APECA PERU's mission is to help river villagers meet their basic needs. Through education, we help individuals improve their health, as they realize their role in conservation of the amazon rainforest. We empower communities by stabilizing social institutions, encouraging cooperation through multifamily projects, and increasing economic productivity.
This child is holding the quantity of fish
that will be expected to feed a family of five.
"During the last 15 years, I have seen a significant decrease in the size of the fish and the number in the catch. The villagers must have another source of protein avilable for a healthy diet," said APECA Founder Gina Low.
Extensive use of poison from natural plants and large drag nets are used by professional fishermen from the city of Iquitos. Fish breed in the tributaries and swampy grass filled ponds that are created by the high level of the river waters. It is an easy catch in the still of the night, to stun the fish with the forbidden use of natural poisonous plants and net the entire supply of protein for a small village. Limited government funds are not effective in creating a system that will control the abuses of illegal practices.
APECA is educating the community elected conservation leaders to guide their village populations in more productive life styles. Our goal is a rainforest that is protected by the local residents.
Once the villagers can meet their basic needs they will be stronger and better able to take command of their lives. This is essential if they are to preserve and defend the rain forest. It is hard for some of us who live in a modern economy to realize that people engage in a daily struggle to produce the food, shelter, and security essential to survival.
We believe the villagers, as they become healthier, more productive people, can play an important role in preserving their rain forest. We think preserving their rainforest is important to the global ecosystem, and therefore important to all of us. It is in our self interest to help the villagers.
But it is enough to see the children to know that self interest is only a small part of why we are are in Amazonia. Helping these people is the right thing to do.
There is much too much to be done for APECA PERU to change all this quickly. Since our resources are limited, we must make tough choices. We deal with this in part by asking the people themselves what they see as their most important needs. They also have a say in how we go about helping them. They have had a part in deciding that we should concentrate on health, education, and sustainable community conservation projects.
Fortunately, we are not alone. The Peruvian government, through its ministries of Health and Education, is our partner in much of what we do. foreign institutions provide us help as well.
Our boats are integral to our programs. With our current boats, we can reach many of the 144 villages in the District of Fernando Lores. Our dream, of course, is to replace our cherished floating health clinic, "El Trochero," that stayed out on extended trips to the most remote areas.
We facilitate the work of existing government services. Health, education and conservation issues are addressed in services provided through river campaigns.
The financial burden of maintaining a viable transportation system can eliminate the opportunity to deliver government services to remote areas. APECA PERU facilitates this delivery, when possible, as we attend to our on going community projects.
Field campaigns are opportunities to undertake other activities, since lack of funds for transportation is an important limitation on the government's ability to reach communities it would like to serve.
- Village visits are occasions for lectures on hygiene, including prevention of diseases such as cholera, dysentery, and parasites.
- Visiting technicians can test for malaria and tuberculosis. In some villages they can also confer with the resident medical technician (a Health Ministry employee) or the volunteer health promoter (an unpaid local resident).
- Education for health and nutrition includes use of natural medicines and other local healing lore.
- Conservation of Flora and Fauna are encouraged as we sensitize the future conservers of the rainforest.
El Fundo, our base of operations, provides staff living quarters and work areas for boat building and maintenance. But our training center and model projects are also there. We have:
- demonstration fish ponds
- vegetable gardens
- clean drinking water systems
- trash pits
- reforested areas
We bring villagers to El Fundo and with the help of professionals we train community elected representatives to carry out model projects.
These programs are what APECA PERU is and does. We struggle with wearisome, upsetting, even repellent problems in one of the world's few remaining Edens, a place where river, sky, and forest sustain the spirit and satisfy the heart. We think the effort well worthwhile. We invite you to join us!
