Luz Anglica Tarapuez is a leader and traditional doctor of the Pastos Indigenous Reservation in the municipality of Cumbal, Columbia.
For her, receiving our support in times of a pandemic, has been an opportunity to accompany 38 indigenous women, as well as to promote with a group of young people and social leaders the protection of a moorland from the deforestation and fires it has suffered.
Between May and November, 2020 Luz Anglica has promoted self-care practices among the women, the exchange of knowledge in home gardens and medicinal plants, encouraged family businesses and advised them on how to deal with the gender-based violence they suffer in their homes.
Also with their indigenous companions, they managed to get a group of military men to close down a house where they had set up a camp when it was prohibited. They also organised a sit-in to protest against the actions of members of the army who have been denounced for raping indigenous girls in different parts of the country.
Luz points out:
“The most relevant thing about this beautiful project is that we received support of PAL in moments of crisis, which allowed us to make our lives more bearable and more responsible”.