Yanapuma works with communities throughout Ecuador, in the sierra, the rainforest, and at the coast. Our aim is to encourage sustainable development for marginalized indigenous and rural communities that will allow them to live dignified lives within the context of our globalized world.
We work in different ways with each community, as appropriate to their needs and stage of development, but always with two principles in mind; that each project should be thought of as part of an integrated strategy of development rather than merely a project in isolation, and that projects should be carried out collaboratively and with the participation of the community in order to make them sustainable in the future.
Our work with these communities is a response to a complex web of problems that are affecting the indigenous and mestizo communities of Ecuador as the country develops. These problems include:

• A lack of quality education for indigenous children  
•  Depreciation of indigenous culture in the face of uncontrolled economic development
•  Problems of waste management and lack of recycling options
•  Destruction of the environment for quick economic gain
• Exhaustion of water supplies through deforestation and destructive agricultural practices
•  Impoverishment of diet due to increasing reliance on imported foods and poverty
• Health problems due to environmental pollution and poor practices
• Breakdown of family ties due to forced migration

All the communities that we work with have requested our help and are eager to receive our input in the form of particular short-term projects, long-term projects, training, technical help, national and international research students, individuals and groups of volunteers and cultural exchange visitors.

Click here  to read a description of each of the communities that we work with

Click here to read our Norms of Conduct for visiting an indigenous community