S U M M E R 2 0 1 4

Runa Foundation
Intern Newsletter
Whats Inside?
MEET THE INTERNS

GREETINGS FROM PERU

CHANNING TATUM

EMERGING MARKETS

GENETICS PROJECT

NEW DIRECTIONS

PAST INTERNS


What Have the Runa Interns
Been Up To?
Out interns have successfully kicked off another productive
summer, and are keeping busy with projects in both Ecuador and
Peru. The interns have come to South America from all around the
world to gain work experience, learn about a strong and unique
culture, and contribute to the Runa Foundations work. Our
individual interests range include sustainable development,
environmental science and education, public health, international
and cultural relations.
The goal of Runa Foundations newsletter is to keep all of
you Runawas updated and informed about Runa Foundations
current plans and projects. We hope you enjoy hearing about our
adventures and encourage you to share your own stories and
projects for future newsletters.
Remember that the work we do at Runa Foundation is
largely supported by your generous donations. Please visit the link
below to see how you can help further Runa Foundations work.
Donate Now!


2
SUMMER 2014
Meet our Summer 2014 Interns!



Hola! My name is Julia Kehoe, and Im a rising senior at the
University of Michigan. I study Environmental Sciences and
Organizational Studies, learning about the myriad of ways
organizations shape and affect our natural environment. While
in Ecuador, I will take advantage of the opportunity to study
this through an international lens, in addition to studying the
relationship between forest health and water quality. I couldnt
be more excited to get to know Ecuador and its people.

Hi. My name is Hanying Wang, but I go by Tina. I am a rising
senior from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. I am
currently majoring in Chemistry and Mathematics. I am here for
the water access and sanitation public health project.
Hola! My name is Zoe Lewis and Im a senior at Indiana
University studying International Studies and Public
Affairs. This summer Im working with Runa on the
water/public health project. Im enjoying learning about
the Kichwa culture and exploring Ecuador in the short time
I have here!
Hi! I'm Eunhae Lee and I'm with Runa for the summer to
work on the water/public health project in the Kichwa
communities surrounding Archidona. I'm from Seoul, South
Korea and I am studying Anthropology and International
Studies at Bryn Mawr College near Philadelphia. I consider
Ecuador my third home and I love working here, getting to
know the people, learning about the culture, and
experiencing so many new things all the time!


3
SUMMER 2014


Hello, I'm Anthony Treas and I attend Oregon State
University. The focus during my internship is
determining environmental issues impacting
community health and to develop culturally sensitive
health promotion information. I will be attending
graduate school at Oregon State for an MPH in
International Health in the fall 2014.

I'm Tim Moser. I'm from North Carolina and study Sociology
and International Studies at Western Carolina University. As an
intern with Runa, I get to learn about the technical operations of
a Fair Trade organization and how it invests in community
development. Participating in development projects and meeting
the amazing people involved on all sides of the projects is a
unique and exciting opportunity.
Home Sweet Home

This June, the interns moved from Tena to
Archidona. The new house is closer to the
Runa office, and fits a few more interns very
comfortably. We are in the process of making
it our home!
My name is Sarah Dugan, and I'm a public health intern with the
Runa Foundation this summer. I study Biology and Global
Development at the University of Virginia, but am originally from
Illinois. I've learned so much during the time I've spent in Ecuador
so far, and I'm looking forward to experiencing more!


4
SUMMER 2014
2
identify surrounding health workers for key
informant interviews to further the understanding
of health-seeking behaviors of local people.
Ana and Lena arrived a couple weeks
earlier than the rest of us and have been working
hard to design a household and livelihood survey
in partnership with a local farmers cooperative,
Oro Verde, to acquire baseline data to measure the
impact of guayusa cultivation in the six different
communities where Runa is starting pilot projects.
Lena will also be looking more closely at the
agricultural practices in the community and
learning more about value chains, markets, and
other cooperatives.
Besides assisting in the vivero, our
ethnobotany intern, Laura, has been researching
the many plants of the area and how the
community uses them for medicinal purposes. She
will be establishing connections across the region
with other practicing curanderos and traditional
healers to benefit the research and application of
medicinal plants at Rios Nete.
So far it has been an exciting and
interesting experience. In the next few weeks we
will be conducting participatory research within
the community to engage them in the Rios Nete
development process. We look forward to the rest
of our time here with the community of Huapo,
pursuing our projects and studies, and learning
more every day!


