SACRED RECIPROCITY
Our Sacred Reciprocity program has been a foundational piece of the development of the church since the beginning. Our relationships with the indigenous communities, especially those of South America, have forever impacted our lives. We are honored to develop programs and fundraisers to give back to this marginalized population; the wisdom keepers of our sacrament and traditions. We work directly with the indigenous tribes of the Amazon Rainforest to learn about their most pressing concerns. We invite you to read more about our current fundraisers and donate to the missions at the pages below. All donations go directly to these initiatives, with the exception of the fee taken out by the host, Go Fund Me.
Resources for the Shipibo Children's School
Axeti Nete is a Shipibo school formed in 2019. Axeti Nete means "World of Learning." The Shipibo are an Indigenous people of the Amazon Rainforest in Peru. The school is located in the Panaillo community, located on the Uacayali River in the district of Yarinacocha Coronel Portilli. The school currently has around 200 children in attendance. The teachers are all volunteers, coming together to bring education for the indigenous children of the area.
Axeti Nete teaches subjects including math, science, art, language, and religion. As a school of an indigenous culture, they also incorporate teachings of their community, such as weaving, embroidery, making arrows, and other traditional handicrafts. The initial grades teach children ages from 3 years old to 5 years old. The primary grades teach children ages from 6 years old to 13 years old. After they turn 13, it is common for them to work with their family and in their community or farming, planting bananas and yucca.
The Shipibo communities do not receive government assistance, so many essential resources are scarce. The school of Axeti Nete was developed using an abandoned property, and the volunteer teachers make do with what they have. However, the school has very few furnishings, such as chairs and tables, or even basic school supplies. With scarce financial resources, many families struggle to provide their children or the school with these items.
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We are raising funds to meet three primary goals of their school. The first goal is providing school supplies such as paper, pencils, etc. to expand the ways children can learn and practice their education. Any funds leftover will go towards their second goal, which is providing shoes and weather-appropriate clothing to children who do not have them. Their 3rd goal is to improve the infrastructure of the school, by purchasing chairs, tables, blackboards, and other furnishings. You can read more about the progress on each goal at the Go Fund Me page, linked below.
Bena Jema Community Center Development
The Bena Jema community center is a cultural center located in Pucallpa, Peru. It is centered within the neighborhood of Shipibo-Conibo families and serves many purposes for the community. It’s development has come a long way and has proved to be an integral part of the Bena Jema community. It’s most urgent need at this time is to add a working bathroom, with an estimated cost of approximately $850.
The goal for the center is to strengthen the identity of the original children of the Shipibo - Conibo people by rescuing the practice of their ancestral customs and traditions. The initiative was developed due to the need to revalue the Shipibo-Conibo culture, of the child population that lives in the city of Pucallpa. The most vulnerable, the Shipibo-Conibo youth were culturally affected by the intense social pressure, producing an accelerated acculturation of its population, leading to limiting the practice of their traditions, original customs, artistic expression, and avoiding practicing their own language. The community center also serves as a community library and and a place for families to gather for celebrations and more.