Our Family
Jenner Hidalgo Murrieta
Owner and Manager
As the founder of Yachay Mama Retreat Center, Jenner has achieved a rare and special feat: establishing an ayahuasca center in Peru that is authentically owned and operated by a Peruvian. He is now passionately dedicated to his lifelong dream of sharing the Amazon's profound healing traditions with as many people as possible.
As owner, Jenner manages the facilities, staff, and logistics of the center, setting our primary goal to ensure you have the safest, most supportive, and most enjoyable ayahuasca retreat. As a respected member of the Iquitos community, his connections ensure that you are getting the best food available, and his firsthand knowledge offers invaluable support for any travel questions or concerns you may have, from airline advice to navigating Iquitos itself.
Jenner is an exceptionally humble man, but he deserves the recognition of having a truly inspiring life journey. He was born the middle child of 8 in the small community of Manco Capac on the winding Ucayali River in the Peruvian Amazon Rainforest. Despite these humble beginnings, Jenner comes from a respected and incredibly hardworking family. These core values, deeply rooted in his upbringing and further inspired by his father's role as a district counselor, instilled in Jenner the foundations for his natural leadership qualities from an early age.
At 16, Jenner joined the army, serving two years as a Jungle Combat Engineer in Battalion No. 5. Post-service, facing limited opportunities, Jenner moved to the city of Pucallpa to work in mining operations under harsh and often dangerous conditions. Through sheer determination, he saved enough to establish his own fishing business, a venture he has grown successfully ever since. This work transformed him into an experienced navigator of the Amazon River and its countless tributaries throughout the Peruvian Amazon. He built his reputation on unwavering kindness, honesty, and generosity towards his family, employees, and clientele. Beyond his business, Jenner actively gives back to his home community through various philanthropic ventures, including supporting the Pacaya Samiria National Reserve.
For us, he is Tío (Uncle) Jenner. He met his partner, Mily Chumbe Ruiz (Tía Mily), in 2009 and they currently live in Iquitos with their daughters Solansh and Evelyn, and son Moises.
Maria Prada Chumbe
Co-owner and Special Advisor
At the heart of Yachay Mama's vision, Maria's extensive experience and natural warmth serve as our guiding light to create the most enjoyable, authentic, and safe ayahuasca experience for you. Her life has been deeply intertwined with ayahuasca and traditional healing; from growing up with her late uncle, who was a respected healer and ayahuasquero, to dedicating her entire adult life to working in ayahuasca centers around Iquitos. As the supervisor of our retreats, Maria will personally support you during your stay, ensuring your comfort and well-being.
Maria has courageously carved out a life journey, overcoming obstacles and challenges to achieve her dream of having her own ayahuasca center. She was born in Tacsha Curaray - a small village on the Napo River - about a 5 hour boat ride north of Iquitos. It is a humble life in Tacsha with people mainly living off the land, but it is a place rich in history and tradition. It's truly impressive to explore the forest with Maria, with her knowledge of nearly every plant and its traditional uses. Between Maria, her mother, and grandmother they have a natural remedy for every common ailment.
As a teenager - and being the oldest grandchild in the family - she took on the responsibility of helping her grandmother with the family restaurant in the riverside town of Santa Clotilde and helping raise her young cousins. Then, as an adult, Maria made the difficult choice to move to Iquitos to work as a single mother for the chance of giving her daughter Jelssi a life with more opportunities. Despite the challenges, Maria always finds a way to keep her door open to help family and friends in need. Her unwavering faith and determination to push forward, believing everything will turn out for the best, culminated beautifully when she met her husband Daniel. They now live happily together with Jelssi and their son Andrew.
Being close in age with her Aunt Mily, they grew up together like sisters. Over the years Maria and Jenner have also built a true brother and sister bond that has united them in their work to help people through their families traditions.
Daniel Cherkas
Administrative Manager and Group Facilitator
Daniel serves as your primary point of contact and a steadfast pillar of support at Yachay Mama Retreat Center, overseeing everything from initial retreat organization to comprehensive integration support.
As a facilitator certified in first aid, Daniel brings extensive experience in supporting individuals recovering from vulnerable situations in a group therapy environment. He also offers a wealth of lived experience and genuine empathy to your journey, having personally overcome battles with anxiety, depression, and addiction. His own transformative path with ayahuasca, and becoming a member of this family, provided a path to well-being he previously found unattainable. Now, it is a true honor for him to give back, supporting the center's vital work and translating the wisdom of our curandero from Spanish to English for guests. With an educational background rooted in psychological research, Daniel is passionate about bridging traditional knowledge with modern scientific discoveries on ayahuasca.
Reflecting back, it feels as though fate has guided Daniel's life, laying the foundation to reach this pivotal point. From a young age, he held a deep fascination with Peruvian culture and the country’s intricate history. This cultural interest, combined with personal challenges, led to his discovery of plant medicine traditions and extensive research into ayahuasca, which ultimately shaped his path. After 12 years working in customer service and administrative roles honing vigilant organizational practices, Daniel found the courage through ayahuasca to pursue a calling truly meaningful for him: helping others navigate trauma and mental health challenges. This led him to train in peer support and graduate with high distinction from the University of Toronto's Psychological Health Sciences program, specializing in Mental Health Studies. Among his achievements, Daniel was honored with a nomination for the Rhodes Scholarship. Though ultimately past the age qualification, this esteemed recognition affirmed his commitment to service, a commitment he now passionately channels into supporting people through the work at Yachay Mama.
One incredible surprise of Daniel’s journey with ayahuasca was meeting his wife Maria, and building this brand new life together. Tío Jenner and Tía Mily have been incredibly welcoming for Daniel helping him adjust to life in Iquitos, and they represented Maria and Daniel as godparents (similar to a best man and maid of honor) for their wedding.
Tía Mily (Mily Sandra Chumbe Ruiz)
Please join us from the beginning of the special journey to create Yachay Mama Retreat Center together. Sign up with your email address below for news and updates as we continue to introduce the members of our incredible team. Be the first to know when retreats are available for booking, and have first access to special offers. You will also receive helpful information on ayahuasca, health tips including how to make some of our natural health remedies, and sometimes just fun insights into Peruvian culture and what life is like here in Iquitos.
Evelyn Hidalgo Chumbe
Tío Jenner and Tía Mily with their daughter Evelyn and son Moises.
Daniel and Maria with their daughter Jelssi and son Andrew.
