A year of growth, healing and joy: Anne’s birthday fundraiser

“I have been running this project since about 1995… we identified the needs of the community in order to preserve their rainforest, and those needs are health, education and opportunity.” – Anne

It was Anne’s birthday on the auspicious date of 1st August! We’ve had a wonderful year here at Ixcanaan – made possible, as always, by our incredible local staff, international volunteers, and absolute army of wonderful supporters from across the world.

Of course, there will always now be a hole at the centre of Ixcanaan for many: Anne’s beloved husband and Ixcanaan co-founder, Dr. Enrique Fernando Chapetón Ramirez, left us late last year. Anne’s eulogy for her dear husband is here, if you’d like to read it.

In honour of Anne’s birthday, we’re pausing to reflect on the vibrant, heartfelt year we’ve shared at Project Ixcanaan.

This past year has been full of life and transformation. With the help of volunteers, visiting doctors, generous donors and the steady love of our local community, we’ve continued to build El Remate’s spaces for learning, healing and community.

We welcomed powerful moments of wellness and growth: a beautiful workshop focused on emotions, followed by a yoga and meditation session in the jungle.

Our clinic hosted hands-on first aid training, along with generous visits from gynecologists, dentists and ophthalmologists.

Medical professionals from the University of Joyce also joined us, bringing valuable care and connection.

There was no shortage of joy either. Our St. Valentine’s, Summer and Easter parties were alive with color and laughter. The children danced, played and gathered in the spirit of celebration.

We also opened conversations around environmental care through a creative workshop, where the children designed handmade signs to place throughout the village. It was a simple act, but one that planted seeds of awareness.

In the classroom, our computer classes continue to equip young minds with essential skills.

And, thanks to a generous donation, we were able to renovate our community space by installing windows. That one change has brought more light, more comfort and more safety to all who gather here.

As Anne celebrates another year, she does so not by asking for gifts, but by continuing to give – to this place, to its people, to the vision she’s held for decades.

There’s a great variety of ways to donate to Anne’s birthday fundraiser (something for everyone!) – you can find all the info you need on the Ixcanaan Donations page.

Your support helps sustain the work of Ixcanaan. Every gift matters and every act of generosity helps keep this dream alive.

With love from the jungle,
Project Ixcanaan