DESA

DESA

October 30, 2020 Planeterra Partners

DÊSA

Dubrovnik, Croatia

Impact

The sustainable income generated by travellers will allow for DEŠA to expand the reach of its community and women’s projects. The ripple effects from visitors will be felt throughout the organization and the communities in which they work. From improving rural employment to empowering female entrepreneurs, DEŠA will be able to continue providing opportunities for those who have been left marginalized in their community.

7
people employed
21
community members benefitting

Critical Need

Founded during the homeland war, DEŠA was born when a group of locals from Dubrovnik partnered with refugees and made a small handicraft business. Now, they continue as a women’s centre which provides victim support while acting as a centre of cultural preservation. From the beginning, the founders of DEŠA knew it was important to not just provide emotional support for fellow women but to connect them to meaningful work that would make them feel empowered. In anticipation of tourism’s return to Dubrovnik, DEŠA provided computer and language courses so women could have the opportunity to take part in what was to become a booming tourist economy. Through selling handicrafts made by women across the country, and providing tourists with the opportunity to learn about traditional costumes, weaving, and cooking, DEŠA is contributing to the sustainable and inclusive development of its communities.

Our Involvement

Through our Partnership with DEŠA, Planeterra will be providing a small grant to assist in capacity building as well as training and collaboration in developing a new cultural experience for travellers. Planeterra also facilitated a partnership between G Adventures and DEŠA, which means a consistent stream of travelers gaining insight into DEŠA’s mission and experiencing traditional Croatian culture, all while providing sustainable income for the organization’s community work.

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Wise Greece

October 30, 2020 Planeterra Partners

Wise Greece

Athens, Greece

Impact

Wise Greece is a non-profit social enterprise with a double mission: supporting small farmers and producers of Greek products across the country, and using the profits to purchase food for the homeless, children, and elderly in need. They work with the best Greek producers, to get their products into shops in Greece and abroad, raising awareness and support for the Mediterranean diet and Greek products like food, spices, and natural cosmetics. Profits from the organization are used to provide food supplies to other organizations such as the Solidarity Center of the Municipality of Athens, supporting people in need, and the Emfasis Foundation, feeding individuals experiencing homelessness. Planeterra works to introduce tour companies and travellers to Wise Greece’s stores and products.

100
Food Producers
2,500
Products
Wise Greece Athens, Greece

Critical Need

Homelessness is a significant social issue in Greece, which was exacerbated by the Greek Financial Crisis which started in 2009, during which an estimated 111,000 Greek companies filed for bankruptcy. There is currently no accurate record of how many Athenians are experiencing homelessness, but the official unemployment rate hit almost 28% during the economic crisis that devastated the country over the last few years. Wise Greece is a non-profit organization with a mission to support local Greek farmers and producers, all while purchasing food for those in need.

Our Involvement

Planeterra began partnering with Wise Greece in 2020, introducing products from the organization onto the sailing itineraries of their travel partner G Adventures. Through this partnership, thousands of travellers sailing the Greek Islands will enjoy Wise Greece products such as salt, honey, tea and olive oil. Stocking these small vessels will increase Wise Greece’s revenue and is also a great marketing tool, as their products are sold internationally in destinations like Sweden and the United Kingdom. It also helps travellers to Greece give back to the local community during their visit. 

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Panauti Community Homestay

September 9, 2020 Rhea Simms Partners

Panauti Community Homestay

Panauti, Nepal

Impact

The homestay is an opportunity for the local women of Panauti to take on a higher responsibility in the community. It has given them confidence as they portray their capabilities to each guest that visits the town. Through this program, women are learning English and speaking confidently with guests. Solar panels have been installed and community sanitation has improved. Women engaged in the homestay are earning a living for themselves and able to contribute to household expenses, as they become leaders in the community. Twenty percent of income from all bookings are placed in a fund that goes towards community projects, including scholarships and sanitation training. Today there are 20 women working as homestay hosts and welcoming travellers into their homes.

86
Locals Directly benefiting
430
Community members indirectly benefitting

Critical Need

Located just outside of Kathmandu and historic sites, Panauti had been long dismissed as a tourist destination. Many youth and adults choose to leave the community for education and work as employment opportunities within the community are few. Tourism was identified as a way to bring new opportunities for women and youth, and generate income for community development in Panauti. With a UNESCO heritage site and rich culture, the community was identified to have large tourism potential by Planeterra’s local partners, Royal Mountain Travel and the Community Homestay Network.

