“The jungle taught me to love the simple things”: Darwin Barbosa

By: Juan Carlos Monzón – Journalist, Communications Advisory Office

His story with this inhospitable region is linked to a twist of fate. “I lost my job and a friend told me there was a vacancy at the SENA regional office in Amazonas. I applied and got the job. That was in 2018.”.

This is how this animal scientist, who shares the surname of one of the great 19th-century explorers, Charles Darwin, began his work. Like the British naturalist, he felt a curiosity to learn about the world. “When I arrived in Leticia to work, my boss immediately told me: ”You’re going to be doing supplementary training with smaller species—meaning fish and chickens—with the Ticuna, Cocama, and Yagua tribes.’”.

Thus, dressed as an explorer, he began to travel through the different districts of the department on foot and by canoe, enduring 90% humidity and a temperature of 35 degrees Celsius, without a cell phone, much less internet—conditions not unlike those described by José Eustasio Rivera in La Vorágine back in 1924. “With my rubber boots to avoid snake bites, my mosquito net, my tent, my mat and pillow, I began my journey upriver, staying with different tribes for several days, teaching them about raising laying hens, broiler chickens, and fish. I've been doing this for three years, and it's been an incredible experience.”.

Pronto, en su nuevo trabajo, las comunidades empezaron a darle lecciones de vida a un citadino que creía que lo sabía todo por venir dizque de la “civilización”. “Cada vez que iba a una capacitación, cuando estaba por montarme en la piragua de regreso siempre se me acercaba uno de los líderes de la tribu y me decía: ´profe llévese este casabe´.

Esa gente es muy agradecida, carecen de avaricia y por ese tipo de detalles aprendí a amar lo simple. Es que la cosmovisión que tienen es muy diferente a la nuestra. Hasta le enseñan a uno a trabajar en equipo cuando por ejemplo hacen esas mingas en donde todos ayudan a otro para limpiar su chacra para el cultivo. Esas son lecciones de vida que me llevo en el corazón para siempre”, comenta.

But their learning doesn't end there; the conservation of ecosystems is another lesson the indigenous people have taught them on each visit. “They live in harmony with the environment. They go out, hunt agoutis or fish for piranhas or other species only for their own consumption, unlike others who only think about destroying everything until they wipe out vast areas of rainforest.”.

Finally, he reminisces about his university and expresses gratitude for everything he has achieved, both professionally and personally. “The knowledge I gained from my studies in livestock management has been invaluable in each of the communities I've worked in. The topics of costs, production, and marketing have also been invaluable,” he states proudly. This man, the son of a construction foreman and a homemaker, found in the jungle a university of life that constantly teaches him the importance of traveling light of spirit.

At the University of Cundinamarca, we continue to strengthen our relationship with our graduates. If you would like to share your entrepreneurial or professional growth story and inspire others, please write to us at the following email address: [email protected]

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