Planeterra’s partner, Penduka, is a women-owned and-run business in Katutura Township outside of Windhoek that employs community members that are differently-abled, or living with chronic health conditions. When government support was no longer being provided, and Penduka’s revenue not returning due to a lack of travel, Planeterra stepped in to provide support to Penduka and its staff. The grant given to Penduka will provide food parcels for the 21 staff members at Penduka, and will also go towards increasing the crops at the organization’s garden, which will provide a more sustainable solution to food shortages for employees.  

Planeterra and Favela Experience developed a tour in Vidigal, benefitting five micro-enterprise and community organizations. Travellers toured the community, participating in different activities such as a capoeira (Brazilian martial art) session, visiting an innovative community green space, trying new Vidigal artisanal beer and purchasing unique handicrafts which all supported women, men and youth of this community.

Since the pandemic, these micro-enterprises lost income. Our partners have worked to support over 4,000 families since March with food and hygiene kits. Now, our partners are implementing a home farming project to grow organic vegetables for over 100 families. This project will be costly and Planeterra was happy to support.

Planeterra worked with the International Collaborative for Science, Education, and the Environment (ICSEE) to create a community tour for travellers to Tanzania, led by their female engineer team. On the tour, travellers experience the air quality of a boma (homestead) with and without a clean cookstove. This tour paid the cost of a new stove and solar light for homes that did not have one. 

Many villages are now unable to continue the work that was once paid for by travellers. Through your donations, we have funded 15 new stoves to restart the stove-making initiative which will provide 30 female engineers with employment. 

The Community Homestay Network is working with the communities across the country to prepare for domestic and international travellers as the lockdowns ease in Nepal. Communities need to be trained on the new health and safety measures that are now required to keep both travellers and their communities safe. The pandemic left 33 host families in Barauli and Panuti without tourism income. Planeterra is proud to support them through delivering health and sanitation items needed so that the families will be ready for travellers. 

Planeterra partnered with Nyamirambo Women’s Center in the capital of Rwanda in order to increase the number of customers they were receiving to their newly-developed tourism program, which includes a walking tour of the businesses of the Nyamirambo area of Kigali. As tourism has come to a halt, the staff have earned no income and have found it difficult to meet basic needs. The grant will be used to purchase food parcels for 18 members of the women’s center. These parcels will contain the basic food and household needs for the women and their families.

Ccaccaccollo is an Indigenous community located in the Andean area of Cuzco, Perú. In 2005, Planeterra developed a partnership with the Ccaccaccollo community to develop a women’s weaving cooperative, to create economic opportunities for the women of this community. Like many of our partners, COVID-19 has negatively impacted their income. A grant will be sent to the community so that they are able to access basic needs, including purchasing soap and other sanitation necessities.

Our partners Puesta Del Sol in Nicaragua have had no income since March, leaving many community members looking for ways to diversify their income. They previously sold wine, spices, herbal tea and jam to travellers as a way to do this. Now, they are now looking to sell them regionally as a way to provide for their community. To do this, they needed to register their products which requires funding. Further, families are in serious need of cleaning supplies for their homes, as some of them are unable to pay for these necessities to cope with the pandemic. 

Thanks to your donations, Planeterra is able to support the registration needed to sell their products, providing income to over 30 families, as well as funding the purchasing of cleaning products for the families to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the community. 

The Santiago de Agencha community is located two hours across the salt flats from Uyuni, making it extremely inaccessible. COVID-19 has resulted in significant loss of income from tourism, resulting in community members being unable to purchase food. Around 70% of the food is purchased in regional markets that is 3 hours from the community. This is further complicated by the current lockdown. A grant was provided to build greenhouses for 30 families which will help local families to grow food locally in a sustainable way, building resilience for the future.

Our Planeterra partner Beit Khayrat Souf, a women-owned and run restaurant has struggled to make ends meet during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to their restaurant, they had previously diversified their income by selling local and traditional items, such as homemade jams and sauces to travellers but these have proven not as popular for the local market, as many community members will make these on their own. We were able to send them a grant to ensure the women of this restaurant are able to access food and support them through this difficult time.