Our Involvement

Planeterra’s corporate partner, G Adventures, provides a steady stream of travellers to the Panauti Community Homestay, including a Local Living Tour, which brings travellers to Panauti for four nights to truly experience community life. This connection to the tourism value chain boosts their business and allows the community to invest back in what matters most to them. Planeterra also provides ongoing support to the women in Panauti to help the homestay thrive.

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Maldives Plastic Project

September 4, 2020 Planeterra Partners

Maldives Plastic Program

Malé, Maldives

Impact

This program directly supports local organizations as they strive to integrate sustainable solutions to plastic use in the Maldives. These programs include awareness raising, education and proper recycling. The project also allows travellers to learn more about environmental initiatives happening locally, becoming more responsible travellers.

280k
plastic bottles are discarded daily in Malé

Critical Need

The Maldives is made up of 99 percent water and one percent land. The country’s geography means that pollution to the oceans impacts the country drastically. Over 280,000 plastic bottles are discarded in the country’s capital, Malé every day. The Maldives continues to import plastic items from across the world, with limited infrastructure or awareness to allow for proper recycling. While reducing plastic use is a goal, collecting plastic thrown on the land and oceans

Our Involvement

Planeterra partnered with local travel company, Voyages, to integrate plastic pick-ups into all of G Adventures tours through the Maldives as of 2020.

The aim is to mitigate tonnes of plastic from inhabited beaches and incorporate local communities in the mission to reduce plastic waste from reaching the ocean. Planeterra provided the equipment necessary for travellers to engage in plastic clean-ups.

A local nonprofit facilitates the processing of collected plastic and sends it for upcycling in countries that have the proper infrastructure.

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TWE

September 4, 2020 Planeterra Partners

TWE- Together We Earn

Kerala, India

Impact

TWE is a Women’s Empowerment Programme supporting rural women in finding employment opportunities. TWE started by running small tea shops in Kerala with women from the area. In 2018, they built their training center but were left without funding to develop the programs.

This partnership allows TWE- Together We Earn to train more women than ever and provide tangible skills-training opportunities with a guaranteed customer base. The income generated through this program allows the organization to continue expanding training for various livelihood opportunities for women in Kerala, and empower more women as entrepreneurs. The centre also provides a platform for women to build confidence and become independent members of society.

8
community members directly benefitting
100
community members indirectly benefitting
.

Critical Need

Kerala has made strides on women’s empowerment in terms of education and health indicators, having the highest rates in India, yet women’s participation in the labour force is low and declining. In rural Alleppey agriculture, construction, fish farming and sanitary workers are the main sources of income for families.

Women do not often have the opportunity to gain skills and find employment beyond the work they are doing in the fields. TWE- Together We Earn led by Theruvarom in Kerala was created to directly meet the needs of women in the area.

Our Involvement

Planeterra partnered with TWE-Together We Earn to bring their women’s empowerment program to the next level. An investment allowed the organization to build a kitchen in rural Alleppey that can be used for training women in catering skills, prepping food for their local tea shops, and hosting international travellers. Previously, the program focused their livelihood training on opening local tea shops. With this partnership, they are bringing their passion and expertise into tourism for the first time. Training on hospitality and tourism management was provided by Planeterra to ensure TWE’s success as they pivot into tourism for the first time. They received their first international travellers in January 2020 and the program has generated employment for 10 women.

Guests are given a traditional Keralan experience at the centre, enjoying a beautiful vegetarian meal followed by local folk songs passed down by farmers. Guests also learn more about the programs that TWE runs to empower women in the area.

Planeterra continues to mentor TWE as they explore more income-generating opportunities for women in rural Alleppey.

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Amba Chutney Cooperative

September 4, 2020 Planeterra Partners

Amba Chutney Cooperative

Bandarawela, Sri Lanka

Impact

As the first community co-operative working with Amba Estate, the chutney entrepreneurs put a portion of their sales on each bottle of chutney sold into a Community Development Fund (Rs. 10 per bottle).  In the first year, they sold more than $2000 of chutney and supplemented their income by 20%. This fund is used to kick start the next community enterprise in the valley. This model can be used for years to come as tourism continues to grow in Sri Lanka. It’s intended that 20 more local women can be trained through the savings of the fund in the coming years. Income from the partnership will be invested in children’s education, nutrition and housing improvements, creating a better future for community members in the region.

