First medical station in Ixima

In 1997, we built our first medical station in Ixima.

The Indians themselves requested the construction of this hospital. The venture was realized in close collaboration with them. Since gold prospectors invaded their territory, they suffer from imported diseases.

Currently, the station is managed autonomously by two Yanomami brothers. They treat malaria, tuberculosis, infectious diseases and river blindness with success. Moreover, the survival chances of infants have increased significantly due to improved medical care .

A school right next to the medical station offers bilingual education in Portuguese and Yanomamé.

School offering bilingual teaching

Indians who are not able to speak the official national language are legally disenfranchised and put under compulsory FUNAI administration. FUNAI stands for “The National Foundation of Indians”, a governmental protection agency. Since the Yanomami in Ixima are aware of these measures, they want to learn Portuguese.

Additionally, some Yanomami were trained in teaching by Ana Ballester. These Yanomami teachers provide children with important insights into their own unique way of life. Both medical station and school continue to be invaluable assets to the Yanomami of Ixima.

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