Location: Satipo, Peru, Ashaninka Indigenous Communities
Credit: Chrishma Perera
Initiative: Soulsby Foundation for One Health (Soulsby Foundation for One Health)
Story: This photo was taken during fieldwork for the Soulsby Foundation–funded Fellowship Project titled “Pathways to enhance Indigenous participation in developing climate-resilient health systems: A Peruvian Case Study.” For Asháninka Indigenous communities in Peru, health is deeply connected to the central jungle. However, the forest is increasingly changing due to anthropogenic activities. Elders emphasize the importance of protecting the forest for the health of future Asháninka generations. The image was taken at the request of an Indigenous women’s leader, who is pictured with her seven-year-old daughter. As she noted, part of her responsibility as a parent is to teach her daughter about the forest. Because the forest is a part of her identity and her health and well-being.