Cultural Centre - Kamarata (CCK)
The Cultural Centre Kamarata (CCK) is now open and fully operational — a solar-powered, Starlink-connected community hub in the heart of Kamarata Valley, governed by the Pemón community itself through its own elected board of directors.
23+ Pemón students university remote access | 2026 Museum opened first live exposition | 100% Solar powered Starlink connected | 1 Community-governed Pemón board of directors |
Built in a large space granted by the local Mission in Kamarata Valley, the CCK is a U-shaped building equipped with:
- Solar panels providing off-grid power
- Individual student workstations with donated laptops
- Starlink satellite internet — connecting one of Venezuela’s most remote UNESCO World Heritage communities to the world
The Centre is governed by a board of directors drawn entirely from the Pemón community, making it genuinely self-determining and independent.
CCK Museum
The CCK Museum is a stand-alone churuata opened in late 2025 with its first live exposition , bringing together:
- Pemón artefacts and traditional objects
- Cultural materials including items donated by the Jimmie Angel Historical Project (JAHP) of California
- The radio used by Jimmie Angel in 1937 is on permanent display at the museum
- A framed print of Jimmie Angel’s iconic aircraft will form part of the permanent display, alongside materials documenting the history of exploration in Kamarata Valley
- A list of Capitáns who have served the community over the years, including the late Alejandro Calcaño, Capitán General of the Pemón and the first Pemón to be recognized as a representative of his group by the government of Venezuela during the command of General Lopez Contreras. Calcaño was taken out of Kamarata Valley when he was thirteen years old and educated by an ex-army General of Venezuela. When he returned to his native land as an adult, he quickly realized that he was the only Pemón who was able to communicate with the outside world. He educated his people with a basic objective: to prepare them for the upcoming entrance of the outside civilization, making sure that they would keep their traditions and culture as strong as possible. His teachings were never written and they are almost disappearing
- Historical photographs of the valley, its people and incredible black and white photos of early explorers such as Ruth Robertson. Ruth was the first woman to reach Angel Falls by river – she photographed and measured the height of Angel Falls.
The Centre is governed by a board of directors drawn entirely from the Pemón community, making it genuinely self-determining and independent.
Video: Marianela Camacho. CCK Museum’s inauguration, featuring members of the Sinfónica Coral Kanaimö (Canaima).,
Infocentre
Recently 23 Pemón students accessed university education remotely through the CCK’s Starlink-connected Infocentre – something unthinkable a decade ago. As the facility is updated with more usable laptops more will enjoy this opportunity.
The solar powered digital workspace has opened an entirely new horizon for Kamarata’s youth: the ability to pursue higher education without leaving their community or abandoning their culture. For a community in one of Venezuela’s most isolated regions – accessible only by light aircraft or days travel on foot – this is not a small thing. It is transformative.
Permanent Exhibition
Using a donation from the Universitat Rovira y Virgil in Spain, a permanent exhibition is presently being assembled / mounted in the museum consisting of historical presentations of local and foreign figures who were an integral part of the Pemón’s past, such as Ruth Robertson and Jimmie Angel.
The museum gives the community – especially its youth, a permanent, accessible record of their own ancestry and identity, inside their own community, on their own terms. Of course, it offers a great resource for visitors from other communities and tourists alike.
Elder Interview Screenings
The infocentre serves as a repository for many things, such as documents, books, videos etc. and is home to our Cultural Identity Program, which we will mention separately in due course.
The CCK serves as the screening venue for the Pemón Elder Interview Series – videos filmed by Isabel Barton, with Hortensia Berti conducting all interviews in the Pemón language. These recordings document spiritual ritual songs, chants, oral history, land boundaries, sacred knowledge, and historical events that exist nowhere else in written or recorded form. Communities across Kamarata Valley are actively requesting screenings. Several of the elders have since passed away. These recordings are now irreplaceable – the only surviving record of their voices and knowledge.
Current Needs
Immediate funding priorities:
- Lithium battery replacement for the solar system: ~$10,000–15,000
- Laptop screen repairs (4 units): ~$1,000
- New laptops (4-6 units): ~$3-$4,000
- Exhibition plotters and transport of materials: ~$250–300
- Pumps to bring fresh water to the bathrooms/toilets at the centre: ~tbd
- Roofing materials needed to fix some holes: ~tbd
- Travel expenses for our team of experts / board members to facilitate programs and offer expertise in all aspects. ~$3-$4,000
- Shipping expenses. Due to the remote location shipping by plane is the only way to bring in materials and supplies. Help is always needed with this regard despite us having access to heavily discounted shipping. ~$1,500 p.a
The CCK has previously secured funding from PNUD’s small development grants program (a UN program based in Caracas) and two significant donations from the Wimpfheimer Foundation, as well as a GoFundMe campaign on Facebook. However, most recently it currently operates almost extensively through the personal funding of its founder. External grants are urgently needed to sustain and expand its operations.
~Visit our Get Involved page to support the CCK~
