City Walk

City Walk

September 4, 2020 Rhea Simms Partners

City Walk

New Delhi, India

Impact

Salaam Baalak Trust runs a “City Walk” program, a youth-led walking tour that provides a different perspective to Delhi while giving youth the opportunity to gain new skills. Funds from the City Walk program are used to provide scholarships and job placements for youth, as well as resources for the shelters. By connecting the program to one of our tourism partners, G Adventures, they now have a reliable stream of income to support their education and social service work.

Since its inception, over 33  guides have been part of this program, and 3 of those were girls. This has not only given the youth a new set of skills, improved communication skills but also helped boost their self-confidence. Eighteen former guides have completed their higher studies from universities in India and the US with scholarships; and today are entrepreneurs, working in travel companies, interning at the Indian Parliament,  Indian railways and studying to be development sector professionals.  They have stated how the exposure through the City Walk programs helped them improve their english speaking skills and helped shape their personality while interacting with tourists from across the globe.

9
community members benefitting
3000
children and youth benefitting

Critical Need

With more than 18 million kids living on the streets, India has the highest concentration of street children in the world. Without adequate shelter and care, children often suffer from malnourishment and do not have access to formal education and medical treatment. Without support from family, they are left to fend for themselves, entering the labour market at an early age. Many are vulnerable to trafficking, forced into child prostitution, drug trafficking, or resort to begging to earn an income for their exploiters.

Our Involvement

Planeterra partnered with Salaam Baalak Trust, an organization that provides safe housing, counselling, education, and support to over 5,000 children in New Delhi, as well as managing five safe homes across the city. They reach out to 8,000 children every year, out of which around 2,250 are reunited with their family. Till date (2018-19) SBT has benefitted around 10,000 children. In the past 31 years, SBT’s education team has ensured 46,000 vulnerable children received a proper education. Planeterra linked SBT to a tourism customer base through G Adventures, and has provided small scholarships to the youth.

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Ak Orgo

September 4, 2020 Rhea Simms Partners

Ak Orgo

Barskoon, Kyrgyzstan

Impact

The partnership with Planeterra allows Ak Orgo to create much-needed livelihood opportunities in Barskoon through tourism and handicraft production. As tourism continues to grow in Kyrgyzstan, Ak Orgo is now set up to be able to capture more of the market and grow their social enterprise. Tourism allows Ak Orgo to further its work in preserving traditional Kyrgyz craft techniques through innovating new technology and training young artists. Since the partnership began, Ak Orgo has been able to provide salaries to its employees on a regular basis. In the past, many worked for passion, but now they can support their families. The majority of employees at Ak Orgo are women.

21
people earning an income
126
community members benefitting

Critical Need

Kyrgyzstan is the second poorest economy in Central Asia. The economy went into a deep recession after the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, and some of the effects are still felt today. Located in Barskoon, a community suffering from 80% unemployment, this workshop provides the opportunity for much-needed livelihoods in the craft and tourism sector. 

The preservation of traditional Kyrgyz crafts is at the heart of the Ak Orgo craft workshop in Barskoon village. Decreasing demand for the labour-intensive felt products used to decorate yurts had led Ak Orgo on a mission to innovate new ways to make traditional crafts that are efficient yet true to the culture.

Our Involvement

Ak Orgo’s purpose is creating and preserving traditional Kyrgyz handicrafts while generating livelihood opportunities in the community. The founder of Ak Orgo, Mekenbek, is working to create innovative solutions that make traditional crafts easier to produce, encouraging the younger generation to engage in the art. Ak Orgo is a social enterprise that has only recently started working in tourism.

Planeterra supported Ak Orgo with a grant to build a kitchen and a washroom to better serve travellers. Planeterra also worked through a local training organization, the Association of Social Entrepreneurs Kyrgyzstan, to develop business and marketing skills for the Ak Orgo team to help them better achieve their social goals through tourism.

