The Two Inspiring Lideresas of Puyo- Luz Haro and Manuela Ima

In Puyo, the Amazon of Ecuador, we found two incredible lideresas “women leaders”  from different backgrounds but both working for the same cause… women empowerment.

Luz Haro

“Señoras no se si lo saben, pero para nosotras es una bendicion vivir en la ruralidad”- “Ladies, I dont know if you know, but it is a blessing to live in the rural areas”.

After a 5am bus ride from Baños to Puyo Amazon we took another cab to the little town of Fatima where we met Luz Haro in what she calls her “humble but lovely shack”. We got in touch with Luz through her foundation, AMJUMPRE, Asociación de mujeres de Juntas Parroquiales Rurales del Ecuador (check out Vero´s post for more info). Luz invited us to her second class for the “Escuela de Formación para Lideresas Rurales” (school for the training of rural women leaders) and we got to finally meet the person behind all the emails we had previously exchanged.

Interviewng Luz Haro in her house at Fatima

Luz is a 62 years old mestizo woman from Chimborazo butt has lived most of her like in Fatima, Pastaza. Her outgoing, independent and strong personality as well as her will to develop has led her to most of her achievements during the past 20 years. She only did until 4^th grade of education but after being named representative in the Junta Parroquial of Fatima and Political Coordinator of women in Quito she decided she needed to continue her education completing high school in 1993, university in 2007 and a Master’s degree in 2008. Since then she was achieved to create the AMUF, AMJUPRE, lead powerful March 8^th women movement, give rural women a political voice and participate from the Latin American and Caribbean meeting of rural women.

Great Speaker, is a fully-fledged women formed by her own will

Luz was an amazing public speaker and inspirational person not only for the 35 rural women that attended the class but also for the three of us and Aurelie, a Belgium intern that will help AMJUPRE for 2 months. Luz´s accomplishments and personality reassured us of the need for leadership training and the talent found in the rural women in developing countries.

With Luz and our diploma for attendance to the second class

More about Luz´s accomplishments: http://www.amjupre.org.ec/noticias/140-premio-manuela-espejo-para-luz-haro

Manuela Ima

“Mi vida y mi madre es la madre tierra… si la destruimos todo el pueblo Ecuatoriano y el mundo morirán con ella” – “My life and my mother is mother earth… if we destroy it the Ecuatorian people and the world will die with it”.

Manuela is a Wourani tribe woman from the Amazon and she is the president and founder of the AMWAE(check out Virginia´s upcoming blog in AMWAE), creator of the AMWAE store for crafts, and a big advocate against the oil exploitation in Yasuni, an Amazon region inhabited by multiple indigenous tribes (check out Lindsay´s upcoming blog for more info).

Manuela giving me the "Juntos por Yasuni" bracelet

Manuela is the legal representative of the Wourani at a national level and has encountered the Ecuatorian President, Rafael Correa, to advocate for indigenous women rights and for the preservation of the Amazon territory Yasuni. She is an example to follow of women that have developed but haven’t forgotten about their origins and their people.

Virginia with Manuela Ima after the interview

More about Manuela´s activities: http://saveamericasforests.org/Yasuni/Handicrafts/HandicraftWorkshop.htm

Infront of the WAORANI store