Crosscall Give Amazon & Mongolia Natives Instagram

How did you find Botei and Kuja?

We met Botei and Kuja after months of research having contacted different communities across the entire world. Contact was possible because they are communities that live deep in nature, but that also have contact with the outside world via associations and foundations.

Did they really take the photos?

Yes, Botei and Kuja are part of communities that are already in contact with technology. There are already smartphones present where they are. Their children are particularly used to using different electronic devices. On top of this, taking photos with the Crosscall is very easy. 

Who posts on Instagram? What internet access do they have?

Kuja and Botei posts the photos on Instagram. However they don’t always have an internet connection where they live. This is why they regularly go to the nearest village where there is an internet connection in order to upload photos and send emails, etc.

Because they haven’t really mastered Instagram, they post the photos, which our team then adds the hashtags to, manages the comments and writes the English translations. 

Were Kuja and Botei paid?

We met Kuja via the Foundation Mente. Kuja was not paid directly. We participated in the foundation by making a donation to their eco guide project. This is a project that aims to train Achuar people to become guides so that they can share their knowledge with the rest of the world.

We gave a symbolic sum of money to Botei and his family, which will allow them to rent a house during the most extreme months of the year. Already the family spend a few months a year in a house when the weather is at its most extreme. Thanks to our contribution, they can now rent this house for a couple of winter seasons.

What will happen to the accounts in a month? A year?

The two accounts will be active for a year, with new photos posted regularly by our heroes. Afterwards, we will stay in contact with Botei and Kuja, and suggest to them the possibility that they and their communities continue to keep the accounts active so that we can continue learning about their worlds.