Community Entrepreneurship Center in Support of Ancestral Education (Centro Comunitario de Emprendimiento en apoyo a la Educación Ancestral)

About this Project

This EcoTourism Association, based in the Shuar community of Tayu Jee, is building a Shuar cultural community center to house its tourism packages, Shuar cultural classes, and artisan handicrafts. It will also provide a “coffee shop” service with coffee, pastries, and local foods available for sale for the diverse traffic of tourists and locals. The community center is strategically located on a newly-paved road that will experience an increase of traffic between two towns. A portion of the income made will be donated to the Little School of Wisdom, a 2023 World Connect-funded project that created an impact in cultural revitalization and learning among over 30 Shuar children and youth. Due to the Little School of Wisdom’s high attendance among children and youth, the present project was created as a way to create long-term sustainability for the Ecotourism Association while also ensuring the Little School of Wisdom’s ongoing educational work.

The community has exceeded its initial scope with significant progress since starting in March 2025. Originally funded by a $5,100 World Connect grant, the project cleared a 50m² space—five times larger than planned—for a cultural center and shop, inspiring broader community ambitions. The community decided to build a new school on the site, and have leveraged $28,000 in additional funding for bathrooms and a school building.

An additional $2,880 of World Connect funding allows for the first building to be fully furnished, to allow for immediate operations of cultural and educational activities. This funding supports sustainable ecotourism and cultural initiatives, generating income, preserving Shuar heritage, and fostering community unity.