8
village
While working on the Amazon River, we had the opportunity to visit two villages, Palmeras II and Sapo Playa. We were further immersed into the culture as we were invited by a couple of families into their homes. We noticed in all of our travels that the homes are made of wood with a thatched (or sometimes a metal) roof. The homes consisted of one common room with a couple of small individual bedrooms.
The locals use all the resources of the rainforest for both food and shelter. Fishing, hunting, or growing their crops, they use their available resources to fill their basic needs. Because of the water being extremely high during this time of year, the locals need to adjust how they manage those resources.
The main purpose of this experience was to immerse ourselves into the local culture and learn what we could from those whom we encountered (and hopefully we brought some possibilities to those same people). Before leaving for the Amazon, we collected 16 large suitcases filled with clothing for newborns all the way to adults. We traded the clothing for the beautiful handmade crafts made by the families of this village. By trading with these families, we were able to create a small economy right within this small school building. We will sell the crafts at school and local markets with all of proceeds going to support the Sustainability & Education Center. This experience has allow us as a group to expand our impact on the world around us.
Palmeras II
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