1
We are the summer interns working on the
Runa Foundations newest project, Rios Nete, a
healing center devoted to the research and
implementation of traditional Amazonian
medicine. We have been in Huapo for several
weeks now, a small community in the high jungle
outside of Tarapoto. It is a quiet little village with
just one small store run by a lovely woman named
Dona Emelia. We have a wonderful backyard
space with coconut and lemon trees and an
outdoor kitchen. We have all greatly enjoyed
getting to know the community, joining them for
traditional meals, visiting their chakras (small
forest gardens) to learn more about the plants and
agricultural practices, and attending fiestas for
various patron saints in nearby towns.
From our house it is a half hour walk in
rubber boots through the rolling hills of jungle
vegetation and across a small stream to arrive at
the land where the Rios Nete facilities will be
built. Right now it is just a small clearing
overlooking the beautiful mountain valley, but the
medicinal plant garden is already established and
growing larger each day.
We are working on a variety of projects
individually as well as collectively. Abby is
conducting household interviews in Huapo to
assess health needs and behaviors regarding both
traditional and modern medicine for the future
health services. She is also working with Emma to
Greetings from Peru


5
SUMMER 2014
A Special Visitor
By Marcela Morales

This last May, Runa Foundation had a very
exciting visit from one of its biggest fans and
investors - Channing Tatum! Channing Tatum
came to the Amazonian region in Ecuador to find
out more about the Runa tea that he drinks when
working late into the night. As he claims on the
Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, the tea gives
him, "the energy of the gods." He was eager to
learn about guayusa, what it takes to grow the tea
leaf, and what it means to the indigenous
community and culture. Channing Tatum was not
shy in getting to know the Runa staff and was very
excited to partake in several activities that allowed
him to understand Runa as an organization much
better, such as attending a guayusa ceremony and
even eating a grub!

In addition to his visit with us, Channing Tatum
back-flipped into a river from a bridge right here
in the Amazon! Mr. Tatum is not only very
adventurous, but as the staff at Runa claims, he is
a humble and down-to-earth man who continues to
spread the gospel of guayusa wherever he goes.


Emerging Markets
By Julia Kehoe

This past April, Runa accomplished an exciting expansion of
the guayusa market. As a hopeful gateway into Europe, Runa
has now sent its first shipments to Germany. Additionally, the
naturally high-in-caffeine and antioxidant-rich products have
entered the Canadian distribution channels, while the American
market spans over 6000 stores, most recently including Whole
Foods and Costco. With over 2,000 local Ecuadorian farmers
providing the guayusa to fuel these markets, there is room for
continued expansion. While this entry into Germany marks an
exciting development for the company, the next step will be to
expand the national markets within Ecuador.

As of late April, Runa is being sold in the Supermaxis and
Megamaxis throughout Ecuador. Spread the word and stock up!


6
SUMMER 2014























Genetics Study Results
By Sarah Dugan

The Runa Foundation has just received the results from a two-year study on the genetic diversity of
guayusa. Conducted by the Universidad San Francisco de Quito, the survey analyzed samples of guayusa
from six different provinces throughout Ecuador in order to determine the extent to which the various
populations are related.

The study ultimately found that there are two main groups of Ilex guayusa: one that consists of plants in
northern provinces and the other in southern provinces. This suggests the existence of two ancestral lines.
However, despite the genetic differences that exist among guayusa plants in various provinces, the
diversity present is still much lower in comparison to similar species. The study speculates that many
generations of human cultivation have caused Ilex guayusa to lose its ability for sexual reproduction,
which is a possible cause of the reduced genetic diversity.

This knowledge is very important to Runa when determining the best method of planting guayusa. In
response to this information, Runa has recommended that guayusa be planted within mixed chakra
systems at 4m x 4m. This will provide protection against plagues, funguses or insects that could threaten
to destroy genetically similar plants. This is the first study of its kind, but further studies are anticipated in
order to gain a deeper understanding of guayusas evolutionary history and its relation to similar species.
New Directions
By Marcela Morales
Runa Foundation has recently received a grant from The MacArthur
Foundation of over $300,000 to carry out a reforestation and
conservation project. The MacArthur Project focuses on the
disconnect between the management of working landscapes and
conservation in the Upper Napo watershed, as conservation here is
a practice that many believe implies little management and thus, little
attention. Ecuador is currently experiencing rapid national growth in
areas such as infrastructure, education, and the national budget,
leading to innovative and large visions of productivity, specifically in
the Amazon region. This time of expansion demonstrates a clear
need to promote communal forest management.

The MacArthur Project will tackle its vision of conservation by using
four initiative methods:
Develop integrated management plans
Formulate communal land titles and tenure
Strengthen agricultural and forestry cooperatives
Actively engage with policy makers and stakeholders to
create long-lasting impacts on sustainable ecosystem management in
the region

The MacArthur Project revolves around the goal of reducing current
rates of biodiversity degradation and natural habitat loss, while also
sustaining the ecosystem services that support human well-being. The Runa Foundation will work under this
grants aid to create new value for tropical forests and ensure that this value brings tangible benefit to local
peoples and their environment.




