The Western Jungle
The concrete jungle of the West is gearing up for a new school year, just as the Ecuadorian Amazon is doing in September. In major cities, the fast pace, pressure and congestion are common features of many people’s lives as they strive to obtain an education that will enhance their competitiveness, achieve excellence, facilitate long-term employment and, in many cases, realise their aspiration to accumulate significant wealth.
Identity and Conservation
The commencement of the academic year in Amazonian communities across South America – including Brazil, Colombia, Peru, Bolivia and Ecuador – is subject to variation. For the Sani Isla Commune, located in the Yasuni Biosphere Reserve, the return to school is imbued with symbolism, representing identity, forest conservation and community effort.
A serene environment
The journey to school is an exciting daily adventure, beginning with a boat trip along the Napo River. In the event of a malfunction in the school canoe, the children are able to walk along the village track in safety, accompanied by a variety of wildlife such as butterflies, squirrel monkeys and birds. Their parents remain at home, waiting for their children to return from a safe and idyllic afternoon.
The Driving Force Behind Education
Primary education is provided free of charge throughout Ecuador. However, certain costs, such as uniforms, school supplies and transport, are the responsibility of parents. The Kichwa Sani Isla Community has found a sustainable way to fund these through its Sani Lodge venture, which provides direct and indirect employment for its members.
Partnerships
Sani Lodge has entered into a partnership with the Sani Warmi enterprise, which is run by women from our community. These women have established a micro-enterprise that generates additional sources of income for families in the community and promotes gender equality through their craftwork.
Threats to sustainability
The community has repeatedly rejected proposals for oil extraction on their ancestral lands. This is due to the fact that such extraction would have a detrimental effect on their territory, completely eliminating any possibility of sustainable management and conservation. Sani Lodge is a pioneering establishment in the field of sustainable, community-based tourism. It is an exemplary model of how to utilize natural resources without compromising the well-being of the local population.
Consciousness Education
Based on consciousness, this is the path our societies must take. Individuals should discover their place in the universe and their calling from the earliest stages of their education. The result will have an impact on society as a whole, realizing a paradigm that has, until now, remained a utopia: sharing rather than competing.
