At The Ikiam Foundation, we believe in the inherent strength and wisdom of indigenous communities — both within the United States and across the globe. Our mission is to empower these communities to flourish while honoring their rich cultural heritages.

We are currently raising $80,000 for the first phase of establishing the Ikiam Ecological Reserve in the Ecuadorian Amazon rainforest. This is the only ecological reserve completely managed by indigenous people in Ecuador that focuses on the empowerment of women and youth. This will be the most important Amazonian Ecological Reserve in Ecuador, connecting traditional knowledge and science for biodiversity conservation and ecological restoration under Indigenous ownership and management.

The financial breakdown is as follows: $10,000 will go towards establishing the Traditional Forest Nursery and Botanical Garden, $20,000 will go towards the Women's Entrepreneurship Institute, and the rest will be spent on setting up and managing the Ecological Reserve and traditional Agroecology, including staff and materials.