6
women employed
150
community members benefitting

Critical Need

Livelihood opportunities in the valley of Bandarawela, Sri Lanka are limited for low-income community members. Many rely on agricultural work, especially in the tea plantations, which can be arduous with little financial gain. Amba Estate came to the area with the purpose of promoting economic growth through their organic tea plantation, paying fair wages, sharing their profits with their workers, and creating opportunities for growth. Having established its place in the travel market, Amba is now ready to support community cooperatives as a means of better spreading the income of tourism throughout the valley.

Our Involvement

Planeterra worked alongside Amba Estate to support the initial investment for the first community-led micro-enterprise working in partnership with Amba. Planeterra’s catalyst grant covered the equipment, training and setup costs for a group of six women to formally become a chutney co-operative. Once produced, the chutney is sold back to Amba Estate for travellers to consume and purchase. Travellers have the opportunity to eat the delicious chutneys, meet the women and see how it’s made. The “Six Stars” Chutney Cooperative is made up of women who are employed as tea pluckers with Amba Estate, and are nearing the age of retirement. All tea pluckers in Sri Lanka are required to retire at the age of 55. For this reason it is important that they begin to build up their savings and diversify their skills to continue earning after their tea plucking years are over.

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Tamarind Gardens

September 4, 2020 Planeterra Partners

Tamarind Gardens Farm

Digana, Sri Lanka

Impact

Tamarind Gardens provides the community with training and employment opportunities in hospitality. The dairy cows and garden provide vital nutrition to households and an income source for the social enterprise, women in the community have formed a sewing cooperative as an additional source of income, and others have been employed doing various tasks for the farm and guesthouse. Tamarind Gardens has been working on a project to supply community members with water tanks to capture rainwater and store water during the dry season. The new garden project increases access to nutritional food, as well as increasing the supply of local food that can accommodate the influx of travellers. This 10 acre farm provides a necessary space for community development projects that move the village towards a sustainable future.

Through the Community Development Fund, tourism has directly supported environmental projects, new entrepreneurs and improvements to the tourism experience.

29
people employed
500
community members benefitting

Critical Need

Digana is a small community located outside of Kandy, Sri Lanka. The main source of income for community members here is dolomite mining. The techniques for this industry have proven unsustainable for the environment, and bad for the health of miners. With a very strict, traditional culture, there remains limited opportunities for women in leadership and productive activities for youth to pursue post-graduation. Many youth leave Digana after completing school to pursue vocational training elsewhere. Furthermore, due to the ongoing dry season, Digana annually faces the issue of water shortage which causes significant barriers for the community.

Our Involvement

Planeterra provided a small grant to Tamarind Gardens Farm to kick start a community garden project called FAITH (Food Always In The Home). A garden area was prepared, crops purchased and livestock obtained to start a food bank for rotational agriculture.

Households in the community take turns taking seeds, crops and livestock from the food bank, returning stock back once their crops have increased and livestock reproduced. This program increases household nutrition and access to food for community members with limited income.

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Sthree

September 4, 2020 Planeterra Partners

Sthree Craft Shop and Café

Kandy, Sri Lanka

Impact

Sthree Craft Shop and Café provides a platform for women to gain financial stability. This partnership increased cash flow for the social enterprise by over 400% in the first year alone, allowing them to expand their network of artisans supported through the shop. The tourism program provides increased livelihood opportunities for women and at-risk youth, while also acting as a base funding for the Women’s Development Centre’s shelter for abused women. Differently-abled youth are trained as servers for the program, while women are trained as chefs. The cafe business established by Planeterra became profitable in the first year it was established. 5% of the profits are allocated to support running costs for WDC’s shelter for women.

200
people earning an income
1,000
community members indirectly benefitting
Sthree Craft Shop and Café - Planeterra

Critical Need

The Women’s Development Centre (WDC) in Kandy, Sri Lanka has been working to create equal opportunities for women since 1986. This registered nonprofit organization runs programs to combat violence against women and empower them as equal members of society, with one of their programs, Sthree, being a handicraft shop for women entrepreneurs. Sthree was established in 2007 as a handicraft shop with the support of the World University Service of Canada. Sthree’s aim is to create opportunities for economically and socially marginalized producers. Since its establishment, Sthree has struggled to make the business a source of sustainable income for their programs and the entrepreneurs they serve.

