By Lorena Mendoza
In mid-June, the 51 students of the 2025 cohort of the Living School of the Amazon (EVA) shared a warm embrace as they said their goodbyes after completing the first stage of the school’s annual program. Tears, laughter, and hopes of reunion were among the most powerful emotions that filled the moment. As María Andi, the school’s coordinator, tells us, when this day arrives each year, it is difficult to hold back the emotions. A deep sense of sadness settles over the entire teaching and administrative team who have accompanied the young participants throughout the first months of the year.
To mark this transition and bring closure to the in-person phase in a meaningful way, EVA’s team prepared a series of activities aimed at celebrating and honoring the students’ time together. Here’s a look at how the school marked the end of this stage.
Painting a mural for EVA
A group of students gathered brushes and paints to create a mural representing the diverse Indigenous nationalities that have been part of EVA. After four days of work, the students completed a mural in the school’s central dining hall that celebrates and reaffirms EVA’s Indigenous identity.
The mural was led by Noteno Coquinche Kevin Mayer, from the Kichwa nationality (Sucumbíos province), with the support of Bay Cahuiya Dixon Amo, of the Waorani nationality (Orellana and Maynas provinces), and Unkuch Job, from the Achuar nationality of Loreto, Peru.
First Photography Contest
As part of the closing activities for the communications course, EVA organized its first student photo exhibition, showcasing the visual work created during the workshop.
The exhibition culminated in a warm community celebration, where the best photographs were honored in the presence of the EVA team and guest Domingo Peas, who presented awards to the winning students.
The winners were:
FIRST AWARD
Noa Ilianes Gricelda Yoshira, Kichwa from Pastaza (Ecuador).
SECOND AWARD
Bisa Gonzales Lilian Hamaly, Chapra Nation, Loreto (Peru)
THIRD AWARD
Tapuy Garces Jeimy Tahis, Kichwa from Napo (Ecuador).
Farewell and Return to Territory
On the final day of classes, the school held a closing gathering for students before they began their journey home. A key moment was the collective return of the 12 students from the Peruvian Amazon, who traveled together toward their communities. The group journeyed as far as the Santiago River in the territory of the Wampís Nation, from where each continued individually toward their homes.
This farewell marks the beginning of a new phase in the school’s cycle—one in which the students return to their communities to play active roles in governance, territorial planning, and the oral transmission of ancestral memory through the voices of elders and knowledge-holders.
Much lies ahead for EVA in 2025, and the school’s team is eager to witness how these young leaders bring their learning into practice across their territories.
Photos: EVA