Help the Shipibo Regenerate from the Pandemic

Dear friends and donors,

We hope this latest update from the field finds you well. As another year has passed, we would like to start with a short recap: In 2021, during and after the pandemic, we supported the ancestral Shipibo healers of Asomashk and their “Onanyabo in Action” initiative with a small institutional grant to run a pilot phase of the initiative. Asomahsk was able to send an intercultural health brigade, led by the Shipibo ancestral healers, to native Shipibo communities. The brigade provided free medical treatment using ancestral healing techniques combined with standard medical care. During this pilot phase, 10 indigenous communities were reached, and 333 patients received treatment.

To upscale this promising initiative, we started the current fundraiser on GlobalGiving. Thanks to your generosity, we have, until this day, been able to reach over 70% of our fundraising goal. The first health brigade was ready to travel to remote native communities in February last year. The sixth and last health brigade of 2022 visited 9 communities in the lower Ucayali River, over a two-week period, between October and November. They offered treatment to 237 patients.

From their last visit, the brigade reports that the general lack of access to clean or treated water was specifically worrying in this region. The communities directly consume river water, which explains the large number of cases of intestinal parasites, and as a consequence, the many cases of mal/undernutrition, particularly in children and young adults.

Besides treating a wide range of different illnesses, the delegation found that several of the public health posts in the communities - usually just a small building with some medicines, a few medical instruments, and 1 or 2 nurses – were abandoned. No one knew where the health personnel went, nor the reason why they aren´t there. As in all previous visits, the communities showed a lot of gratitude to the unprecedented intercultural health brigades and the free treatment they received, expressing much hope that this wasn´t their last visit.

The Shipibo healers and the nurses that accompany them are clearly making an important difference in the communities. In summary, the 6 brigades in 2022, made possible by your donations, reached 61 indigenous communities, and attended almost 3000 patients: adults, children, women, and men.

Today we are also excited to let you know that the initiative has managed to create enough attention beyond the region, to attract the support of other donors. Asomashk was able to secure an important project with the Indigenous Medicine Conservation Fund. Together, with this support, they can now increase the reach of the brigades, and with it their impact in the Ucayali region.

Finally, let´s not forget that during all this time we´ve also supported a weekly radio program called “Jakon Shinan Joi – Cultural Orientation”, which promotes, discusses, and revitalizes Shipibo-Konibo culture: customs, traditions, music, singing, art, history, food, legends, and important issues related to the empowerment and defense of the ancestral Shipibo medical knowledge systems.

We are determined to continue supporting Asomahsk so the brigades may keep reaching far away Shipibo communities, offering the medical treatment that so many need, but hardly ever get, all the while revitalizing the rich Shipibo medical and cultural traditions.    

Thank you so much for your ongoing support.

With gratitude, on behalf of ASOMASHK

Chaikuni Institute & Temple of the Way of Light 

Dear friends and donors,

We hope this latest report from the field finds you well. Since we last wrote to you in June, thanks to your generous support to the “Onanyabo in Action” initiative, ASOMASHK was able to send their health brigade on two more large field trips, reaching the far away rainforest communities along the Pisqui river and in the Contamana area. Altogether, your support has now helped to fund five several week-long health brigades.

From July 18^th to august 8^th, the delegation of the 4^th health brigade visited 11 native Shipibo communities along the Pisqui River, attending 711 patients with diverse symptomologies such as anemia, intestinal parasites, malnutrition, respiratory infections, abdominal, stomach or back pains. From August 29^th to September 23^rd another brigade, the 5^th brigade in total, set out to visit the lower Ucayali River region, where they stopped in 15 villages, offering treatment to a total of 618 patients, children, women, and men.

A short reminder: the brigades are led by the Onanyabo, ancestral Shipibo healers, who are accompanied by representatives of the regional health authorities. The healers provide free medical treatment using ancestral healing techniques combined with standard medical care. Ancestral healing techniques include a wide range of plant medicines and techniques, such as cleanses of bad energy, vaporization, plants to treat ailments, ayahuasca sessions, and massages. The nurses which accompany the Shipibo delegation complement some treatments with standard western medicine (i.e. antibiotics, analgesics, injections, etc.). As during the previous visits, the reactions of the people in the villages are extremely positive.

Furthermore, the project continued to support the strengthening and revitalization of the Shipibo-Konibo culture, their customs, traditions, music, singing, art, history, food, legends, etc., through a weekly radio program called “Jakon Shinan Joi – Cultural Orientation”.

Finally, three key representatives of Asomashk, Mateo Arevalo, Walter Lopez, and Elisa Vargas, were able to participate in the 4th Indigenous International Ayahuasca Conference, which was held in Marechal de Taumaturgo, in the state of Acre in Brasil during the first week of October. This indigenous led conference offers an important space for indigenous medics to exchange on their rich medical knowledge. Amongst the participants were some internationally renowned leaders, such as Davi Kopenawa from the Yanomami people. The Shipibo representatives held a series of presentations about their ancestral medical system.

As more communities are waiting to be attended, Asomashk is planning more field brigades for the upcoming months, and we continue with our intention to raise the full amount set as a goal for this campaign, to support the Shipibo healers in their endeavor. Thank you so much for your ongoing support. Without it, all this wouldn´t be possible.

With gratitude, on behalf of ASOMASHK

Chaikuni Institute & Temple of the Way of Light