THANK YOU!!!

GVI Amazon National Scholarship student Henry, from Yachana High School, takes a well-deserved break  on a perfect forest bed

As you have seen from the daily update posts, the 2012 Huaorani Jungle Challenge was brilliant!  We had a great time, pushed our physical limits trekking for nearly 9 hours through the rain and mud and hills, learned all about the Huaorani culture, helped improve their community center, and spotted all sorts of wildlife along the way.  


Spending time with the Huaorani and seeing how their life blends so easily into the forest, and then being confronted with the ugliness of deforestation and pollution of the oil industry was a huge eye-opener, and just reiterated the need for education, the goal of this challenge, to allow the upcoming generations to hold on to their culture and look for more sustainable ways of life that won't destroy the rainforest upon which they depend.  


A huge thank you to all of the friends, family, relatives, admirers, volunteers-to-be and other supporters of GVI Amazon who made our first ever multi-day Charitable Trust challenge a success -- we could not have done it without your help and generous donations.  We are so pleased to announce that as of today -- March 28th, 2012 -- we are at 90% of our goal of £5000!


With only 10% left to go, it's not too late!  Donations are easy and tax-deductible in the UK.  For those that have already donated, please help us spread the word to reach our goal and raise awareness for education in the Amazon.  Donations for this Challenge go towards the following education goals at GVI partner sites in the Ecuadorian Amazon:

- camera traps/equipment for the Nongi Togoro high school (a GVI intern placement site) in the Huaorani community of Kewediono, to facilitate an ongoing study of jaguars and other key species in the conservation area, in conjunction with Huaorani Lodge community ecotourism project (through the Ecuadorian foundation, Conservation in Action)

- sponsorship of the sustainable development seed planting project through Sumak Allpa, another GVI intern site, and the Sumak Allpa youth environmental group

- books, supplies and  science equipment for the GVI Mobile Museum, to take environmental education and hands-on learning into our local school classrooms (where GVI volunteers teach weekly)

- future support of education projects at Sani Isla, where GVI interns teach English, science and sports

Please support our challengers and help us to meet our goal!!!

Only 10% to go! Donate now at http://www.justgiving.com/teams/GVI-Amazon-2012 

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - we raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

So please dig deep and donate now.

**For U.S. donors, you can donate here, or for a tax-deductible donation, please use this link:  http://www.globalgiving.org/projects/education-for-rural-amazon-communities/ 

THANK YOU!!!