Filomena Rosero

48 years old, Filomena is an outspoken indigenous Awá elder in the community around El Baboso. She has four daughters, the youngest which is 18. When her girls were still young, she had to leave her native lands for Quito, because there was no school in the community, but also because her husband had a medical emergency and was hospitalized for twelve months. Her children are studying at university and live away from her now, but her nest is not empty. She is caring for family from Colombian Awá territory who are fleeing violence from FARC. She has witnessed decades of destruction from palm oil plantations and illegal mining, and is deeply committed to defending her community. Filomena is deeply poetic and outspoken, and harshly realistic about the future of her people.