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High in the beautiful cloud forests of the Andes live the indigenous people of Ecuador.

Each village has a small local school where children are educated through the 7th grade.

Continuing to secondary school is not an option without traveling 40 or more miles to the nearest town.

Indigenous communities face many challenges.

Poverty
Close to 88% of indigenous households live below the poverty line.
Lack of Educational Opportunities
School ends for remote indigenous students after the 7th grade
Food Insecurity
The diet in indigenous communities consists mainly of food raised on their small farms.
Erosion of Cultural Identity
Maintaining the customs and traditions with the younger generation is essential to maintaining the indigenous culture and heritage.
Limited Employment
The remoteness of the Andean villages, low education levels and the lack of skills makes outside employment difficult.
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Saminay - El Legado (The Birthright) was built to fill this education gap

We operate a secondary school in the Imbabura province of Ecuador for indigenous youth in the area.

We started out small, but with the help of generous donors, Ecuadorian grants and the help of the local indigenous villagers we have built a beautiful campus where students are able to receive an education, expand their horizons and become the future leaders of their communities.

Saminay - El Legado

focus areas

EDUCATION
87 students have graduated with an Ecuadorian secondary diploma
NUTRITION
410,300 meals have been served since 2008
Community
15 villages send students to the school
Farming
Students graduate with an agricultural certificate along with their academic diploma
Meet one of our recent graduates
Edison Panama

” Hola.  My name is Edison Panama and I am a graduate of Saminay. I am currently in my 4th semester at the University of San Francisco studying education.  To have studied in Saminay was one of the best experiences I have had in my life.  Saminay isn’t just a school, but a world of opportunities where many young people are inspired to pursue their dreams or reach their objectives.”

School Sustainability through Entrepreneurial initiatives

Milking Parlor

We have 33 dairy cows on our farm.  We hope to increase this to 50 cows in the near future.  The milk is used in the dairy plant and excess is sold to the community

Cheese Plant

We are so excited to have our cheese plant operational. We  produce a fresh, soft cheese popular in the area along with mozzarella and yogurt.

Iberian Pigs

Iberian pigs were once introduced to this area by early Spanish explorers. Gradually the pigs disappeared. We have been able to reintroduce them to Ecuador.   Their distinctive meat is sold to high end restaurants in Quito