Unmute
The Hakhu Project
Hahku, which means let’s go in Kichwa, is an organization that is dedicated to promoting sustainable development projects in league with small indigenous communities within the Ecuadorian Amazon.
The Hahku Project was formed by community leaders and Leo Cerda,an environmental activist and member of the Kichwa Nation, as a way to provide income for people inthese areas that are hard hit by oil exploitation. Hahku’s goal is to create sustainable sources of income for indigenous people from the Amazon region so we can have an alternative to the extractive and destructive industries of oil, mining, lumber, and beef. The first project to be undertaken is Hahku Amazon Design.
Leo Cerda
Activist & member of the Kichwa Nation
WE NEED ALTERNATIVES TO FOSSIL FUEL EXTRACTION.
WE NEED ALTERNATIVES TO FOSSIL FUEL EXTRACTION.
WE DO NOT MERELY ENVISION A DIFFERENT FUTURE.
THE POWER OF INNOVATIVE COMMUNITY PROJECTS.
WE ARE BUILDING IT.
The Problem
The biggest problem we face in the Ecuadorian Amazon is the continuing extraction of natural resources and the fossil fuel industry. It causes deforestation and displaces marginalized communities, subjecting them to discrimination and poverty as urban dwellers. We aim to break this cycle through community-based economic initiatives, fostering positive social change while protecting our territories and the planet.
Our mission focuses on four areas: Education, Health, Sustainable Income Generation, and Advocacy, working from the bottom up, in four fundamental areas: Education, Health, the Generation of Sustainable Income, and Advocacy.
Our Mission
Our mission is to empower indigenous communities in order to protect our rainforests and ancestral knowledge for future generations.
As our first project, we have chosen to create Hakhu Amazon Design. This initiative aims to provide a unique opportunity to indigenous women in the Ecuadorian Amazon and beyond to utilise our cultural and artistic heritage in such a way as to protect our territories while providing them with a sustainable source of income through selling unique bespoke handcrafts via an online platform.
Empowering Impact
Hakhu Amazon Design has generated artisanal capacity for more than 200 indigenous women across three provinces in the Ecuadorian Amazon, creating jobs and providing income for families and their children who now face less pressure to leave their territories in search of employment. Hakhu Amazon Design has now launched its very first collection, combining traditional and contemporary art.
We want to share our vision with other people, communities and organisations around the world. We seek further recognition of the importance of protecting the Amazon rainforest and the artistic and cultural heritage of indigenous people. The sustainability of this project is already crucial for the livelihood of 200 families. We hope that this figure continues to grow.
