ECUADOR Yasuní

The Yasuní National Park is one of the world’s leading biodiverse systems in the Amazon Rainforest. The Yasuní Kichwa Ecolodge (now the Napo Cultural Center) was built by the Kichwa community as a way to sustain their culture, provide socio-economic sustainability and empowerment by teaching visitors about life inside the rainforest, and why it needs to be protected. The ecolodge is inside the Yasuní National Park and in the middle of the oil drilling controversy. They are trying to preserve both their land and their ways through ecotourism. Clean water filters in the community and the ecolodge can save and eliminate the need for bottled water thereby reducing plastic waste.

Project overview and result

In June 2015, Spryte’s team distributed 20 filters for the community and provided training to the leaders. They visited the local school to demonstrate the filters to 200 children and talked about the importance of having clean water.

Update Nov 2015

The filters were being used by 250 people a day at both the Yasuní ecolodge and the Napo Wildlife Center. Local inhabitants collect water from the Clean Water Stations set up by the ecolodges.

In March 2016, The Waterbearers returned to Yasuní Ecolodge and communities along the Napo river and brought 50 filters. Two new communities and a school were provided with training and filters. This was part of The Waterbearers first fundraising campaign for World Water Day.