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Jia Community Restaurant

September 4, 2020 Rhea Simms Partners

Jia Community Restaurant

Liandaowan, China

Impact

Jia Community Restaurant is not just a restaurant, it is a hub where hundreds of community members come together to learn and share experiences. It is used for celebrations, children’s educational programs, women’s empowerment programs and more. The centre receives sustained income from tourism that allows them to create jobs in the rural village while continuing to expand training programs to more people. 

Over 30 community programs were hosted here in the first year of operation. In 2019, they initiated a Community Development Fund, saving a portion of all tourism income to support community projects. Women in the community have become much more engaged in leading community activities since the first year, as they can see the impact first hand that the centre is having for their children. In the future, they hope to implement more environmental programs.

5
women employed
400
community members benefitting

Critical Need

Rural women and children in China are frequently faced with the challenge of being separated from their families, as men travel to cities to earn an income. In Liandaowan village the women are left without meaningful livelihood opportunities, and children’s education remains basic. 

RWDF  aims to meet the needs of rural women and children by providing meaningful job opportunities, training, and immersive education for children. A large network of rural women across China allows women to discover new skills, passions, and create a strong sense of community.

Our Involvement

Planeterra partnered with the Rural Women’s Development Foundation (RWDF) to provide the catalyst grant to construct a Community Corner and Restaurant in Liandaowan.

Planeterra then helped introduce RWDF to tour operator G Adventures resulting in a built-in customer base of travellers. The restaurant provides the opportunity for young women and families to become chefs, waiters and guides to host travellers. 

Planeterra supported the training of 10 women in developing the necessary skills to run a successful kitchen. The restaurant is owned and managed by Tomato, a woman with a strong vision of seeing her generation empowered and engaging meaningfully in society. The Community Corner acts as a place of learning and community building for children, including a library, formal learning programs and other community events.

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Berracas de la 13

September 4, 2020 Rhea Simms Partners

Berracas de la 13

Comuna 13, Medellin, Colombia

Impact

Berracas de la 13 was created by a small network of women with a goal of empowering women and youth in their community who have experienced violence and various injustices. The women created their own small businesses selling handicrafts and souvenirs in order to generate income to support their community. In 2016, they opened a restaurant called Berracas Restaurant in order to generate even more revenue and more opportunities for their community. Planeterra’s partnership has allowed them to improve their business, increase revenue, and invest back into their community.

179
people employed
1253
community members benefitting

Critical Need

At the end of the 20th century, Medellin struggled with violence, crime, drugs and political unrest.  The area was one of the main cities under the control of groups loyal to Pablo Escobar, as it is along a main highway which made it easy for the transportation of drugs, traffickers, and gangs. Comuna 13, an area within Medellin, was known as one of the most dangerous communities in the country, and one of the most dangerous cities in the world. Many people were impacted by the violence and the injustices within the community. 

Today, Medellin is regarded by some as one of the most innovative cities in the world, impacting much of Colombia’s economy. It has also become known as a popular tourist destination and has had a significant decrease in crime. Comuna 13, in particular, has also focused on transformation and is emerging onto the tourism scene. However, the Comuna women still face barriers to accessing the formal job market, and youth have limited access to education and job opportunities because of poverty in the area.

Despite their progress, Berracas de la 13 had been unable to access the international tourism market and were unable to secure funding to get the equipment necessary to comply with government regulations for a restaurant.

Our Involvement

Planeterra supported Berracas de la 13 through a grant that was used to improve the Berracas Restaurant facilities and equipment, and access training in hospitality, allowing them to comply with government regulations and run a professional business.

With the support of Planeterra, they have been able to develop a new Comuna tour and meal service, benefitting women and youth from the community.

Travellers will have the opportunity to learn from local guides, visit local shops, try local food and purchase unique handicrafts.

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Favela Experience

September 4, 2020 Planeterra Partners

Favela Experience

Vidigal, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Impact

Planeterra’s partnership with Favela Experience, is helping to increase revenue flow into the community by supporting and promoting local businesses and projects. In some cases, nearly 60-80% of the budget of the local micro-enterprises are composed of the earnings they make from tourism. This sustainable income allows them to focus on the important work they are doing for the community. Investments into local infrastructure have provided local partners with the necessary tools and resources to improve the overall quality of their projects, develop sustainable new revenue streams and receive tourists in a professional manner, ultimately increasing their social, economic and environmental impact while generating additional jobs and positive visibility for the community. 

