Hello Friends of the Cofán ,

I am writing with our quarterly update.  As you probably know, the sad news is the death of Randy Borman – Cofán elder and amazingly wise soul.  His knowledge of all things environmental as well as his love for the indigenous Cofán people shone through in every interaction with him.  I am grateful to have known him.  His son Felipe has taken the reins and will do well in his new leadership role.

Carlos Menendez, our healthcare navigator, organized and led a “Brigade” (aka wellness clinic) to Zabalo in March.  Zabalo is the remote village which has facilities to accommodate eco-tourists.  Both of our trips to Ecuador have involved a visit to Zabalo.  I have attached his report which is a very interesting and quick read.  It is full of photos, and we hope that you take a look.  Our donations pay not only for families to belong to a program that provides access to healthcare but also provides several of these “Brigades” each year.  They have been truly life changing for many.

Speaking of families, another 12 families signed up during this last Brigade for the Seguro Campesino healthcare program that we sponsor.  We will learn this week whether they have all met the criteria for the program and thus will have a new total of families enrolled in the program.  This should put us around 75 families covered by the program.  We can collectively feel very proud!

Our next trip to visit the Cofán in Ecuador will be in early November.  We are figuring out the details of initiating a vision screening program in multiple Cofán communities.  Dorinda Rife – a vision specialist for her entire career – is working with us on this and she and her husband Chris Rife will join the trip once again (and you are also welcome!).  Dorinda and Chris were active members of All Peoples when she worked at the Printing House for the Blind in Louisville.  They have moved back to Tucson but have remained members.

We have also connected with WaterStep to see if their work in water sanitation could help improve the water quality in the various Cofán communities.  The Cofán Survival Fund has alerted us to concerns about water contamination that appears to be making some of the children sick.   We are in the process of collecting data about several communities as an initial step for this initiative.

We plan to send another donation to the Cofán Survival Fund within a couple of weeks.  We need to ensure that Carlos is receiving his paycheck for the amazing work he does to support the health and well-being of the Cofán people.  If you can make your donation now, we would be grateful.  You can donate by check written and sent to All Peoples (write Cofán in the memo line) or online at AllPeoplesUU.com (seek out the Cofán  tab).  Thank you!

Wishing you a lovely rest of your Spring, Deborah Novgorodoff (for the All Peoples International Justice Committee)