ABOUT US
Humans for Abundance is a program of Fundación Pachaysana, a non-profit organization that began operations in 2015. Based in Ecuador, Fundación Pachaysana works in close partnership with indigenous and rural communities to restore ecosystems, re-story identities, and promote socio-environmental justice.
Our foundation operates four key programs:
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Humans for Abundance – The socio-environmental restoration program described in full in this website.
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The Forest School – An formal schooling initiative co-created with indigenous women to educate the next generation of forest protectors. It blends ancestral knowledge with essential Western skills, all while learning in their native Kichwa language. Also described in this website.
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Rehearsing Change – A fair-trade study abroad program that brings together international students and our local communities to co-create solutions to pressing global challenges through experiential education. Please go to www.pachaysana.org
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Unlearning – A staff development program that focuses on decolonial education, encouraging participants to unlearn oppressive systems and embrace new ways of knowing and being. Please go to www.pachaysana.org
THE HUMANS FOR ABUNDANCE STORY
Born out of a deep connection to the land and the people who have lived in harmony with nature for centuries, our journey began in the heart of the Amazon rainforest. We realized that forest conservation and biodiversity restoration were not just environmental goals, but also vital pathways to cultural resilience and community empowerment.
For centuries, Indigenous communities have been forced to live a story shaped by a colonial legacy—a story that teaches them to destroy their forests and extract natural resources for survival. This legacy has led to deforestation, toxic monoculture, and unsustainable cattle ranching practices that threaten both the environment and the cultural fabric of these communities.
At Humans for Abundance, we work in partnership with communities to rewrite this story, envisioning a new alternative path—one where they could transition from destructive monoculture and deforestation to regenerative agriculture and the cultivation of food forests.
In this alternative, community members take on a new role as Restorers. By combining their ancestral knowledge with modern sustainability practices, they are creating something the world urgently needs: restored ecosystems, thriving biodiversity, and sustainable food systems. As Restorers, working within their own territories, they are also favoring the entire planet. They are the architects of a better future for both nature and humanity.
This path also connects them with Co-Restorers from around the world—partners who provide the necessary financial resources to support the restoration work. Humans for Abundance is the bridge, leveraging technology to create a platform where Restorers and Co-Restorers can act as members of one human family, a united community, that works together to regenerate both ecosystems and human dignity.
THE FOREST SCHOOL STORY
The Forest School is an initiative born from the vision and wisdom of indigenous women who recognized education as the key to a future free from poverty and environmental degradation. These women understood that the survival of their ancestral knowledge—essential for forest conservation and the protection of biodiversity—was at risk. With the youth of their community migrating to distant cities for education, the forests were left vulnerable to deforestation, and the rich cultural heritage of the community was in danger of disappearing.
The women called for the creation of the Forest School, a long-term solution to preserve their ancestral wisdom and ensure that future generations could thrive. They envisioned a space where young people could learn to protect their forests, reconnect with their roots, and contribute to the global fight against climate change. Unlike business ventures prioritized by the men, the women saw education as the pathway to restoring their community and their lands.
The Forest School blends traditional knowledge with modern sustainability practices, ensuring that students learn the skills necessary to restore ecosystems, safeguard biodiversity, and mitigate the effects of climate change. Through lessons taught in their native Kichwa language, students are equipped with both ancestral wisdom and essential Western skills like mathematics, English, and Spanish. Here, they are not only trained to be protectors of the forest but also to become leaders in their community’s sustainable future.
By ensuring that the youth remain rooted in their community, the Forest School plays a critical role in preventing deforestation and strengthening cultural resilience, while contributing to sustainable solutions for both the environment and the economy.
OUR MISSION
Our mission is to restore and conserve the planet’s ecosystems and biodiversity by empowering people who live in key regions to take concrete, immediate action. At the same time, we aim to create lasting socio-economic impact for indigenous communities who live on the frontlines of sensitive ecosystems.
OUR VISION
Humans for Abundance was founded with the purpose of uniting people globally in what we like to call "the biggest clean-up family party ever." In Latin America, we call these gatherings “mingas,” a tradition where neighbors and friends come together to work in solidarity for the collective well-being of all.
OUR APPROACH
Humans for Abundance partners with indigenous families in Ecuador to restore ecosystems and re-story identities. Through a holistic, decade-long approach, we focus on forest conservation, biodiversity restoration, and sustainable climate change solutions, while addressing socio-economic challenges in our partner communities.
Our work begins by identifying communities ready to transition from destructive practices like monoculture and deforestation to regenerative systems. We provide economic incentives that allow families to become Ecosystem Restorers, making the shift to agroforestry and ecological restoration possible.
As the forests regenerate, so does the community with the support of programs like Rehearsing Change, our international education program that brings together international students and members from our partner communitiers. Through diverse perspectives, the program fosters a powerful exchange of knowledge and experience, which helps uncover and heal historical wounds caused by racism, oppression, and biodiversity loss.
The Forest School is another key component, ensuring that restoration efforts continue into the future. By preparing the next generation to be lifelong forest stewards, the school secures the long-term conservation of ecosystems and empowers youth to lead the way in biodiversity protection.
Together, these programs ensure that ecological restoration, cultural revitalization, and leadership development are deeply interconnected, creating a sustainable future for both the land and its people.
OUR VALUES
I Am Because We Are
At Humans for Abundance, we love the African philosophy of Ubuntu—"I am because we are." This value is at the heart of everything we do, recognizing that our individual well-being is tied to the collective well-being of our communities, our ecosystems, and the Earth.
Pluriversality. We are co-designers of the pluriverse, where multiple ways of understanding the world, of knowing, and of being are valid and valued. We reimagine diversity as pluriversity, treating others as they want to be treated and celebrating marginalized voices.
Balance. We are constantly seeking balance, a creative process realized in interconnection with all living beings.
Justice. We seek to dismantle oppressions and create just alternatives. Our resistance is rooted in collective creation. We act in solidarity, recognizing that our struggles and movements are interwoven.
Celebration. We party in community. If there isn’t dancing, it isn’t revolution.
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