The Sarayaku indigenous people live in amazonian Ecuador. Thanks to support from D&P the Sarayaku have made videos showing how they live, their love of nature and their struggles against the damage that oil production is inflicting on their environment. Their remarkable achievement in raising public awareness and their high degree of organization have resulted in the election of a Sarayaku leader as president of the Conference of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador. Thanks to this national recognition, the Sarayaku people have been able to make sure the new Ecuadorian constitution reflects the importance of protecting nature.
To protect their land from oil companies the Sarayaku have started an innovative project to demarcate the borders in their territory. Instead of building concrete walls or putting up barbed wire, they have planted fruit trees, flowers and medicinal plants along the border, This colorful “living border” will visibly promote the ecological riches of this part of the Amazon.