The village of Shandia is located in the rainforest of eastern Ecuador. It is inhabited mostly by the Indigenous Kichwa people and was formerly an evangelical missionary centre, consisting of 120 families. Planeterra, in partnership with the local non-profit EcoCiencia, worked with the Shandia community to identify opportunities in tourism. Currently, they are supporting the community with the community fund that they started through their tourism income, however, they have nearly run out of funds. We have sent a grant to the community and they have decided that the women in the area will begin raising chickens as a way to provide for the community.

Our project partners Posadas Mayas, located in San Juan La Laguna, Guatemala is a homestay that directly impacts 47 families and reaches over 400 people through their many community investments. The community has sadly been severely impacted by COVID-19, but with your support, 5 families had food parcels delivered to their door to help with social distancing in the area.

You helped us send a grant to Soa Zara, our partner in Ranohira, dedicated to protecting the environment and empowering their community through tree planting that travellers are able to also experience. We were able to assist Soa Zara in providing food parcels to their members and employees. To ensure they can weather this storm we’ll be helping to expand their food garden so they can provide for their staff long-term despite an ongoing drought.

Kyrgyzstan is the second poorest economy in Central Asia. Planeterra’s project partner Ak Orgo is located in Barskoon, a community experiencing 80% unemployment even before COVID-19. Ak Orgo’s workshop provided the opportunity for much-needed livelihoods in the craft and tourism sector, taking advantage of the region’s growing tourism economy. COVID-19 has dramatically impacted the area, causing many of the employees of Ak Orgo to work from home earning little income. A grant was provided to ensure that the 12 staff members are able to access basic necessities including medicine.

Our partner Native Grill, located on Navajo Nation, has been significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic due to the systemic inequalities they face on a daily basis. With the closest grocery stores sometimes 30 km away and many without electricity for refrigeration, access to food and being able to stock up on groceries has been difficult.

Your donations provided food and locally-sourced hand sanitizer through the local Chapter House to those who need it most.

LinkAge supports some of Myanmar’s most vulnerable youth. Our partners are committed to continuing to pay stipends to their 18 students over the next few months even though everyone has gone home. The average household needs cost is $100 USD per month. Through your donations, we have been able to send a grant to cover their student stipends.

Our project Domari Culture and Craft Experience is one of our newer projects that launched this year before COVID-19 halted the global tourism industry. The women at Domari were trained in hospitality and storytelling, preparing them with basic English skills to better communicate their culture to travellers. Since COVID-19 has stopped the income that was being made through tourism we have sent them a grant to provide food packages to the women and their families to meet basic needs. We also funded the purchase of a new bread oven so they will be able to make and sell fresh bread to the community as a way to earn an income long-term.

A brand new project that had just launched in January starting to receive their first visitors, Planeterra had worked with this women’s empowerment program to develop their first tourism experience to generate funds for the non-profit by offering a cultural experience and traditional meal. Working at TWE is some of the women’s first jobs outside of the home. A small grant will support basic needs for staff for the next few months along with some materials for selling goods locally.

Berracas de la 13 is a women’s empowerment NGO in Medellin, Colombia that supports vulnerable women and children throughout “Comuna 13”. Planeterra helped develop their new restaurant to relaunch to guests in January 2020 and they were off to a fantastic start when the crisis hit. Being in an urban location the families are at risk of food insecurity. The grant provided went to food parcels for over 130 families that are normally supported by the organization.

The Cuncani Community, located in the Lares Valley of Peru, is considered to be in the category of extreme poverty. While the government in Peru has offered support to some families, the system is extremely inaccessible to the community as a result of them being extremely off-grid, not even being able to get a cellphone signal. Without access to the internet, most community members haven’t been able to apply for government support, but your donations helped the community distribute food to those in need while our team helps them access more government support.

