Benki Piyãko is assisting a displaced community, securing land along the upper Jurua River for their resettlement.
The members of this community, comprised of 78 families, are descendants of seringueiros (rubber tappers) with connections to the Piyãko family. For generations, these families have lived near the Ashaninka community in Brazil, cultivating the land and planting native fruit trees. However, recent government demarcation efforts have forced these families from their homes and the natural abundance that they had nurtured over decades.
In April, Benki and his team set out on a mission to locate suitable land for relocation and found a property spanning approximately 300 hectares close to the Yorenka Tasorentsi Institute. By securing this land for the displaced community, Benki has averted the imminent threat of homelessness for these families, creating a new chapter in the long story between these families and his own.
With the support of the Institute, the families have begun resettling and are actively rebuilding their lives while once again assuming the role of stewards and caretakers of their new surroundings. Benki remains committed to bolster these efforts by providing assistance in the creation of a sustainable fish pond system and with reforestation efforts. Through this process, Benki and the community aim to cultivate another pillar of biodiversity and land stewardship in the region.