7
SUMMER 2014

















Past Interns
Our interns go on to lead exciting lives and we
love keeping up with them!
Sarah Kathryn Elderedge
I was a Peace Corps Volunteer that volunteered with
Runa. My favorite memory was the big company fiesta
in the Spring of 2011 when we all went to the river and
had a cookout, played volleyball, and enjoyed a gift
exchange. On the way back to the cars, no one had a
flashlight and we came across two scary 'duendes' on
the trail that were making noises at us. Little did we
know, it was just Pedro and Silverio trying to scare us!
It worked. I left Runa and Ecuador in April 2011. In
the time since, I have received my Masters in
Accounting, traveled to Costa Rica, visited Ecuador
again, hiked the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, and
traveled to Aruba and Honduras. After getting my
Masters in 2012, I moved to
Washington, DC. I am
currently a Senior Auditor
with Tate & Tryon, a
boutique firm that
specializes in auditing not-
for-profits. I just bought a
condo here, so I plan on
sticking around a while.
Sarah Hundt
Since my internship with
Runa, I've gone on some fun
trips to Mexico City and the
region of Burgundy in
France. I also moved out west
to California for work and am
happy to say I've seen a good
deal of Runa out here. Really
happy to see Runa
expanding! My photo is with
local Ecuadorian member of
the Runa team at the time,
Ernesto Huatatoca. We took
this photo after spending time
together doing community
development assessments.
That's a wreath of guayusa
around my neck--fun times!
Allie Miller
I volunteered with Runa in August and September
of 2013. I will be entering grad school as a Masters
Candidate for Industrial Design at Georgia Tech
this fall. In the meantime, I have been volunteering
with The Biomimicry Institute, researching how
biomechanical structures and phenomena can
inspire human design.



Anna Kottkamp
Right now I am in Bolivia for the summer studying
inclusive business in La Paz for my thesis! I'm living
with a host family, conducting interviews, traveling; it
is all really great!!
Sunny Chao
Since last summer I graduated from college
and spent a few months hanging out and
traveling around the US. Funny enough,
interning in the Amazon jungle helped me land
a job with Amazon.com, and I've been with the
company for almost two months. I've gotten to
travel a lot for work, and I'm relocating from
Alabama to New Jersey in a few weeks, so it's
been a pretty exciting adventure!
Chris Jarrett
I was an intern with Runa in the summer of 2010. As
some of the Runa folks know, I am now in a doctoral
program in Environmental Anthropology at the
University of Texas at San Antonio, and I continue
to work on research related to Runa programs and
projects as part of my broader interests in indigenous
politics and rural development and environmental
conservation strategies in Napo, Ecuador. I
completed tri- and bi-lingual versions of a book
about guayusa traditions among Kichwa people in
2011-2012 and 2013 and also collaborated on a
recent paper with Eliot and Juan Dueas about the
ethnobotany of guayusa, which we hope to submit to
be published soon. Last summer, I did pilot research
for my future dissertation fieldwork, which involved
conducting interviews with guayusa producers and
Kichwa community members and leaders, as well as
some Runa tecnicos, and I closely follow the
development of this unique company and
foundation.
Emily Pinnes
Last summer (the summer after I worked for Runa), I
interned in Jodhpur, India, at Aastha Credit Co-
Operative doing microfinance. Projects included
creating a comprehensive company profile
demonstrating financial impact, social impact, and best
practices of Aastha, establishing capability for
potential investors to obtain licenses for large loan
disbursement, contributing to the application for
financing from the National Bank of Agriculture and
Rural Development, and zconnecting Aastha with
Pakistani refugees to introduce them to financial
services and Self-Help Group methodology.
Jordan Thomas
Of all the things I have done since working with
Runa, the most exciting was probably taking a
semester to study abroad in Queensland,
Australia. There, I studied rainforest and reef
ecology in field-based classes. While learning
about the Wet Tropics of Oz, it was very helpful
for me to reflect on the phenomena I had noticed
while in the Ecuadorian rainforest. One of the
most noticeable (and fortunate) differences was
how less humid it was in Australia. I am back in
the states now, currently working for an
environmental advocacy group in NYC as a
summer research fellow. It's nothing as exciting
as living in the entry point to the Ecuadorian
Amazon, but like my summer with Runa, it is
another step towards becoming a better advocate
for marginalized populations and the
environment.
Amanda Hartt
Thanks to my trip to Ecuador and interest in
how products are made, mostly from the
sourcing standpoint, plus my food policy
degree and retail experience, I got a job at a
market research and consulting firm for the
natural, organic and specialty product industry
based in Chicago. They consult retailers and
manufacturers, so putting in the hard work at
the retail level really helped out as they want
people with experience working in that
capacity to better appreciate the complexity of
moving products. I'll be developing a division
of the company to be more public and involved
with food system issues, keeping them abreast
of government policies impacting product
development as well as hot topic trends from
environmental issues to nutritional health.


9

Gracias!
If you have any questions about Runa Foundations
work, or would possibly like to contribute your
own stories, please feel free to contact us at
[email protected]

Donate Now!
SUMMER 2014