8vos a los 30s Ep2: Empowering Indigenous Youth of Ecuador | Ambassador Andrea Castillo Piedra

"8vos at 30s" Ep2: Valeria Varela 

with ambassador Andrea Castillo Piedra

------

"From July 29 to August 4, myself and our team lived with Luis Varela during an 'indigenous vacation camp' in the community of Cochauma - Zumbahua, Ecuador. 

We were working with 21 children from 8 to 16 years old. 

Youth of Cochauma, living in high altitude and extreme poverty

It was a beautiful, but a super hard experience. This community is different from the one in Cayambe with which we did Ep#1 Fernanda Lechón. This community is very poor, here they speak Quichua, little Spanish and they really live in extreme poverty with less than $1 a day. 

"It was a beautiful, but a super hard experience. ... This community is very poor, here they speak Quichua, little Spanish and they really live in extreme poverty with less than $1 a day. "

We were at 4000 meters above sea level, where they were suffering from a shortage of water, sewage, health, education, food, clothing, and garbage collection service.

Landscape-wise the place is beautiful, very cold but with movie-like sunrises and sunsets.

This August, we started the filming with Varela Varela when she was climbing. We've changed filmmakers, so we're now back with the guys from Levitar Media House with whom I made the web series Latitud Cero Climbing Rocktrip in 2016. 

The second filming, in September, recorded the daily life of Valeria Varela. 

Indigenous peoples in the week-long Cochauma climbing camp

This same weekend we are organized camping, climbing and an educational menstrual cycle session to raise funds to pay for the production and post-production of the web series.

This episode will cost us $5000, of which I have already been able to pay $250. We've applied for GCI funds to be able to add $1000 and finance Ep#2.

Regarding the first episode - all this year I have been trying to find a place to premiere EP#1 Fernanda Lechón. It has been super hard, and all the places charged me dearly for the event. But I had a meeting with the Catholic University of Ecuador, and they will give us the cultural center to hold the premiere. 

As we cannot charge an entrance fee, we can put the QR code to this campaign so that people can make a donation, as well as internationally. We are going to ask for a minimum donation of $5, and we hope to collect $2500. With that on top of events and small grants, we hope to finish paying for Ep#2 and move this forward."

Donate to this project by November, 2024 and we'll send you an MBB sticker in the mail. <3