ABOUT US

The History of Gualapuro's Fight for Water

Some of the members of Gualapuro’s community have lived an entire lifetime without knowing what it is like to have access to a clean water source. Although the community is situated near the city of Otavalo, they have been subjected to this dire way of life due to biased local politics and financial hardships. Approximately 84 families live in the community among the rolling hills and water that used to be clean. There is a natural spring on the bottom of a near-by cliff below the community meaning that the water would have to be pumped up to the houses, thus the community has been forced to rely on a swamp-like pasture near town, where often dead cattle are placed to decompose. The water comes out dark brown, containing bugs, lizards, and diseases, such as Cholera, that have put the health of the community members at risk.

Local Expat Testimony

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A water pipe was built thirty-two years ago for several communities, including Gualapuro; however, due to increased levels of urbanization and Gualapuro being at the end of the supply chain, there are times when the pipe provides water only one or two days a week. The immediate past community president Maria Transito Moran has led recent progress in maneuvering through political processes and legitimizing the community’s cause. At first, even though the community advocated for financial support to fix the slew of public health laws being violated, the city did not provide funds for their project. The truth of the matter is that there are not enough votes that could come from Gualapuro to persuade city officials. However, one mayor finally gave them a chance and said that the city would pay for the project given that the community first paid $10,000 for a feasibility study to be completed within the span of six weeks. They managed to collect the funds by having each family contribute what they could. Unfortunately, the mayor ended up going back on his word.

In 2019, expats Rockey and Elizabeth, who had witnessed the troubles that Gualapuro was facing, joined efforts with the Tandana Foundation to make the project possible. Check out the project progress page to learn more about how close we are to reaching our goal!

Rocky & Elizabeth's First Impression

How They Got Involved

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The Tandana Foundation is a non-profit organization that has worked to support communities in Ecuador and Mali. Specifically, they look to provide aid to these communities in order to accomplish goals that the communities have set for themselves and address inequalities through intercultural relations that embody mutual respect and responsibility. Tandana has been facilitating the project thus far and is in the best position to do so based on their years of experience and strong relationship with Ecuador’s indigenous communities.

The Tandana Foundation

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