Strengthening Lives Guest blog by Kitty Jenkin

2014 is the Year of Health in Cool Earth’s Ashaninka Project and we’re taking things up a notch. Our plan is to save lives.

Kitty Jenkin, Project Manager Cool Earth

Rainforest is only successfully protected when it improves the lives of local people. These are some of the world’s most vulnerable people. Half of Peru’s indigenous population die before they reach 40 years old and infant mortality is more than twice Peru’s national average.

From our Ashaninka project, the nearest doctor is an eight-hour boat ride and two-hour truck journey away. From the most remote village, you have to do a 10-hour walk first.

This remoteness is especially dangerous for every pregnant woman and newborn in the project. A child born in our Ashaninka Project currently is 10 times more at-risk of dying than if they were born in the UK.

But we have a simple aim – equip each of our 15 partner villages with a Medical Outpost and trained team of first-aiders and midwives.

We’re not talking about anything more than a weather-proof shed with a concrete floor and basic supplies. But these simple measures will make a life changing difference to our Ashaninka partners, particularly for the women – ensuring they are strong enough to care for their families and defend their forest.

Here you have some of the wonderful women that Cool Earth’s project has already supported – from providing clean drinking water for their families to lighting for their homes – and whose health they’ll be helping safeguard.

Cool Earth will be updating you on the progress of our ‘Strengthening Lives’ campaign throughout the summer.