How Ecuadorians & the Runa Foundation Have Inspired Channing Tatum

Channing Tatum went eco-friendly as he joined the Runa Foundation to help the locals of Ecuador, and its ecosystem as well. The 35-year-old star visited the South American country to fulfill his new mission as a charity member.

The American actor explored the country of Ecuador to check how the charity does its work. According to its site, Runa Foundation is a non-profit organization that funds tropical forests for the sake of their residents and the environment.

According to Contactmusic, the film producer joined the cause because the founder, funnily enough, has the same name that Channing used in his 2006 dance-drama movie, "Step Up." His name his Tyler Gage, and he started the Runa tea company.

The model helped the people behind the foundation, learning a lot about the organization in the process. He personally went to the country and checked where the tealeaves were coming from.

Explaining how the organization works, Channin said: "Runa [...] gives plants to the Ecuadorian people to plant in their backyard, and they come around to harvest and pay the people money for the leaves," as cited by People. 

Tatum also added that he a developed personal connection with a lot of the native people he met in the country. "We were all pretty moved and inspired by it. I just want to go down there and help [...] the people that I've met on the basic level of, I've made friends. I will do anything to help them save their land, to live a better life," he said.

Moreover, Contactmusic noted that Tatum's wife, Jenna Dewan, also contributed to the organization. She created a competition on the charity website, Omaze.com, in an effort to raise funds for the organization.

To recall, just earlier this year, Tatum also helped the cause. He obtained money for the foundation by giving away tickets to the Los Angeles premiere of his latest film, "Magic Mike XXL."

The foundation is also aiming to build a couple of medical clinics in the Amazon, one in Ecuador and one in Peru, as reported by Huffington Post.

In fact, this plan came from the local tribal healers themselves, as they were the ones who contacted the foundation to ask for help, according to Runa's CEO, Tyler Gage. The natives want to have their own medical clinics and create their own medicinal plants, as they asserted that they will eventually be gone and their knowledge will disappear with them.

Watch Channing Tatum unlock the healing power of Amazon, by Runa Foundation.