Our Involvement

With the support of Planeterra, a catalyst grant was provided to WDC to revamp the craft shop and outfit a working kitchen in the space. A dining area was established to host travellers, creating a steady stream of income and customers at the Sthree Craft Shop and Café.

Women and youth serve up breakfast, lunch and high tea to travellers, as they learn more about the amazing work that the WDC does across Sri Lanka. Planeterra provided support to the team on experience development and business administration to support the development of a newly profitable enterprise.

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Barauli Community Homestay

September 4, 2020 Rhea Simms Partners

Barauli Community Homestay

Chitwan, Nepal

Impact

The homestay project is completely run by Tharu women, providing diversified income opportunities in the region. Several different activities and livelihoods have been built out of this homestay program, such as serving personnel and cooks, cooking class hosts, and local guides. New homestays have opened up in the region to meet the increasing demand for travellers to have authentic community experiences while in Chitwan. 

The community saves a portion of all tourism profits to be reinvested into community development including environmental projects, scholarships for students and improving the tourism experience.

26
community members earning an income
430
Community members indirectly benefitting

Critical Need

Barauli, home to the Tharu people, is a small Indigenous community near the Chitwan National Park in Nepal. The park is a popular tourism attraction that is well known for its wildlife but less known for the cultural value that it has to offer travellers.

Due to its distance from the typical tourism hotspots in the park, the Tharu residents have never been able to access the economic benefits of tourism. Limited opportunities for community members have led to engagement in illegal activities like poaching and deforestation in the park as a means of income diversification.

Our Involvement

The community homestay program was developed by Royal Mountain Travel, our ground partner, to connect travellers coming for the park’s wildlife with the rich culture of the Tharu people. The village started with 14 individual cottages that are part of the homestay program, plus a community dining hall. In 2015, Nepal was hit by a 7.8 magnitude earthquake. Planeterra worked with G Adventures to immediately respond to this earthquake and launched a campaign that would raise over $200,000 CAD for long-term redevelopment of the tourism industry in Nepal. These funds helped rebuild the homes of over 150 porters, local guides, resource poor women in the tourism industry’s homes, and the remaining helped purchase seven solar panels and hot water tanks to provide electricity and hot water to the community for the first time.

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Women With Wheels

September 4, 2020 Rhea Simms Partners

Women With Wheels

New Delhi and Jaipur, India

Impact

The Women With Wheels program provides livelihoods for women where women were once not accepted. This program is challenging cultural norms and paving new paths for women across India. Today, 1.193 of their trainees are professional drivers. Also, 213 two-wheeler riders have been trained in logistics. Over 500 drivers were trained in 2018 through the Azad Foundation, and Sakha directly employs 46 women through their social enterprise. As this model gains success, Sakha has been spreading the program across India to empower more women and provide safe transfers for families and travellers. They are operational in Delhi, Jaipur, Kolkata and Indore. Their new initiative “Swayam Sakha” is also operational now in Delhi National Capital Region (NCR), this is a special cab service for the differently abled.  In January 2020, Sakha Cabs launched a counter at Delhi’s, Indira Gandhi International Terminal (T3), the cabs can be used to travel across the NCR, and two outstation locations – Agra and Jaipur. 

4.5 million safe rides provided to date by Sakha Drivers!

100
community members directly benefitting
1000
community members indirectly benefitting

Critical Need

Traditional gender roles in India have created an uneven playing field for women when it comes to accessing education and employment opportunities. Our ground partners, Azad Foundation, work with disadvantaged women from resource-poor urban areas across India, to empower them to become professional commercial drivers. Azad’s signature program, Women With Wheels, provides technical, self-empowerment and self-development training to fully equip women to become self-sustaining professional drivers.

Our Involvement

Planeterra provided funding for Women With Wheels to expand their vehicle fleet, as well as funding and resources for the Women With Wheels training program.

G Adventures was the first tour operator to contract Women on Wheels as our India airport pick-up partner, creating a sustainable and growing customer base for this emerging social enterprise.

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