Medicine Hut Project
This exciting project is underway to build medicine huts in jungle villages in order to have supplies of medicines where there are no pharmacies. The sponsor of this project is Altro, a company in England that will test their cladding products in the jungle environment by the construction of medicine and storage huts in select villages. Leaders in each village are mobilizing local people to carry out construction in the local MINGA fashion of building. Renzo Peña is overseeing the construction with architect Maga Guanilo of Lima, in association with STEMA.
Due to delays in cutting wood and the coronavirus quarantine, this project was pushed back until quarantine was lifted. Now that boat traffic has resumed, the communities of Isla Yarina and Primero de Enero have been able to secure roofing materials to complete their huts.
Plans are underway to supply smaller storage units in Tigrillo, Nuñez Cocha and Huanana. When completed, all villages will have access to medicines within an hour from their location.
Training has been ongoing with local health workers who will oversee the medicines, assuring that security and record keeping are maintained. Together all are working on the development of processes for securing additional medicines.