Lucy Alvarado Depicota

Lucy’s Shipibo name is Bawa Beka, meaning “the wise woman.” Born in the community of Kanan de Chiati Pishca, she is a mother of two sons and three daughters, and a grandmother to eight. Her eldest son is 35, and she serves as his maestra, guiding and supporting his path as he learns to work with medicine.

From an early age, Lucy was deeply inspired by her uncle, a respected curandero who welcomed people from faraway communities for healing. Watching the way he cared for his patients, both as a person and as a doctor, left a lasting impression on her. She was especially moved by the healings she witnessed and felt called to learn how to help her own friends and family in the same way.

At 25, she made the decision to begin dieting and learning from the plants alongside her uncle. Among her most important plant allies are Shihuahuaco, Chiric Sanango, Bobinsana, Renaco, and Ayahuma, which she loves working with in ceremony.

Lucy is devoted to helping others heal through the plant world, supporting the cleansing of body, mind, and spirit. A woman of few words, she carries great depth, precision, and skill in the healing arts, both inside and outside ceremony.