These two sister cooperatives working in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe provide a fabulous cultural food experience as well as laundry services for travellers visiting this iconic town. In a country that already struggles from near 90% unemployment, the ladies have always proven resourceful, creating new initiatives like catering for local events and selling items like water and snacks on the street while tourism is shut down. A small grant for both organizations is providing support for food parcels for more than 20 ladies and their families.

Mto wa Mbu Cultural Tourism Enterprises works to provide jobs to locals, including women, in an innovative and sustainable way that celebrates local culture and heritage. They run multiple experiences for travellers including bike tours, cultural experiences, and delicious meals. As a result of COVID-19 this income has stopped not only for our project but the ripple effects our project had on the community of other farmers in the area. This project is also very concerned that the lack of tourism and the need for income could result in wildlife destruction such as poaching. Your donations will help those impacted receive essential goods.

There are 19 ladies working at the Give A Heart to Africa school, Moshi Mamas cooperative, Kili Kitchen and Lala Salama spa – some of the new businesses were created with support from Planeterra for women graduates of the program to earn an income from tourism. The ladies are now left with no income and are struggling to meet their basic needs. Our grant supported these ladies with funds for food parcels and other supplies for their families.

çöp(m)adam started as an experimental project in Western Turkey addressing the issues of women’s employment and the importance of recycling/re-using. When travellers visit the workshop during a trip to Turkey, and purchase their products, they are directly supporting the women that made them. Ten artisans in the community rely on the income generated from travellers supporting the project. Your donations were sent to help the women provide for their families and access essential necessities.

Planeterra helped fund the first hospitality program run by local partner AFER (Association Des Femmes et Enfants Ruraux) to develop the skills of rural women and support healthcare and wellbeing in the rural area of M’Haya. Travellers were able to visit and have a traditional meal during their travels. This program benefits nearly 700 women and children in the area and when tourism stopped, they were unable to help members of their community receive life-saving medication. Your donations allowed us to send funds to purchase a two month supply of medication for those with severe chronic illnesses.

Senang Hati is a non-profit organization that was created to empower differently-abled community members in Bali, Indonesia.  Senang Hati runs training programs for adults living with disabilities to gain independence and confidence working in the formal economy. Planeterra funded the development of their accessible kitchen where they serve up delicious Balinese cuisine to travellers. A small grant here provided support for 8 people who stay at their centre for whom they maintain food and shelter on an ongoing basis.

Dqae Qare San Lodge is located in D’Kar in a community of 2,000 people who are living on less than 30 cents a day. When tourism became a viable revenue source for the community they were able to support many members including their full time, part-time staff but also other groups in the community. COVID-19 resulted in the lodge losing significant income which directly impacted the entire community. Your donations have been sent to Dqae Qare to pay for soap and food, as the community was unable to afford it during this pandemic.

San Antonio Women’s Co-op is located in a rural Maya community in Belize, and was formed by a local women’s group made up of nine Mayan women. They started the group to find a way to earn an income, learn new and interesting skills, and share their traditional knowledge not only with visitors but with the younger generation. When travel was halted due to COVID-19 they had to close down their shop, resulting in a loss of income not only for the members but for individuals in the community that relied on the cooperative for support. Your donations resulted in an emergency grant being sent so these individuals could receive life-saving medication that they almost had to go without.

Planeterra has been working with ALI since 2017, by supporting their cafe at the Ugandan equator. Over 50% of ALI’s operating budget, which supports 67 HIV-positive orphans, comes from their tourism businesses, including the cafe, so the halt on travel has had a devastating effect on their operations. With the loss of income, they were only able to afford rice and beans to feed the 67 youth in their care. Your donations provided more well-balanced nutritious groceries to ensure that they remain healthy through this crisis.

Sadly, our project partners haven’t been receiving travellers for two years due to instability in the area. However, they are still running programs in order to support kids and their families, and COVID-19 has made this very difficult. That’s why we are supporting their initiative to implement a food garden for eight families on the island.