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Host rating
80 %
Last replied
21 Nov 2023
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6
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Description
The culture, an ancient and unique indigenous culture of the Ecuadorian rainforests, is on the verge of extinction. Years of cultural erosion caused by modernization, globalization, and the expansion of the petroleum industry have threatened the survival of this rich and vibrant culture. Furthermore, the people have been marginalized and economically disadvantaged, placing them at a higher risk of losing their traditions, language, and way of life. As a result, we are seeking volunteers to help us preserve and revitalize the culture.
We are in search of volunteers who can lend their skills and expertise in several areas, including Yoga Instructors, Music Teachers for guitar, singing, and flute, Medical Professionals, and Social Media & Production experts.
The Amazon Rainforest has been a source of inspiration for many throughout history, including the renowned explorer and geographer, Alexander von Humboldt. Humboldt was responsible for documenting the kinship rituals of the people of the Amazon basin and the connections between geography and culture. Today, we invite volunteers to join us in our efforts to preserve the ancient indigenous Kichwa culture, which is facing extinction due to cultural erosion caused by modernization, globalization, and socioeconomic factors.
Our Tribal Learning Center is an indigenous school located in the Ecuadorian rainforest. Our goal is to create culturally appropriate and relevant courses that produce indigenous students with knowledge and skills rooted in their Kichwa culture. We are currently looking for bilingual teachers who speak Spanish and English at intermediate to advanced levels and have four weeks or more of availability.
We also operate a Jungle Medicine Clinic, which was established to address the needs of the indigenous community that was often excluded from mainstream health services. We are actively seeking medical professionals to join our team of qualified, experienced General Physicians, medical staff, allied health professionals, and indigenous healers. Volunteers will assist in developing community education workshops about health and wellness and first-aid training if qualified.
Our Shamanic Wellness Retreats take place in a small Kichwa indigenous community in the rainforests of Ecuador, where guests and volunteers can stay in primitive bamboo huts with high-speed internet, electricity, and showers with hot water. Here, volunteers can learn about the natural healing power of the jungle's botanicals and participate in retreats focused on individual wellness, including medically supervised Integrative health & wellness treatments, Psycho-Spiritual Addiction & Recovery Support, Detox, and Shamanic Cleanse Rituals.
Finally, we are seeking talented volunteers to join our Social Media & Content Production Team to help develop and fine-tune our online operations. This includes expanding our online digital presence through web development, content creation, social media campaigns, and video/media production, as well as developing international cultural tourism marketing strategies to ensure ongoing financial sustainability.
Types of help and learning opportunities
Charity Work
Language practice
Teaching
Hospitality/Tourism
General Maintenance
Help with Computers/ Internet
UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
Our community offers individuals and groups safe and authentic shamanic wellness retreats in the enchanting rainforests of Ecuador. Here you can experience and learn about the amazing healing power of nature's botanicals from the jungle.
Projects involving children
This project could involve children. For more information see our guidelines and tips here.
Help
The vision for the volunteer program is to help build a collaborative learning community that supports the promotion and development of indigenous education; rooted in the knowledge systems and practices of their ancestors; and empowers the indigenous people to prepare for the challenges of a modern world.
The volunteer program celebrates the strengths of all learners and promotes the health & well-being, growth of physical, social, emotional, language, literacy (including computer literacy), and academic skills for all community members, regardless of age, through the ongoing transmission of ancestral knowledge and worldviews that uphold their shamanic spiritual traditions, abundance, balance, resilience, adaptability, sustainability.
Teachers are needed to teach English, general education & computer literacy classes to Spanish & Kichwa-speaking students who live in an indigenous community near Puyo, Ecuador (K-12 + Adults).
The aim of our bilingual classes is to help these students gain equal global advantages over bilingual students in other parts of the world.
For the younger tribal members, the growth of cultural tourism has rekindled an interest in preserving their traditional ways of life.
Demonstrating the ways of their elders and ancestors to foreign (Typically English-speaking) travelers through rituals and customs generates tremendous pride and motivation for these younger tribal members to preserve their ancient way of life.
By being bilingual, the community can communicate better with those who have traveled from a foreign place. The tribal community can better interact with visitors and make the experience all the more amazing. By communicating with foreigners using their language, guests will get to learn more about tribal rituals and more details about the customs, local attractions, and activities/excursions in the Amazon, making a visitor’s trip more fascinating.
We provide basic room & board and other benefits are included.
Languages spoken
English: Intermediate
Spanish: Intermediate
Accommodation
Shamanic Retreats take place at a small Kichwa indigenous community about 30 minute drive from Puyo where guests and volunteers stay in simple, locally-constructed bamboo huts with high-speed internet, electricity, showers with hot water, and laundry.
What else ...
Volunteers can participate in numerous tribal rituals such as face painting, cleanses, ritual dances, "limpia" or spiritual cleansing and shamanic other activities, as well as daily hikes and music, ensuring a close connection with la Pachamama, our earth mother.
Explore the tropical Amazonian rainforest with a day trip to La Cascada Hola Vida ( 25-meter waterfall with natural swimming pool base). The natives say that this waterfall has healing powers. It was a place for ancient walkers and was used for sacred rites and ceremonies for those seeking healing.
Take a ride in traditional hand carved tribal canoes down the Bronco Rio (river). Hike in the mountains to Mirador Indichuris: a 1000 meter high viewpoint in the Amazon jungle with one of Ecuador's most spectacular views. A place with exceptional mountain top views of the rainforest, hammocks to enjoy the vista, and a tall swing that sends guests soaring over the river Pastaza.
Discover the local Drink Chuchuhuasi & Guayusa!
Learn how to brew ancient shamanic tea, hike the Jungle to harvest, prep and help cook the tea. Learn shamanic customs and healing traditions directly from Kichwa shaman.
A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
Can host digital nomads
Digital nomads welcome. The Internet connection is pretty good here! It has multiple routers and point-to-point connections. Service is broken up into zones within the community. The internet connection in the trial learning center was configured for a high number of simultaneous users. Zoom connections are usually reliable. Only had a few issues with disruption of service because of bad wind, and lightning storms, and service was disrupted for short periods. There are no cellular services in this area.
How many Workawayers can stay?
More than two
Hours expected
Maximum of 15 hours a week
Feedback (6)
The tribe is a very… read more
They are willing to learn English but so far they speak Spanish and Kichwa… read more
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The tribe is a very… read more
They are willing to learn English but so far they speak Spanish and Kichwa… read more
I stayed with the community for 5 weeks, sharing their daily life and teaching kids and adults English. They are very motivated students, eager to learn and the classes were so much fun to teach! I learned so many interesting things from them: their native Kichwa language, traditional food (Maito),… read more
