Greetings Cofan Survival Fund Supporters!
As Cofan Survival Fund (CSF) President, I’m writing to thank you once more for your support and to let you know what we’re accomplishing with it. This month, I want to share a letter of appreciation to the CSF from Raúl Quieta, a young Cofan father who is participating in our “Cofan Higher Education Project.” The program receives substantial funding from the Betty Lou Smith Fund of Chicago, which has done so much for the Cofan Nation. Yet our existing funding is not enough. It cannot support all Cofan students who want to pursue higher educations in Ecuador’s best universities. Nor can it cover the rest of the CSF’s costs as we struggle to protect Cofan territory and the Cofan way of life, which are constantly threatened by mining, logging, and oil production at ever-increasing rates.
Raúl has proven himself to be a hardworking student and a dedicated defender of the Cofan Nation. We know that with continuing aid, he will finish his studies and return to help his community. In my English translation of his letter, Raúl—who appears in the picture above alongside his daughter Mia and his son Max— writes:
“I want to thank each one of you for the support you’re providing to the Cofan Higher Education Project, which is helping me and my two elementary-school children. The project pays for our enrollment, tuition, and living expenses in Quito.
“My name is Raúl Quieta, and I’m from the Cofan community of Duvuno. Working toward my degree is the most challenging time of my life. I’m completing an MA program in the “Rights of Nature and Intercultural Justice” at the University Andina Simón Bolívar. The program lasts two years and is divided into seven modules. Six modules consist of classes that last three months each, and the last module includes six months of fieldwork. I began my classes in October 2020, and I will finish them in March 2022. My fieldwork will be completed in October 2022, when I will graduate with my MA. My thesis project in my home community will focus on ecological and social threats. I’ve entitled it ‘Large-Scale Logging of Primary Forest and Challenges Associated with the Planting of Taro Cash Crops in the Ancestral Cofan Community of Duvuno.’
“In addition, I want to thank you for the support you’re providing for the primary educations of my daughter and son, Mia and Max. They’re also receiving economic help from the CSF. It’s an important form of aid for my family. The only way to make my education work is to have my wife and children with me, and my children need to be in school, too.
“Having a family shouldn’t impede one’s educational progress; with effort, determination, and dedication, we can overcome all the obstacles standing in our way. Financial aid is essential, as the principal limitations for Cofan people studying in the city are economic. This aid permits Cofan students to reach their dream: obtaining degrees from prestigious universities. I hope that the Cofan Higher Education Project will continue to help even more Cofan students in the future.
“When I finish my MA degree, I’m committed to helping Cofan communities. I plan to create community-development projects that will involve all village residents in environmental conservation efforts, which will benefit them directly and also ensure the welfare of the entire Cofan population.
“With sincere thanks, Raúl Quieta, Cofan MA Student”
As they witness the success of the Cofan Higher Education Project, more and more Cofan youths hope to enter the program to get their degrees and become the skilled leaders their communities need. The CSF is absolutely committed to helping them on their educational paths. Unfortunately, we need more funding to do so. Having six Cofan students with high-quality educations—our current number in the project—will be a tremendous asset for the Cofan Nation. But 20 students with BA’s and MA’s would help to create even more innovative solutions to protect Cofan people and their rainforest territory. Increasing resource extraction and devasting climate change are not slowing down, and the Cofan need to take steps to combat them now. We at the CSF are doing our best to confront these problems, but many Cofan people in Ecuador are eager to join the fight. Only university educations will allow them to become truly effective global activists.
To support the Cofan Higher Education Project and our other work, please consider donating to the CSF or increasing your existing donation. A gift to the CSF directly aids the Cofan Nation; we have no overhead, and all your contributions go directly to where they’re needed most. You can contribute online by credit card by clicking on our website: www.cofan.org. Or you can mail a check to: Cofan Survival Fund, 53 Washington Boulevard, Oak Park, IL 60302. Another way to give, if you shop at amazon.com, is to go to smile.amazon.com and select the Cofan Survival Fund as your designated charity. Then, Amazon will donate 0.5% of the price of every one of your purchases to the CSF.
Sincerely,
Michael L. Cepek, CSF President
CSF is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, and donations are tax deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law. For gifts of $250 and larger, you will receive a receipt for tax purposes.