161
community members benefitting
5
micro-enterprises benefitting

Critical Need

In the city of Rio de Janeiro, close to 3 million people – around 30% of the population – live in favelas (shanty-towns). There are over 1,000 of them ranging from newer or more challenged communities with slum-like conditions, to highly-functioning, vibrant neighbourhoods.  All those living in favelas live in informal conditions; 95% of favela homes are built of brick and concrete. Residents put decades-worth of income and physical labour into the construction and 30% of them are not connected to a formal sanitation system.

Throughout the past several decades the challenges in the favelas have increased due to severe government corruption, inter-gang warfare, drug-trafficking and militias. As a result, residents of favelas are often discriminated against for living in these communities and often experience inequality and exploitation. This stigma results in difficulty finding job opportunities, and youth often find themselves involved in criminal activities due to this lack of opportunity.  In recent years, favela culture has gained popularity in the tourism industry, which is starting to offer a major source of socio-economic development opportunities for local people. 

That being said not all tours are created equal and many large organizations, hotel chains, and agencies still use guides from outside the communities and pay local services poorly in order to guarantee large profit margins, resulting in further exploitation. Meanwhile, local favela guides, businesses, and social projects struggle to compete with large non-favela organizations and lack the technical knowledge and budgets to create high-quality marketing strategies.

Our Involvement

With support from Planeterra, Favela Experience has developed a new social enterprise tour in Vidigal, benefitting five micro-enterprise and community organizations. Planeterra funded the construction, development of facilities and helped purchase equipment for the microenterprises. Training and incubation are being conducted by our partners, Favela Inc. This experience is created by and led by the local people of Vidigal, not only allowing them to earn an income from the tours, but also as a way to own and empower members of their community. 

One of Planeterra’s tourism industry partners, G Adventures, will bring travellers to experience the community by meeting local people and participating in different activities such as capoeira (Brazilian martial art) sessions, visiting an old dump turned innovative community agro-forest, tasting the local Vidigal artisanal beer and purchase unique handicrafts, all supporting members of this community. 

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Jukil Community Lodge

September 4, 2020 Planeterra Partners

Jukil Community Lodge

Santiago de Agencha, Bolivia

Impact

Before their partnership with Planeterra, Jukil Community Lodge had been closed for five years due to a lack of customers and had fallen into disrepair. The lodge sees a monthly average of 300 visitors and an income of around USD 9,000 per month with profits to be invested back into the business and to a community fund to pay for improvements to social services in the village such as education and healthcare. With many of the village’s younger residents in search of economic opportunities, the lodge is seen by the community as a way to preserve their Indigenous culture and provide opportunities for the future. Visitors learn about the local agricultural practices, including their specialization in quinoa production, and take a guided walk with a community member to the sacred Jukil mountaintop.

6
people earning an income
24
community members benefitting

Critical Need

The Santiago de Agencha community is located two hours across the salt flats from Uyuni, making it extremely inaccessible resulting in many youths choosing to leave the small community of about 280 inhabitants in search of economic opportunities elsewhere. This contributes to many of the issues associated with urban migration, including lack of housing, strain on infrastructure, lack of access to services, and diminishing populations and traditional cultures. The community is also located in the most expensive (but not wealthy) part of Bolivia (due to its remoteness) and low incomes create a day-to-day struggle for residents. Drought has also been a major problem of late, preventing success for families’ traditional crops such as quinoa. 

Our Involvement

Beginning in June 2016, Planeterra began funding the construction and upgrade of equipment and facilities at Jukil Lodge, thanks to a donation from Live Out There.

Planeterra also funded a training program and technical assistance for organizational management, cooking, restaurant operations, business formalization, business administration, and more. Planeterra connected the lodge to G Adventures tours in January 2017, after the completion of the expansion and renovations. 

