Indigenous Youth Leading the Amazon's Future

Dear Friends and Supporters,

December in Peru coincides with both the closing of the academic year, and the period for entry exams. As we have been writing to you throughout the years, getting access to higher education and entering University is a very challenging endeavor for indigenous youth in the Northern Peruvian Amazon region. Most don´t have the economic means to travel to Iquitos and cover the costs of daily life and study fees. Those who could, or those who try to access a stipend, have to compete with students from the city, to get one of the much desired but limited study spots. In general, primary and secondary education in the far away indigenous villages is of much lower quality, and often entirely lacks an intercultural and bilingual approach, meaning that indigenous youth arrive in the city with a clear disadvantage. Only a very limited quota of study spots is reserved exclusively for indigenous students, the rest has to compete on equal terms with young folks from the city, who in general have reached a higher academic level when finishing secondary school.

Chaikuni´s Intercultural Education Program Sui Sui has for years been offering tutoring and extra classes to indigenous students, directly responding to their actual needs. This year, the main focus was on math, oratory and rhetoric skills. In November, in the time leading up to entry and semester exams, we offered 10 additional math classes and 23 lessons in oratory and rhetoric skills. Many of the participants in the classes were students which had newly arrived and aspired to get into University. Today we are happy to inform you that 7 of the 15 newly arrived aspirants have passed their entry exams!  

The dream: the struggle continues…

In terms of the main dream, i.e. that of their own student residence [which at the same time is the core of our campaign on GlobalGiving], the struggle sometimes might seem endless, but the dream is alive and well. After a change in government denied them the already agreed long term lease of a piece of land to build the student center, the negotiations continue in order to find a new solution. Three different areas have been pointed out, and each option is being investigated for its viability. It is a tedious process, frustrating at times, but Chaikuni continues to stand behind the students and support them in their advocacy to finally get a secure and adequate place of their own to live and study in Iquitos.

Thank you for standing with us, and thanks for everything you continue to do to support indigenous youth in the Peruvian Amazon.

With gratitude,

The Indigenous Students of OEPIAP and The Chaikuni Institute Team