Roots of Dignity: Kamentsa Housing & Support Program
Through the House Reconstruction and Basic Needs Support Initiative for the Kamentsa Community, we aim to provide dignified living conditions and essential services to vulnerable families, prioritizing the elderly and children.
Reciprocity Initiatives with Our Indigenous Communities
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The Kamentsa community has faced increasing challenges due to poverty and deteriorating living conditions. The harsh winter weather in the Sibundoy Valley further exacerbates these hardships, particularly for families residing in inadequate homes with structural issues such as holes in walls, substandard kitchens, and unsanitary bathroom facilities.
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This project focuses on rebuilding and improving homes, ensuring each family can access a safe and healthy environment. With the support of CSN and the international community, we have already restored homes for 8 families, lifting them out of unsanitary living conditions. We aim to expand this effort to provide housing repairs, such as kitchen and bathroom improvements, and reinforce floors and walls to protect against the cold.
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Additionally, many families in the Kamentsa community struggle with food security beyond housing. As we continue to address basic needs, we aim to develop a sustainable support system that includes food assistance, ensuring long-term security for the community's most vulnerable members.
Vision
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The vision of the Shanayoy and our non-profit organization OIOC is to support our Kamëntšá Biyá community in all aspects of the social, educational, and health chain so we can flourish.
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Under the leadership of Taita Juan, the three-time governor of the Kamentsa people, and his family, our organization seeks to support community projects that strengthen the culture, art, and ancestral medicines of our Kamëntšá Biyá Indigenous territory.