Humanitarian aid in the desert between Colombia and Venezuela
We are the non-profit organization Mama Tierra organizing this crowdfunding to alleviate the desperate situation of the Wayuu indigenous peoples in the desert of northern Colombia and Venezuela, called La Guajira. The hurricane Iota and the COVID-19 pandemic have heavily affected the lives of indigenous communities, especially those of children. Since La Guajira is difficult to access, very few organizations and governmental agencies provide help in these areas. We need your support and generosity to assist those people who have no chance to overcome this crisis alone.
You can alleviate hunger and restore what is damaged
The La Guajira area has the highest malnutrition index in Colombia. According to reports, between 2012 and 2015, almost 5000 Wayuu children have died from preventable causes such as diarrhoea and hunger. This number is rising sharply due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which in March already pushed the indigenous people into a food crisis. Between March and June Mama Tierra brought twice food and potable water to 200 indigenous people we work with. But this is not enough.
In November, Hurricane Iota hit the coastal areas of both Colombia and Venezuela, aggravating the already difficult situation of the Wayuu indigenous people. Storms and heavy rains caused enormous damage to homes and land roads. Transport of goods became nearly impossible and it remains extremely difficult, and as a consequence, it triggered food scarcity. The Wayuu people can only sow during rainy season and they harvest during the months of December and January. The hurricane has destroyed the harvest of the majority of the Wayuu indigenous people and left the soil barren for the upcoming months. There is an unparalleled lack of food, and the hunger crisis is deepening.
Let's bring food, clean water and school supplies to indigenous communities now!
Mama Tierra supports an indigenous community of 134 people, including 53 children. By the end of the year, we will be handing out food to offset the great need caused by the hurricane. In January, we will pay for the school supplies for these children in La Guajira to ensure their education. The amount of people we can support depends on the amount of funds collected through donations and sales in the coming weeks. One thing is certain, together we can make a big difference!
Each donor will receive a transparency report, where we document how the funds were used.
Mama Tierra is a Swiss tax-exempt organisation. When you make a donation, we will send a donation confirmation, which you can use to deduct donated amounts over 100 CHF from taxes.
Who are the Wayuu people? The Wayuu belong to the Arawak family, who populated 500 B.C. the north coast of South America. The Wayuu settled down in La Guajira, a desertic area in the extreme north of South America, located between Colombia and Venezuela.
Today the indigenous population reaches approximately 600 000 Wayuu people, who through their desire to resist the European colonizers, strategically took this desert area with harsh environmental conditions as a refuge so as not to submit to the colonial powers.
Due to its matrilineal social structure, the Wayuu woman is the pillar of this indigenous society. This is why Mama Tierra works with women and opens trade routes for them, offering decent wages and economic independence.
Why support indigenous peoples? There are an estimated 370 million indigenous people in the world, living across 90 countries. They make up less than 5 per cent of the world’s population, but account for 15 per cent of the poorest. Their cultural heritage is impressive. They speak an overwhelming majority of the world’s estimated 7 000 languages and represent 5,000 different cultures. Mama Tierra promotes the material culture of the Wayuu Indigenous people, thus solving their famine crisis.