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Gotsezhy – Wiwa Community Tourism

September 3, 2020 Planeterra Partners

Gotsezhy Wiwa Community Tourism

Santa Marta, Sierra Nevada, Colombia

Impact

Since partnering with Planeterra to develop their Indigenous-owned tourism business, the Wiwa community of Gotsezhy has experienced significant benefits. The community has seen a substantial increase in their economic income, allowing them to invest in various social programs. These initiatives include improved garbage management, the establishment of community gardens, enhanced access to drinking water, and advancements in education.

The empowerment of women has played a crucial role in this progress, as they actively participate in selling their handicrafts and contribute to the local food experience. Additionally, the younger generation has embraced opportunities for growth, with youths receiving training as local guides to share their rich culture and traditions with visitors.

100
people employed
450
community members benefitting
.

Critical Need

In 2015, Planeterra began working in Colombia with the Indigenous people of the Sierra Nevada — the Wiwa and Kogui. They are descendants of the ancient Tayrona people and have remained in isolation throughout history until the last couple of generations, where they have had increased contact with the outside world as they struggle to avoid conflict in the high mountainous region where illegal activity persists.

Most of these communities that are located on the route to Santa Marta benefit very little or are excluded from the tourism sector. 


Our Involvement

The Wiwa community of Gotsezhy had a strong desire for access to tourism that could uphold their cultural values. They wanted to celebrate and share their customs and traditions while also guaranteeing territorial sanitation and economic autonomy for the families in these communities. Planeterra worked directly with the community leaders to identify opportunities in communities along the Ciudad Perdida (Lost City) trekking route.

Planeterra worked with Wiwa Tours, an Indigenous-owned agency, to implement a comprehensive training and capacity-building program. The aim was to enhance employment opportunities for Indigenous-owned tourism businesses and guides in the region. This initiative led to the establishment of a training kitchen, meal, and handicraft experience in the Wiwa community of Gotsezhy, all facilitated by local residents. Moreover, the creation of a community enterprise named Regufio Gotsezhy along the trek route has opened avenues for women to sell traditional bags and handicrafts to visiting tour groups, as well as provide meals to trekkers. 

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Floreana Ecotours

September 3, 2020 Planeterra Partners

Floreana Ecotours

Floreana Island, Ecuador

Impact

Through Planeterra’s partnership and connecting Floreana Ecotours to tourism industry partners, tourism activity has increased on the island, allowing them to receive a greater number of passengers who can participate in different activities and services provided by members of the community such as food, lodging, kayaking, trekking, and more. This increase allows the residents of Floreana Island to have more employment opportunities, especially the younger people on the island. This partnership has increased their income and has improved their household conditions. Further, through their increased income and empowerment through our partnerships, it has enabled the community to be able to protect the unique biodiversity of the island.

3
people earning an income
9
community members benefitting

Critical Need

Tourism is the main economic activity in the Galapagos, dating back to the early 1970s when local communities offered tours around the islands on their personal fishing boats. Over the past three decades, the number of visitors has increased to well over 100,000 tourists each year and is now at a critical point. Specifically, one of the islands in the archipelago, Floreana Island, experienced a sharp increase in short day tours but the residents were not seeing the benefit of this growth. 

With few job opportunities from this added tourism, the community’s youth had been choosing to leave the island to study and they rarely returned. Investing in training and infrastructure in the Galapagos’ first community-based tourism program benefits both the island’s young entrepreneurs and its unique wildlife, preserving Floreana for future travellers and islanders alike.

Our Involvement

Planeterra invested in a large scale training program to enable residents of Floreana Island to manage all aspects of tourism on their island. The community-owned-and-managed association coordinates tourism activities such as guiding, trekking, kayaking and snorkeling; improving food services; developing business and hospitality management skills including accounting, and reservations.

The goal is to provide job opportunities for the island’s 150 residents to benefit from the booming tourism industry. By controlling the number of arrivals to the island, and improving the experience with an overnight stay, Floreana can maintain its pristine habitat, clean waters, and natural heritage.

