An Adventure Into the Amazon Jungle to Spark Education

Sweat, Mud, and a Mission: Volunteering in the Peruvian Amazon

When Stefanie and I were invited to join a Be The Change Volunteers (BTCV) project in the Amazon, we didn’t hesitate. It was a chance to do something meaningful, with amazing people, in a place few ever get to experience firsthand. We didn’t sign up for comfort—we signed up for purpose.

What we didn’t expect was how deeply this experience would stay with us: hard manual work under a jungle sky, dolphins and drones, and a classroom that represents more than just four walls. It represents possibility and hope.

No Roads, Just Rivers

We flew from Redmond, Oregon to Los Angeles, then on to Lima and Iquitos Peru along the Amazon River for 5400 miles by air. From there, the only way forward was by small boat 140 km. No roads. Just the blackwaters of the Tahuayo River guiding us deeper into the Amazon jungle towards our basecamp location. I’d been to the Brazilian Amazon years ago, but this was different. The river here was darker, quieter, and more natural and remote. Rich in tannins, the Tahuayo has fewer mosquitos than other Amazon tributaries.

When we first arrived at our Tahuayo River Lodge basecamp, we had three full days to explore the jungle before the rest of our 22-person BTCV team arrived. Stefanie and I fished for piranha and pacu, swam in blackwater lagoons, hiked jungle trails, and ventured by boat into quiet forest channels. It was during this time that we came to better understand the spirit of the Amazon—not just its wildlife, but the rhythm of life here.

One of the resources that helped shape our understanding of this place was the book Diary of an Amazon Jungle Guide: Amazing Encounters with Tropical Nature and Culture by Paul Beaver. It was packed with firsthand stories and natural insights drawn from decades of guiding in this exact region—offering context, humor, and even a few survival tips that proved unexpectedly relevant.

Wildlife and Jungle Wonders

This region isn’t just remote—it’s biologically exploding. Over 600 species of birds and more than 1,000 species of fish inhabit the area. Our sightings included:

• Pink river dolphins swimming beside our boat. We also seen grey river dolphins which were less shy and more playful looking more like bottlenose dolphins to me than the prehistoric looking pink dolphins.
• Pacu, sábalo, and piranha which we fished and ate for dinner. The piranha were ferocious looking and hungry while the pacu had human like teeth to eat seeds, fruit, and also meat. The local striped catfish was nothing like US catfish that I was never a fan of, but was like a freshwater halibut and absolutely amazing.
• A sloth and hawk standoff—we hope the sloth escaped, but only the hawk was there when we passed the next day
• Blue and red macaws, wild and vocal
• A toucan, briefly landing in sight
• Two rare poison dart frog species
• Lots and lots of wild looking insects, some a little too big for comfort
• Snakes sunning on branches and one was proudly swimming with his head held high while swimming past our camp
• Hoatzin—prehistoric-looking turkey like, awkward birds that made us laugh every time
• Paradise tanager, a flying neon rainbow bird and so amazing to see in person
• Bats inside a large old log

We fell asleep to jungle sounds that felt more like a symphony than noise: with birds, monkeys including the howler monkeys, and insects all contributing to the song.

The Fruit of the Forest

Somewhere between all the hammering and hiking, there was the fruit. And wow—the fruit. I told Stefanie about Brazil’s bounty, but Peru had its own showstoppers:

• Granadilla: supersized passionfruit with sweet, pulpy insides
• Camu camu: sour, vitamin-C-packed berries growing riverside
• Guabana: guava-meets-banana magic
• Guaba: jungle ice cream in a pod
• Aguaje (Moriche palm nuts): eaten raw or blended into drinks
• Wild acai, the bonus was that the roots of the Acai tree were even better tasting and the same deep purple juice.
• Jungle tomatoes (possibly tomate de arbol): juiced or with meals and nothing like tomatoes I have ever known.
• Native tiny bananas & pineapples
• A large green citrus fruit that tasted like lemon and we made into lemonade to keep hydrated.
• Small yellow round fruit looking peppers named ají charapita, that were very spicy HOT!

2025 BTCV Peru Project in Esperanza

The project in Esperanza Peru, deep in the Amazon forest along the Tahuayo River bordering the Tamshiyacu Tahuayo Regional Conservation Area, marked a major milestone in BTCV’s mission to expand access to quality education. This effort has been years in the making. For over a decade, BTCV has worked closely with Paul and Dolly Beaver—founders of Angels of the Amazon and Amazonia Expeditions—to support education in remote parts of Peru. Thanks to Chuck Walls and Micki McCabe Walls of the McCabe Walls Family Foundation, this new classroom project began with Esperanza: a name that means “hope.” It’s a fitting symbol for what this school now represents in the region.


