Press Releases

The ancient tribe of Cofane Indians in the Ecuadorean part of the Amazon Basin - virtually unknown until just 50 years ago - are to be helped by the water-aid charity Just a Drop and the Institute of Travel and Tourism. Part of £30, 835 raised by ITT over the past two years for the industry charity, is to be used to install a water pipe for the Amazonas Zabalo Village, where up to 500 Confanes are living in extremely primitive and impoverished conditions.

Capt. Jim Masters, Just a Drop's Project Manager is currently investigating the cost of the project which is due to begin in March 2007. He said:" We expect to have to lay a pipe for up to three kilometres to carry water to the Confan homes from a spring.

"But because of the sheer remoteness of the village, the project will not be easy to undertake. The pipes will have to be transported from Quito by truck and then by boat to Zabalo, a journey of approximately 500 miles."

"Very little is known about the Cofanes because there has never been an extensive study undertaken. However, they were first discovered by missionaries in 1955", said ITT Chairman, Steven Freudmann, who has confirmed that the Institute will be supporting Just a Drop for a third year.

"What we do know about the Cofanes is that they desperately need our help with the basic need of clean fresh water piped to their settlement.

" ITT is delighted to work with Just a Drop and to make a difference." Just a Drop President Col. John Blashford-Snell OBE, who is responsible for all the charity's project work, said how appreciative the Trustees were of ITT's goodwill and fund raising activities.

"The partnership between ITT and Just a Drop is a tremendous example of how the travel and tourism industry can change people's daily lives.

"Colonisation and the activities of petroleum companies and agro-industries have meant that the Cofan have had to search for new ways to adapt to their changing world. At least now, they will have clean uncontaminated water from next year."