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DinéHózhó

September 3, 2020 Planeterra Partners

Native Grill

Navajo Nation

Impact

Along with encouraging more travellers to stop at roadside craft cooperatives and artisan markets, Planeterra has partnered with the Native Grill, a DinéHózhó-supported food truck owned and run by the Littleboy family, just outside of Cameron, Arizona. Planeterra has successfully integrated meals at Native Grill for tourism brands like G Adventures, Travelsphere, and Just You, providing a grant for the business to be ready for additional international customers. The Littleboy family and the surrounding community benefit from travellers stopping for a meal and perhaps purchasing handicrafts from local artisans, they can also provide insight into the Indigenous culture of the Dine, while educating travellers on what life is like in Navajo Nation today. 

50
community members benefitting

Critical Need

Besides income earned from natural resources in the region, the Diné (which means “the people”, and is the name Navajo tribes use to refer to themselves in their own language) are engaged in major development initiatives targeted toward health, education, economic development, and employment. Navajo Nation faces a 45% unemployment rate and while federal policies have promoted resource extractive industries, the small business sector remains underdeveloped. Many non-profit organizations, tribal programs, and government entities have made it their mission to change this statistic but even with government funding, technical support, impact assessments, feasibility studies, and financing, these efforts have made very little impact on the Navajo economy overall, and there remains a real need for small business incubation networks, which are appearing more and more.

DinéHózhó aims to integrate Diné/Navajo culture, sustainability, conservation, and local knowledge to realize a placed-based sustainable economy that upholds the Hózhó concept and Diné principles. They further strive to cultivate seeds of capacity building, regional empowerment, and economic livelihoods that transition toward sustainable communities and improves the Diné quality of life.

Our Involvement

Seeing the need for investment in the tourism industry of Navajo Nation, Planeterra reached out to DinéHózhó, a community-based low-profit limited liability company that works with Indigenous-owned businesses to assist in their development and connect them to the tourism industry.

One of the current DinéHózhó initiatives includes working towards the creation of a corridor of locally-owned Diné businesses on the route towards the Grand Canyon East Gate, one of the most travelled roads around this incredibly popular destination.

Planeterra partnered with them to promote travellers visiting their first Diné/Navajo experience on popular routes through the western US region. Planeterra also provided a grant for upgrades to the Native Grill Food Truck, providing extra solar panels, hospitality training, as well as seating and shade for additional guests. 

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El Hongo

September 3, 2020 Planeterra Partners

El Hongo

Playa del Carmen, Mexico

Impact

Funds from El Hongo, a restaurant located in Playa del Carmen, are used to support programs including art and cooking lessons, and to pay for the teachers and materials that work with the youth in the area. Art programs are tailored to youth ages 6-15 in Playa and are used to foster creativity and support sustainability and development in their neighbourhoods. More than 60 youth are benefitting from these programs supported by revenue generated from El Hongo. 

60
youth benefitting
120
community members benefitting

Critical Need

Playa del Carmen is one of the fastest growing cities in all of Latin America. It’s one of Mexico’s major tourism destinations and since it’s just outside of Cancun, it is the gateway to the resorts of Riviera Maya and Tulum. The city has changed drastically over the years and now, every store and international brand can be found on the city’s main strip. Most locals live on one side of the main highway, which many travellers do not get to see. Services are not the same there and are much more basic, even the roads remain unpaved.

Our Involvement

El Hongo, “The Mushroom” is a volunteer-run restaurant created as a means to earn income to support Calle 19, a community art program in the “real” Playa del Carmen, Mexico. Volunteers from the community developed El Hongo to clean up the neighbourhood and inspire youth to take part in programs to develop their skills and give them confidence for a brighter future. Planeterra connected El Hongo with our partners at the tour operator G Adventures, who now take their travellers to tour the neighbourhood to see the street art created by the youth who are part of the program and enjoy a meal at the restaurant.

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+1(416)263-4671
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Canada Not-for-Profit Corporation Number: 793488-2, US 501 (c)(3) public charity, EIN 83-1619668