia are about one-fourth of what it costs in the US.

We also have a tradition of getting haircuts when we do the school shopping for the scholarship students.

Many barber shops are in the Port of Leticia, the closest large city to the village.

After getting a haircut, we did the school shopping.  In all, a very successful day!

Craft Fair for the Scholarship Program: Camden, Maine, December 2

Join Us for the Christmas by the Sea Craft Fair!

When: Saturday, December 2, 2023, 9 am - 2 pm

Where: The First Congregational Church in Camden, Maine

What: Sales of indigenous handcrafts, Colombian emerald jewelry, and more!

Why:  To benefit the education of indigenous students in the Colombian Amazon.

Handcrafts made by the Yagua tribe of the village of La Libertad, Amazonas, Colombia.

Some of our new bloodwood crafts.

A selection of emerald and primarily sterling silver jewelry.

A stunning 5ct. emerald eternity ring set in 18K gold.

The First Congregational Church, 55 Elm St., in Camden, Maine.

One hundred percent of the profits go towards the Amazon Pueblo scholarship program!

We hope to see you there!

Internet for the Students of the Village!

Internet for the Village

We provide Starlink Internet for the villagers of La Libertad. Being a very remote location, people often need a cell phone signal.  The strength is insufficient for cell data, even if they can make voice calls.  By connecting to the internet, they can use phone communication apps to talk with family, friends, work, and school!

This is the satellite antenna we use to connect to Starlink.  We have a mobile Starlink connection, not a residential one (considerably faster but yet to be available).  Our speeds range from 20Mb to 200Mb.

The internet system is powered by two 550-watt solar panels, a voltage regulator, a power inverter, and a 100 amp-hour lithium battery pack.  When the village's generator is operating, we connect to its grid.

Our older students who take classes in a different village often use the internet to do their homework, pass it in, or message their teachers.

We also use the internet to help our younger students find educational apps to help them learn to read, do math, and other things.

After school and homework, the kids may play a game, listen to music, or watch funny videos!

We also have one laptop computer, which we leave out for the students who need to do larger school work projects.  Below is a video of one of our students describing how she uses the internet.