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Walkers are acquired
WAKE helps secure mobility walkers that can be sent to elders who need them.
Walkers for Amazonian Kichwa Elders!
Supporting Amazonian Kichwa elders with safe, reliable mobility.
WAKE provides walkers and practical support to elders in Ecuador's Amazonian Kichwa communities, helping them move safely and maintain independence within their daily lives. In doing so we also preserve indigenous Kichwa ways of speaking which can be forgotten by younger speakers.
Prevent a Fall. Protect an Elder.
A simple walker prevents life-threatening falls and provides immediate safety. Choose an amount to send vital mobility support today.
Our Mission
Supporting mobility, dignity, and everyday life
WAKE exists to help elders in Amazonian Kichwa communities receive mobility walkers that make daily movement safer, easier, and more independent.
In remote communities, mobility support is not always easy to access. A walker may seem simple, but it can make an enormous difference in a person’s daily life.
WAKE helps connect donors and supporters to this practical need through focused, respectful, and direct support.
From the Founders: WAKE was born from a deep, 30-year bond with the Kichwa people. While Dr. Janis Nuckolls spent decades in the Amazon preserving their endangered language, her husband, Steve Zuckerman, noticed an urgent physical need: elders losing their mobility to harsh terrain and age. Combining Janis’s lifelong relationships with Steve’s strategic drive, they founded WAKE to deliver safety and dignity directly to the heart of the rain forest. Read our story.
How WAKE Helps
A simple process with direct impact
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They are transported
Support helps cover the shipping and transport required to get walkers to Ecuador.
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Elders receive support
The walkers are distributed to Amazonian Kichwa elders, improving movement, safety, and independence in daily life.
Why This Matters
Grounded in relationships, respect, and practical help
This work is not about “rescuing.” It is about offering practical support in a respectful way that helps elders move through daily life with greater safety and dignity.
As the site grows, WAKE will share more stories, updates, and photos that reflect the people and communities at the center of the mission.
Small acts of practical support can have a lasting impact on everyday life.
Support the Mission
Help fund walkers, shipping, and distribution
Your support helps WAKE purchase mobility walkers, transport them to Ecuador, and help ensure they reach elders who need them most.
Direct donation details will appear here as the organization finalizes its Venmo setup.
Transparency
Where donations go
Walkers
Donations help fund the purchase or acquisition of mobility walkers for elders.
Transportation
Support helps cover shipping, transport, and logistics needed to get walkers to Ecuador.
Distribution
Funds support the practical work required to help ensure walkers reach the people who need them.
Help an elder walk with greater independence
Support a small nonprofit working to make a direct and meaningful difference.