ShuarHands

ShuarHands, Inc. president Bette and coordinator Shiki pack and count school supplies brought from the U.S.

This heavy box containing school supplies is bound for the Amazon Jungle.

All school materials and medicine is loaded into the chartered plane. Doctor Patricio enters the passenger side.

Coordinator/Nurse Shiki documents family members to visit the doctor.

After examining a patient, Dr. Patricio prescribes medication.

A blood sample is taken from a young patient by Nurse and Shuar leader Shiki

This four-month old undernourished child with a cleft lip was referred to Macas.

Bette is seated in the clinic with a family seeking medical attention.

The community’s president Elias Wasump and ShuarHands, Inc. president Bette Palovchik sign the legal documents.

The next step was for a contractor to review preliminary construction plans, with the assistance of a senior nurse on staff at an existing facility.

President Bette Palovchik distributes donated backpacks containing medical supplies to each of the 7 scholarship recipients.

President Bette Palovchik meeting with the Education Director (seated on far right)

A Shuar man ensures all 10 whiteboards arrived in the community safely.

Regional Director Roman Shiki installs the school’s first computer.

Six members of ShuarHands, Inc. arrived with donated school supplies via chartered plane.

ShuarHands, Inc. member Hugo Chacon and his mother drink heartily from a bowl of Chicha presented to them during a Welcoming Ritual.

Curious children gather around ShuarHands, Inc. CFO Tawny Palovchik.

As eager community members observed, ShuarHands, Inc. members sorted and prepared over 500 lbs of donated school supplies.

A generous donor provided funds that allowed ShuarHands, Inc. to purchase much needed medicine for the Shuar community.

Dr. Juan Chau Masuk fills a syringe with an antibiotic combination in order to treat a patient with a Chicken Pox-related infection.

A concerned father looks on as the doctor evaluates his son.

While waiting outside the clinic door to see the doctor, mothers used some of the donated medicine to treat their children for lice.

A Shuar family took the stage to share their traditional dress, hunting customs, dance and song with the audience.

Three Quichua ladies dazzled spectators with their dancing and singing. Each woman held a handmade piece of pottery.

Cofan Claus Crillo is an accomplished musician.

A Celebration of Beauty pageant was held on the last night of the cultural fair. A woman from each of the tribes present was invited to take the stage. Each woman had an opportunity to sing, dance, and answer questions posed by the judge. Shown here, from left to right, are the traditional costumes of the Quichua, Cofan, and Shuar.

Coordinator Roman Shiki acted as moderator and director of the Artisan meeting.

With biographies in hand for each student, Coordinator Roman and political representative Elias thoughtfully prepared a backpack full of supplies for each student.

Each student received notebook paper, erasers, pencils, pens, hair ties, and small toy. Students living a greater distance from the school, or who had recently been orphaned, received a rain poncho, solar calculator, protractor, coloring pencils or flash lights.

After approximately 160 filled backpacks were encased in water-proof bags, they were transported by taxi to the bus terminal.

To reach their final destination, the backpacks would be driven 8 hours by bus until the road ended.

From there, the bags were transferred to a large canoe for an additional 10 to 12 hours (depending on the strength of the river level and current).

Bette Palovchik, with the support of Roman Shiki, addresses questions and concerns of the Artisans.

A young Shuar artisan adds her signature to a petition document supporting the Mission Statement of ShuarHands, Inc.

A Shuar woman expresses her enthusiasm and gratitude to Vice President Torrey Palovchik at the conclusion of the meeting.