Needs of the Jungle People

The jungle people live very modestly according to their traditional, indigenous roots.  They live in houses constructed of wood with grass or dried palm roofs.  They don’t have much, so they stick to farming, fishing, and logging.  Because they mostly abide by traditional beliefs, healthcare behaviors are very difficult to change and newly implement in the region.

The general infrastructure is practically non-existent, however, each village has a ‘chief’ or mayor that is in charge which provides some sense of communal direction.  The rural villages aren’t usually large enough to have roads or bridges or anything, but many do have cement walkways which were funded by the Peruvian government as part of an initiative to develop the jungle.  When you get to larger jungle cities like Nauta or Iquitos there are paved roads, dirt roads, wood and metal bridges, cars and mototaxis, and Iquitos even has an airport which was previously used by the Peruvian military.  Only in really large jungle villages there is likely to be a single building with plumbing of some sort, but generally, they don’t have running water or sewage and just use river water and a latrine.  In Iquitos and Nauta there is plumbing, but the standards are very low in comparison to American plumbing standards.  The same goes for electricity.  In the rural jungle, the government has funded the strategic placement of lights and generators, but because of funds, the villages are only able to use the electric on a very minimal basis (ie: at night for an hour or so).  Iquitos and Nauta have electricity and even have energy generating electric plants powered mostly by burning wood from the surrounding rainforest. 

The medical infrastructure in the jungle is virtually non-existent except for a select few international, non-profit organizations.  In a region of a poor country where disease, parasites, malnutrition, rampant tooth decay, and premature death are normalcy, medical care is a true necessity.  Children are who suffer the most and many are left alone to survive on the streets or in the jungle with no parent or family unit to provide care.  Many countries have healthcare workers that man health posts, but in the Peruvian jungle, such government-run health posts are run much like their rural school systems; there is a physical building, but the people are rarely there, medical supplies are largely not stocked, and people’s limited healthcare knowledge prevents a belief in medicine and encourages their beliefs in “curses.”  Larger cities like Iquitos are the only places in the jungle that have actual hospitals and reliable doctors with stocked medications and vaccinations.  However, from the experience of a past team member, the hospital in Iquitos doesn't even have running water which is a major public health concern.

The ultimate goal for the region is really to shift their focus from living traditionally to living sustainably so they can ultimately provide for themselves and meet their own needs.  This is where the church comes in.  Planting the seeds of spiritual growth is a foundational part of church focus.  Healing, teaching, feeding, and loving the people of Peru are the fertilizers for the seeds of spiritual growth.  All of the help given may make a difference for a lifetime and may impact thousands on a humanitarian level, but the power of God makes a difference that will reach into eternity.