Who we are

Illawari is a Kechwa word meaning support. In the Amazon, illawari are the structural beams that raise homes above rising rivers—protecting life without displacement. That understanding is the foundation of Project Illawari.

Project Illawari is an educational and advocacy organization dedicated to strengthening Indigenous communities through education. We work alongside Indigenous partners in the Amazon to amplify Indigenous voices, support community-led solutions, and deepen public understanding of land stewardship, cultural continuity, and environmental protection.

Our work centers Indigenous leadership and priorities. Rather than speaking for communities, Project Illawari exists to support what already stands—helping lift Indigenous knowledge and governance so it can be heard and reinforced beyond the forest, while remaining rooted in place.

Project Illawari currently works in collaboration with CEDIA (Centro para el Desarrollo del Indígena Amazónico), a Peruvian nonprofit that supports Indigenous land rights, territorial governance, and sustainable development across the Amazon.

Through educational resources, storytelling, and community-supported initiatives, Project Illawari invites educators, learners, institutions, and supporters to listen, learn, and participate in ways that strengthen Indigenous self-determination and protect the forest we all depend on.