In 2025 ACIES built on their work over the last two years to “Love the Ravine” by helping Indigenous children and their families learn about and care for their immediate environment. Families and children in Quiritimayo and Pomobamba planted gardens, recycled and reused materials, started composting and took part in a cleanup day in each community.
Children in both communities recounted their experiences in a weekly comic strip that was shared with their families and the broader community. Painting and craft workshops took place as well.
In a new initiative, two Indigenous elders took part, sharing their knowledge of medicinal plants and ancestral stories. The children’s grandparents were invited to share their knowledge, stories and games, too.
The project also funded craft and taxtile workshops with 15 women in Quiritimayo and 15 in rural Pomabamba. The women sold their creations at quarterly municipal fairs and through a new online store.
Our thanks to the Peterborough KM Hunter Charitable Foundation for their support of this project.