As our boat pulled up, we were met with drums, dances, and speeches. It was clear: this project meant everything to the local community. They had even helped build a school in a nearby village years ago, just hoping that someday it would be their turn.

Community Snapshot:

• Population: ~251 Ribereños (river people)
• School Enrollment: ~90 students from Esperanza and neighboring villages
• Healthcare Support: Angels of the Amazon Clinic serving 14+ nearby communities
  

Project Snapshot:

• A brand-new classroom constructed for the Esperanza Primary & Secondary School
• A library launched with over 200 books donated and cataloged
• Drone mapping and detailed measurements of the school campus
• Special education inclusion training through the BTCV-SPED workshop
• A bike repair program where 23 school bikes were restored by students and volunteers

This classroom wasn’t an isolated act of charity—it was a partnership. Years ago, Esperanza residents volunteered to help build the Chino school, laying the groundwork for their own selection as a BTCV project site. That spirit of shared effort was felt in every truss lifted, every bucket hauled.

The vision doesn’t stop here. This project laid the foundation for future phases: additional classrooms, expanded library services, and more educational resources. It was a powerful reminder that education drives generational change—especially when delivered hand-in-hand with the people it serves.

Esperanza’s new classroom means more than just a new space. In Peru, every new classroom qualifies a village for an additional teacher funded by the government. That means children won’t have to study outside or double up in makeshift rooms. It means a future.

The impact of education was already visible in the neighboring village of Chino, where BTCV had built a school years prior. You could see the ripple effects of one building: the energy, the infrastructure, even the economic stability. We knew Esperanza was next in line and we were proud to start the project.

Building with Our Hands

Each day started at 7:00 AM sharp. We’d boat to the village, gear up, and get to work. There were no power tools. No generators. Just saws, hammers, trowels, and teamwork. We built the concrete-pier foundation by hand, leveled it using water-filled tubes, framed walls, and mixed concrete in buckets.

One of the most humbling moments came when we were completely exhausted—rained on, muddy, worn out, and scraping the bottom of our energy tanks. That’s when the local community stepped in to finish the job. Their pride and resilience reminded us why we were there.
I can honestly say, I have not physically worked this hard in many years, but it was well worth it.

What the People Taught Us

The residents of Esperanza were proud, kind, and quietly powerful. Many had previously traveled upriver to help build a school in the neighboring village of Chino—before they even knew if they’d ever get one themselves.

Now it was their turn. That means no more students crammed into the lunchroom or learning outdoors. That’s transformational.

BTCV isn’t just building walls—they’re building leverage for these communities. Education opens doors. This classroom could change lives for generations.

Back to the Basics

I’ve spent years in tech, design, and construction—often on the digital side. This trip brought me back to the basics. Working with your hands. Using intuition and patience. Solving problems with simple tools and shared purpose.

I brought a drone and mobile scanner to help with planning future classroom phases. But this wasn’t about technology. It was about trust, teamwork, and showing up every day, rain or shine.

Stefanie’s Unexpected Turn

Stefanie had never been to South America. This was her first jungle, her first encounter with spiders the size of coffee cups—and her first set of stitches in her head.

On the first day of the project,  we were preparing for a quick drone mapping flight to map the school site when a heavy piece of local hardwood fell, hitting her in the head and me in the chest. She bled badly, and fast. But thanks to the on-site nurse, funded by Angels of the Amazon, she was stitched up and back to work the next morning. That’s Stefanie for you – she is tenacious, determined, and tougher than nails and tropical hardwood.

Would I Recommend It? Absolutely.

If you get the chance to join a BTCV trip—go. You don’t have to be a builder. You just need a good attitude and a willingness to help.

BTCV is a small nonprofit that’s accomplished big things: 83 projects and counting, with the 84th underway in Malawi. Their model works because it’s rooted in humility and shared effort. You build with the community, not for them.

Final Thoughts

We came to build a classroom. We left with a new understanding of service, grit, and what it means to build something that truly lasts. And if you ever find yourself in the Peruvian Amazon, don’t skip the granadilla.

Hand Delivered Hope accomplished!

Books:

• Diary of an Amazon Jungle Guide: Amazing Encounters with Tropical Nature and Culture. Expanded and Revised Edition by Paul Beaver
• Hand Delivered Hope by Jimi Cook, Cristi Cook, Grant Venable