O I O C  

In the heart of our community are elderly women who have spent a lifetime nurturing families yet now find themselves alone without a support system. These resilient grandmothers, often living in isolation, struggle to meet even the most basic needs. Our project aims to extend a helping hand to the Mamitas of the Kamentsa Reservation such as providing a daily meal through local neighbors and gifting them with chickens and corn for egg production.

The Green Rebirth Project has as its main objective the restoration and conservation of the Amazonian foothills in the Sibundoy Valley, located in Colombia, through an ambitious reforestation initiative. This project is part of the urgent need to protect and preserve natural forests, strengthen biodiversity, and contribute to climate change mitigation.

​

Art is the means through which the memory of indigenous peoples has been preserved and passed down through generations. Their cosmology, stories, and wisdom have been expressed through masks, textiles, and paintings, keeping their ancestral legacy alive. With the Moschukma Oico after-school program, we aim to create an artistic space for the children of the Kamentsa indigenous community, where they can engage in ancient artistic practices that help them connect with their indigenous essence, their land, and the memories encoded in their genes. This initiative continues our commitment to strengthening Indigenous Self-Education, a mission led by the Indigenous authorities of Sibundoy.

Poverty and the basic needs of 40 families in our Kamentsa community are a stark reality. Harsh colds, rains, and floods affect children, women, men, and the elderly. Since the onset of the pandemic, we have rebuilt eight homes with the generous support of the CSN organization from the United States and individuals who have rallied behind this noble cause. Yet, more families are still yearning for a dignified roof over their heads. We humbly implore you to stand with us in support of this endeavor.

Over the past decade, the Shanayoy Center and the Kamentsa Indigenous Reserve have been diligently rescuing the most ancient medicinal plants with the aim of conserving and studying them. This project is committed to carrying on this important work and establishing a scientific laboratory that, in harmony with our ancestral wisdom, can bring about even greater natural healing for all of humanity.

The colonization in this area of ​​Colombia had great consequences for the indigenous community, and their struggle and resistance have been focused on the continuity of their cultural and productive traditions, among them the artisan fabric that this project exposes as an important pillar in the permanence of the social, cultural and economic customs of the Kamentsa indigenous people and artisanal decolonization, through the search for empowerment and autonomy.

Cognizant of the significance of preserving our Kamentsa ancestral waving, this project endeavors to collaborate with the Kamentsa council in continuing this education. This institution will serve as a hub for imparting the art of ancestral weaving and fostering the marketing of these cherished products through the OICO marketplace.