Peru
The Peruvian case of the SMAPL Project is located in the northeastern Amazon of this country, specifically in the Province of Bagua (Amazonas Region). This area is part of the ancestral territory of the Awajún indigenous people, the protagonist of this case, which is one of the 55 indigenous peoples officially recognized in Peru, being the second largest in population.
The Awajún have historically been recognized for their warrior character and strong organizational capacity. In this regard, the pandemic was a critical event that brought out these characteristics. Through the SMAPL Project, it was possible to learn about some of the multiple experiences and coping strategies they developed in the face of this health crisis. To this end, fieldwork was carried out between 2022 and 2023 in which we interviewed members of three Awajún communities (Shushug, Wachapea and Nazareth), key actors of the health system, and representatives of local organizations. The fieldwork involved spending several weeks in the area, which made it possible not only to conduct the interviews, but also to accompany various activities and strengthen ties with several people.
Among the results obtained, the organizational versatility stands out, which involved taking advantage of the different resources and knowledge of its population. In this regard, the creative use of medicinal plants and biomedicine, and the participation of indigenous health technicians stand out. In addition, we learned about the points of view and experiences of the health personnel during this difficult time.
Finally, it is worth mentioning that from the beginning we sought to include the perspective and interests of the different groups involved, especially the Awajún. This was done based on an initial field work in which the objectives of the SMAPL Project were presented and allowed us to obtain suggestions that were central to define the design and methodology of our work. In addition, the preliminary results were presented in several meetings aimed at gathering the impressions of our interlocutors, which will be included in the final report. From this, we expect to socialize the results with authorities of the health system to make visible the importance and potential of community organization to face epidemics and crises. Other formats for recording these experiences will also be developed to facilitate their access to more people in the communities involved and to promote local application of the results.