I’m writing with our quarterly update on our Save the Cofán, Save the Rainforest project. Here are a couple of updates from our sponsored families:
The man who had gall bladder surgery in February had a very rough time but is on the mend. Below is a painting Danica Novgorodoff did of this individual – we picked him up on the side of the river to take him into town for his first operation when we were there in February. You can see the oil rig in the background – about three hours out of the remote village of Zabalo where we’d spent several days.
Thus far, the program has supported several cataract surgeries. A few others are preparing for cataract surgery in December/January by beginning a program to lower cholesterol and blood pressure in advance of the procedure and arranging for hospital visits in the city.
Families waiting to receive medical care through Seguro Campesino in February 2024
We led the church service on June 30 about the Cofán . Unfortunately, that was the Sunday the sanctuary was closed because of a roof leak. If you didn’t get to the service, you can watch it here: Cofan Service June 30thThere are several inspiring videos included that we hope you see – including about the value of the Cofán rainforest to our planet! Do share it with others!
We still need to raise about $3,000 this year. If you have already donated, THANK YOU!! If you haven’t donated yet in 2024, please consider contributing as you think about your end of year donations. You can sponsor an entire family for the year for $250. Write a check to All Peoples, putting Cofán in the memo line, or donate on the church website (scroll down to Cofán ).
Related to our fundraising efforts, we will have holiday cards available again this year. Make a contribution and send the card to someone in place of more things to clutter their lives! Look for the cards in November or let me know and I’ll get them to you.
To close this update, we want to share a bit of insight from Randy – the Cofán elder about whom we often speak (see the Summer Tapestry for an article about Randy). When we visited in February, we asked Randy to describe the importance of our healthcare project to the Cofán . Here’s what he said:
“It’s definitely a priority…health is essential, it’s what you base everything else on. If you want [the Cofán] out in the field you can’t have them worrying about a child who has diarrhea or trying to find money to pay for the hospitalization of someone who has something serious going on. It’s one of the building blocks – good solid security and health is the underpinning of long-term conservation and our relationship with the forest. Education is another [building block] that we feel strongly about.”
The Cofán Survival Fund has recently received a large grant from the Leopold Bachmann Foundation (LBF) in Switzerland to fund education for Cofán young people. What we at All Peoples are doing with our healthcare support – the other building block underpinning rainforest conservation — is vital work. Our dream is that we can find partners at other churches in our efforts to join our support of healthcare for the Cofán so that more Cofán families are covered by the Seguro Campesino program.
Thank you for being part of this inspiring and impactful program!
Best, Deborah Novgorodoff and the International Justice Committee of All Peoples
“It’s definitely a priority…health is essential, it’s what you base everything else on. If you want [the Cofán] out in the field you can’t have them worrying about a child who has diarrhea or trying to find money to pay for the hospitalization of someone who has something serious going on. It’s one of the building blocks – good solid security and health is the underpinning of long-term conservation and our relationship with the forest. Education is another [building block] that we feel strongly about.”