Deep in the Peruvian Amazon, families from three Indigenous villages took part in a small experiment that has caught attention around the world. For two years, adults received a modest, steady income with no strings attached. This week, researchers shared what happened next. The answer is a story about full plates, kids in school and a forest being cared for by the people who know it best.
Who Took Part
The pilot involved 211 people in three Indigenous communities in the Peruvian Amazon. Down To Earth reports that the villages are home to Asháninka and Yanesha people, and that the trial began in November 2023.
It was run by the climate charity Cool Earth together with two Indigenous organizations led by women, ONAMIAP and OMIAASEC. Researchers from the University of Bath in England studied the results. In an announcement on October 20, 2026, the university called it the first project to give Amazonian Indigenous people a basic income.
Each adult received the equivalent of about £2 a day, to spend however they chose. Alongside the money, communities were offered training they helped shape, on topics like managing money, Indigenous rights, local leadership and caring for the environment.
Fuller Tables and Fewer Goodbyes
The biggest changes showed up at the family table. According to the University of Bath, the share of households that could not afford nutritious food fell from 73 percent to 26 percent. The share of people skipping meals fell from 49 percent to 22 percent.
Before the pilot, many parents had to leave home for hard, uncertain work far away. The share of participants forced to do that dropped from 43 percent to 18 percent. That means more mothers and fathers stayed home, closer to their children.
Families also began to plan ahead. Households able to save money rose from 49 percent to 70 percent. Down To Earth reports that many families improved their homes: about 55 percent fixed roofs, about half improved piped water, and about a third added solar panels.
Dreams of School
One of the most touching results is about education. The researchers say more than three in four participants helped pay for a family member’s schooling, covering costs like secondary school, transport and even university tuition. For many, it was the first time higher education felt possible.
The university also reports that people’s own ratings of their well-being more than doubled during the study.
Caring for the Forest
The Amazon is often in the news because of cutting and burning. Here, the families chose another path. Close to 90 percent adopted practices that help the environment. Down To Earth reports that 87 percent took part in group projects such as replanting native cedar, mahogany and bamboo, protecting water springs and reducing forest burning. About 85 percent said the project made local leadership and community bonds stronger.
Cool Earth plans to keep the program going and hopes to bring it to more communities in Peru and in Colombia later in 2026.
An Honest Note
The researchers are careful not to overstate their results. The study was small, it covered a fairly short period, and it did not include a comparison group. They say more research is needed to understand long-term effects and whether the idea can work at a larger scale. Questions about how best to help families out of poverty are debated in many countries, and thoughtful people see them differently. This is simply one careful look at what happened in three villages.
What We Can Learn
Whatever we think about the policy questions, there is something beautiful here. When these families were given a little room to breathe, many used it to feed their children, keep their families together, send young people to school and care for the land around them.
It reminds us that people everywhere carry the same hopes we do. A parent in the rainforest wants what a parent in Ohio or Lagos wants: food on the table, a safe home and a brighter future for the next generation. And the forests they tend are part of a world that belongs to God.
The earth is the LORD’S, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.
Psalm 24:1 (KJV)
Through every storm, we rise together, wherever in the world we call home.
What does this story teach you about caring for your own family and community? Share in the comments below.
Sources: University of Bath, “World-first basic income trial boosts Indigenous livelihoods and Amazon rainforest protection” (October 20, 2026); Down To Earth, “How £2 a day is helping Indigenous communities protect Peru’s Amazon rainforest” (October 21, 2026); Positive News, “What went right this week” (October 23, 2026); King James Bible, “Psalm 24:1”.
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