Help us support our neighbors

HELP US SUPPORT OUR NEIGHBORS

SARS-COV 2 is affecting the whole world. Ecuador is no exception. On March 17^th this small South-American country entered into a nation-wide lock-down, with restrictions stronger than anywhere else: curfew from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m.; car circulation only once a week; only food suppliers allowed in open markets; no traveling allowed within provinces. Regardless of all these severe restrictions, Western Ecuador has seen a 240% increase in mortality rate.

Many communities and villages in rural Ecuador barricaded themselves to counter the influx of people from the cities fleeing the risk of virus transmission and massive unemployment. At the same time, many Ecuadorians who had migrated to other provinces decided to return to their rural hometowns, increasing the risk of transmitting the virus and placing more pressure on the land.

We at Fundación Jocotoco are safe and financially stable -at the moment. Our office staff is working from home while many of our park guards and reforestation staff are spending the quarantine at the reserves. They are working in the field making sure our conservation work continues. However, extra control is needed to guarantee the protection of our reserves, now that human pressure around them has increased threats such as hunting and illegal logging.

While we as Fundación Jocotoco are secured, our neighbors are not. Most of them live on daily wages. With the lock-down, they have found themselves with no income to sustain their families. Over the years, these communities have welcomed us, helped with emergency situations and in our work, provided us with long-term employees, and welcomed foreigners into their midst. They have supported our conservation efforts by changing their ways of life to protect nature and are a significant reason for Fundación Jocotoco's success. Now, they are the ones who need us!

Conservation is born out of an appreciation for the natural world, but it also depends on the actions of many people, especially those that live in the communities around our reserves. As Fundación Jocotoco, we ask you to join us in this mission to help our neighboring communities.

There are many ways in which you can help:

$1000 = basic food supplies for seven families of four for a month

$500 = month salary of an extra park-guard to protect our reserves

$150 = basic food supplies for a family for a month

$50 = logistic costs to bring food supplies to families around one reserve

$25 = basic protection kit (masks and gloves) and cleaning supplies for a family for a month

DONATIONS IN ECUADOR

SUBJECT: Support our neighbors

BANK: Pichincha

ACCOUNT: 3477081504 (CUENTA CORRIENTE)

RUC: 1791422678001

NAME: Fundación de Conservación Jocotoco

EMAIL: belen.bastidas@jocotoco.org