The
Environmental Education
of yaqu pacha has three fundamental principals...
| 1) |
Responsibility
for our environment and the nature around us. |
| 2) |
By
helping people to be more aware of their environment; we are helping by
better understanding which in turn protects the enivorment. |
| 3) |
The
best environmental protection strategy can only take effect when in the
minds of the people not only in the laws concerning principals. |
Background
In 1992 the organization
yaqu
pacha e.V. set a goal to protect animals in Ecuador. At that time the
level of endangerment was not known. Since then studies have shown
that certain animals (for example manatees, giant
otters in the Amazon, and
Humback wales on the pacific coast) are endangered. The results of these
scientific studies were given to Governmental officals who used them as
a basis for specially directed protective measures. It became evident that
the long term protection could only take place when the local population
became involved in the process there of. In order to show the people living
in the local areas more than the dimension of the problem it was
decided to present a potential solution. To be more exact yapu pacha worked
more than 6 years on developing a program.
This educational program
was to be part of system with a goal of reaching school children,
scientific organizations, teachers, governmental workers, and national
park workers.
The area in which yaqu
pacha is active is mostly poor villages or communities dominated by
a extreme complex economical situation.
The most people in these
areas have a very low incomes; schools when they
exist at all do not even
have enough educational materials.
Even when the teachers make
a great effort to educate the children about
environmental problems,
the amount of knowledge and awareness
still remains limited. |
|
yaqu
pacha is working already in the following areas
at the Pacific-Coast:
a) Puerto Lopez
b) Esmeraldas (Súa,
Atacames) |
in
the
Amazon:
a) Quichua (Zancudo, Playas
de Cuyabeno)
b) Cofán (Sábalo)
c) Siona (Puerto Bolivar,
Tarapuya)
d) Secoya (Sewaya)
e) Shuar (Taikiua, Charap) |
The
environmental situation: Danger for Animals and Humans
Amazon:
The activities of the oil expiration in the Ecuadorial areas of the Amazon
have greatly increased in the last 20 years which have increased the level
of priority. Here oil industry is using uncontrolled, unclean methods which
are resulting in many terrible problems effecting animals who live in the
water. Sadly even worse is the effect upon the
local rural population.
The results of the study (Informe YANA CURI, 2000) shows the out break
of different kinds of cancer illiness. (Skin and Lung Cancer)
in earth oil areas are significantly higher as in areas with no oil expiration
and development; the number of early births and still born babies being
2.5 times higher as well. It is possible that if this situation remains
that in the next 10 years the complete Indio population existence
could be a threated.
Pacific-Coast:
For the wales and dolphins population the uncontrolled whale watching industry
presents a large danger. The coastal waters also have a problem caused
by industrial pollution floating garbage.
Method
yaqu pacha is supporting
scientific studies as well as environmental educational projects. Using
the motto "learning by playing" children are learning a the natural relation
between environmental subjects and life. One of the important messages
in this learning development is the understanding between the food chain
and the important meaning found in relation to the animals in this chain.
When one link of the chain
is missing then the entire system will break down. |
|
The importance is not in
showing the children the complex problems but in
showing how they can change
things before they get out of hand.
The Environmental
Education Program (EEP) of yaqu pacha is based on the modular
principal. Every module exists in a learning book with a theme which fits
to the
learning part of the lesson.
The teacher can then work
with the students to realize the lesson.
Each lesson has a mascot
to accompany it.
After every module a grade
is given. |
 |
Results
1)
Organization and conception of learning book:
Different lesson books were
suggested used in schools and school districts.
2)
Development of 12 different mascots and figures.
3)
Schools and children (ages between 8 and 14 years), that have already
taken part in the EEP-program.
| a) in the Amazon: |
8
Schools and |
463
Children |
| b) at the Pacific-Coast: |
11
Schools and |
1711
Children |
|
