OUR STORY OF
SUSTAINABLE
CHANGE
WUASIKAMAS, GIVING NEW MEANING TO LIFE THROUGH ANCESTRAL WISDOM
1980 – 2003
Conflict, Deforestation, and Drug Trafficking in Aponte
The Indigenous community of Aponte, belonging to the Inga people, was deeply affected during the 1980s and 1990s by drug trafficking, deforestation, and the armed conflict in Colombia. At that time, thousands of tons of morphine and heroin were being cultivated illegally every week.
Over 10,000 hectares of the community’s “sacred” mountains were lost, while more than 2,500 hectares were used for poppy cultivation (Papaver somniferum). Around 150 people were killed, and more than 200 families —95% of them from the Inga community— were violently displaced. On some days, as many as seven lives were lost.
This tragedy was driven by multiple actors: guerrilla groups such as the ELN and FARC-EP, paramilitary organizations (AUC), bombings and glyphosate spraying by state forces, as well as violent disputes among drug traffickers, neo-paramilitary groups, and criminal networks.
Late 2002
Election of a New Leadership
At the end of 2002, Hernando Chindoy Chindoy was elected Governor by the Inga community of Aponte. He faced the challenge of leading his people, who amidst violence, drug trafficking, and insecurity had partly lost their cultural identity and their deep connection with nature.
2003
Beginning of Transformation
On January 1, 2003, Hernando Chindoy took office. Together with young people, women, men, and especially the grandmothers of Aponte, he launched the initiative “Wuasikamas – Guardians of the Earth”, a political, educational, and cultural response to war, drug trafficking, and deforestation. Through collective action, the community succeeded in peacefully expelling armed groups from their territory while at the same time creating new sources of livelihood, such as coffee cultivation.
The term “Wuasikamas” comes from the language of the Inga people of Aponte and means “caretakers” or “guardians of the house.” It embodies the community’s historic mission: to protect life and territory. Chindoy drew upon the ancestral knowledge of the Inga as well as the Siona and Cofán peoples to revitalize it. Through alternative educational approaches, he shaped the “Guardians of the Earth” with the aim of restoring human dignity and harmony with nature.
He initiated an informal learning model focused on biocultural peace and strengthened the dialogue between traditional, cultural, and scientific knowledge. In this way, education became a “medicine” capable of healing both community and nature —an approach that has achieved remarkable results in addressing the crises of biodiversity, humanity, and the Earth.
2017
Founding of Wuasikamas & international recognition
In 2017, the Wuasikamas initiative was officially registered as an organization in Colombia by Hernando Chindoy and Cristina Rodríguez. At the same time, “Wuasikamas Coffee” was launched as an independent brand, supporting professional cultivation and distribution. The coffee later went on to receive an award for its outstanding quality.
That same year, Wuasikamas was honored with the Equatorial Prize 2015, presented by the UNDP’s Equator Initiative in Paris during COP21. This international recognition celebrates local and Indigenous initiatives that reduce poverty, protect nature, and advance climate action. It also confirmed the effectiveness of Wuasikamas’ approach, which combines traditional knowledge, sustainable agriculture, and community empowerment.
2023
Wuasikamas International & Ëconeêrã
Following the recognition of the Equator Prize and its growing international visibility, Wuasikamas International was founded in 2023. Hernando Chindoy and Cristina Rodríguez expanded the Wuasikamas community model beyond Colombia, creating a platform to share Indigenous traditional knowledge, biocultural peace, and sustainable practices worldwide.
That same year, Hernando was awarded the title of Doctor Honoris Causa in the field of Climate Studies and Traditional Indigenous Knowledge by the University of the Arts London. Later, in 2025, he was recognized as a Laureate of the Marianne Initiative in France. In addition, in Switzerland he serves as an international advisor to the Institute for the History and Theory of Architecture (gta) at ETH Zurich.
Within the framework of Wuasikamas International, in 2024 Ëconeêrã – “Medicines that Heal the Earth” was launched, a project aimed at promoting biodiversity through higher education, fostering biocultural peace and human well-being. For this initiative, Wuasikamas Ëconeêrã was awarded the Earthna Prize by the Qatar Foundation in 2025.
The founding of Wuasikamas International marked a decisive step in weaving a global network of “Guardians of the Earth”, promoting dialogue between Indigenous knowledge, science, and international partners, and inspiring the next generation to protect nature, culture, and peace.
2025
Wuasikamas Switzerland Foundation
The seed of Wuasikamas in Switzerland was planted when Hernando Chindoy first traveled to Europe in 2022. During a lecture in Zurich, Natalia and Reto met him, and through shared conversations, a special bond was formed.
After handing over his role as Governor of the Inga community in Colombia to his successor, Hernando traveled across Europe with his wife Cristina Rodríguez and their son Inti, as an environmental activist. Along the way, he gave lectures on traditional Indigenous knowledge and biocultural peace. During this journey, Natalia and Reto accompanied the family, and from their shared time together a deep friendship grew.
From their shared desire to extend the Wuasikamas network to Switzerland, Wuasikamas Switzerland was eventually born. Today, the organization is officially registered as a non-profit association in the canton of Bern.