MISSION
Restoring Biocultural heritage in the Colombian Amazon through Indigenous-led conservation.
Reciprocity for indigenous wisdom and medicines.
SUMMARY
At OIOC, we are an Indigenous-led organization working alongside the Kamëntsá people of Colombia—guardians of Yagé (Ayahuasca) and ancestral wisdom rooted in the Amazon foothills. In the face of colonization, climate change, and cultural erosion, we stand in solidarity to protect their language, land, and lifeways.
Our current programs focus on:
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Language Revitalization: Only 6% of Kamëntsá people still speak their native tongue. We’re restoring this vital connection for over 340 children through school programs and cultural immersion.
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Sacred Plant & Forest Conservation: Protecting native medicinal plants—including Yagé—and planting thousands of trees to restore sacred ecosystems.
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Basic Needs & Housing Security: Rebuilding homes and providing essential support for families in vulnerable conditions.
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Women-Led Artisan Empowerment: Through our Hummingbird Campaign, we support Kamëntsá women to sustain their culture and income through traditional crafts.
Everything we do centers on reciprocity, honoring the knowledge keepers of the Amazon. Your support helps protect sacred traditions, heal our planet, and ensure a future where Indigenous wisdom thrives.
2025 Annual Funding Goals for
Kamentsa Biocultural Conservation
$13,000 (jul-dec) to Revitalize the Native Kamentsa Language
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full-year curriculum, artistic content, and educational materials distributed throughout the territory
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340 students a year for the native Kamentsa enroll in traditional school systems
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Four learning centers (schools and village spaces)
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15+ local facilitators, cultural leaders, and knowledge keepers
$14,000 to Protect Sacred Medicines, and Native trees
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Field worker to protect and care for the plants
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Expand crops and trees to other Kamentsa families endangered medicinal and tree native species
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Train Indigenous youth in ancestral agroforestry and plant medicine cultivation
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Native Community Bank seed
$7,000 to Rebuild 3 Indigenous Homes and Strengthen Families
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7 families per year, focusing on households where elders and children live in vulnerable situations.
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Support families with essential housing repairs and improvements.
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$1000 program to sponsor a family to organized basic need on their home.
$7,000 to Empower Indigenous Artisans and Culture
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In 2025, we've supported 8 women artisan heads of household with seed capital and purchased $300 worth of their beaded hummingbirds for a support campaign.
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Support with seed capital to other 15 artisans until the end of the year and help them sell their products at the retail price.
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Expand access to global markets for traditional crafts
Biocultural Heritage
Conservation
and Restauration
Amazon of Colombia
Impact Report 2024
Our Indigenous-led conservation efforts unite traditional wisdom with ecosystem restoration, enhancing biodiversity and strengthening community wellbeing in the Alto Putumayo region.
Since 2010, we've rebuilt homes for 24 families, preserved over 150 native plant species in our botanical garden, and nurtured 1,700 seedlings in our greenhouse. Through sustained partnerships and community support, our projects continue to protect vital medicinal plants, restore traditional food gardens, and preserve our cultural heritage. In 2024, we expanded our impact through new initiatives in language preservation and sustainable livelihoods, demonstrating the power of Indigenous-led conservation. Learn More About Our 2024 Impact →
Roots of Dignity
Building Foundations for Community Well-being
Housing for vulnerable members of our community in the Sibundoy Valley.
Creating Safe Homes for Kamëntsá Families Living in Critical Conditions
In the Sibundoy Valley, 79% of Kamëntsá families face severe poverty, with many living in homes damaged by harsh weather, lacking proper kitchens, bathrooms, and safe walls to protect against the cold. Through our Roots of Dignity program, we've rebuilt 24 homes and provided construction materials to 20 families, focusing on households where elders and children live in vulnerable situations. In 2025, we aim to support 20 more families with essential housing repairs and improvements. Your contribution directly helps provide a safe, warm home for a Kamëntsá family, preserving their dignity and strengthening our community's future.
PROJECTED IMPACT
Environmental & social well-being
Biodiversity
Restauration
We already have 1700 Plants Planted Y1 Restoration of biodiversity, food and over 100 native medicinal plants of the Kamentsa Indigenous Reservation.
Projected 5000 seedlings Y2025
Water & Climate Security
Implementing the restoration of water sources. Regulating carbon and hydrological cycles, and maintains aquifers for human, animal, and plant activities.
Support
669
Indigenous Families
Directly benefitting through community workshops (cultural heritage, language, ecology), housing restauration for families in need.
Projected 20 housing restaurations Y2025
4
Income Sources
Artisans, agroforestry and greenhouse products, carbon credits, and ethnobotanical extracts are aligned with ecology and culture and are all accessible to the community.
SPONSORS OF PAST PROJECTS
