Janeth Guanulema Amazon Rainforest

Janeth Guanulema, born on March 13, 2025, in the province of Sucumbíos, Ecuador, is an influential environmental activist and a staunch defender of indigenous rights. She hails from the A'i Kofan indigenous community, a group with around 1,500 members that is currently facing the grave threat of extinction due to deforestation, illegal mining, and oil exploitation in their ancestral territory. Janeth comes from a humble and vulnerable background, experiencing firsthand the challenges faced by marginalized communities, which shaped her unwavering commitment to defending her people, their land, and their culture.

Throughout her life, Janeth has witnessed the profound struggles of visionary leaders like Albeiro Mendua, a prominent leader within her community. Mendua has been instrumental in resisting the exploitation of Kofan lands following the tragic loss of his family. The courage and perseverance of such leaders have deeply inspired Janeth, and the untimely deaths of many of these environmental defenders, caused by violent actions from extractive industries, have only intensified her resolve to continue their work. These personal sacrifices have fortified her determination to protect her people's legacy and the ancestral territory they have inhabited for centuries.

In addition to her activism, Janeth is the founder of the Children of the Forest Foundation, an organization devoted to environmental conservation, reforestation, and the empowerment of indigenous communities. Through the foundation, she has championed efforts to protect the Amazon rainforest and promote sustainable economic alternatives for indigenous communities, including ecotourism, women’s training programs, bio-enterprises, and ecological conservation projects. Janeth’s work has also inspired and engaged younger generations to value both environmental stewardship and indigenous traditions, ensuring the continuity of her people’s culture.

Janeth has also leveraged the power of media to amplify her cause. As a featured activist in the documentary Green SuperHeroes 2030, she became a key voice in the global movement of young people fighting against climate change. This documentary showcases her commitment to raising awareness about the environmental challenges facing the Amazon, underscoring its importance not just as a natural resource but also as a critical space for the survival of indigenous peoples. Through such platforms, Janeth has worked to elevate the global understanding of the Amazon’s significance, linking the survival of both the forest and indigenous cultures.

In pursuit of her professional and educational goals, Janeth is currently studying software development at an institute. She envisions harnessing the potential of technology to better monitor and protect indigenous territories, and to empower her community through digital tools. By using innovative methods in territorial control and environmental protection, Janeth hopes to amplify her community’s voice on the global stage, furthering the cause of indigenous rights and environmental justice.

Looking toward the future, Janeth seeks to strengthen international partnerships in the battle for the Amazon's conservation. She aims to collaborate with governments and global organizations to protect both ecosystems and indigenous cultures, advocating for the legal recognition of nature’s rights—not just in Ecuador but globally. Her long-term vision includes transforming the traditional development model to enable indigenous communities to achieve sustainable economic development that respects both the environment and their ancestral ways of life.