Cuzco Youth Drop-in Centre “Inti Runakunaq Wasin”

Cuzco Youth Drop-in Centre “Inti Runakunaq Wasin”

August 21, 2020 Planeterra Partners

Cuzco Youth Drop-in Centre "Inti Runakunaq Wasin"

Cusco, Peru

Impact

Thanks to a partnership with Planeterra, Inti Runakunaq Wasin has been able to grow as an organization and has expanded to five other locations throughout the country where children are more vulnerable: San Jeronimo, Ccatcca, Huayopata and Quillabamba. In these locations, they have implemented four other centres for well-being called “Centros para el Buen Vivir” (Centres for Good Living) impacting and benefiting more than 2,600 children, adolescents and young adults. Now, these children and young adults have recognized their own potential while also developing their creativity and social skills so that they can face the future with optimism and confidence in themselves.

2,600
people directly impacted

Critical Need

Despite Cuzco being one of the most touristic cities in Peru, social problems persist in the population. According to a study of National Comprehensive Programs for Family Welfare (INABIF), there are 26,000 children and adolescents who have been abandoned by their families or they have fled their homes in order to avoid forms of domestic violence in Peru. Frequently, these children are prone to begging, homelessness, crime, addictions, and victims of sexual exploitation. Their situation also prevents them from accessing education, protection and nutrition leading to poor health.

In Cuzco there is a lack of support and lack of programs for families, children, young adults and people with different abilities. This has resulted in many to turn to the street for support including children(economically and socially), especially since the boom of tourism in Cuzco began. This need was what prompted Planeterra founder, Bruce Poon Tip, to support a sustainable program for this community back in 2004.

Inti Runakunaq Wasin (IRW) is a non-profit organization with 19 years of institutional experience, whose mission is to contribute to the development of children, adolescents and young people who are victims of family violence.

Our Involvement

Planeterra partnered with Inti Runakunaq Wasin to support the development of children, adolescents, young people, women and people with special needs who are at risk, abandoned victims of domestic violence or those looking to improve their quality of life by promoting positive participation in their communities and families.

Planeterra funded the purchase of their main centre in 2009 so that they could have a permanent place for a voluntary drop-in centre, now known as  Inti Runakunaq Wasin “The House of Children of the Sun” where children and youth grow and flourish with different educational training, workshop, occupational and income generation programs.

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Moshi Mamas

August 21, 2020 Planeterra Partners

Moshi Mamas

Moshi, Tanzania

Impact

Give a Heart to Africa (GHTA) welcomes approximately 30 women annually into their year-long school program. By connecting the graduates of the school with a primary consumer market from the tourism industry, the makers of the Moshi Mamas and Lala Salama Spa can create a full-time income for themselves and their families. Transport, a platform to speak about the work of Give a Heart to Africa, and a market link are provided through Planeterra’s partnership with G Adventures. Proceeds from the sales help support the women-owned-and-run businesses and school, allowing more women to access free education.

30
women employed
600
community members benefitting

Critical Need

Gender inequality is still very much felt in Tanzania. Things are changing, but when it comes to educational opportunities, girls are still often passed over first compared to their brothers or male cousins. Only 5% of girls finish secondary school. Education for adults is expensive and as many males in the family control the income of the household, many adult women have limited chances to invest in their own education and the well-being of their family.

Our Involvement

Planeterra partnered with a free, women-only, adult business school named Give a Heart to Africa (GHTA) in 2015. GHTA provides a year-long curriculum in Business Management, Accounting, and English. Top graduates (based on drive, need, and grades) are provided seed-funding to start their own businesses. Planeterra funded and supported businesses launched by graduates that serve the tourism industry, as the town of Moshi where the school is located is a  popular destination for travellers hiking Mount Kilimanjaro. Businesses supported include a handicraft maker’s studio and shop, called the Moshi Mamas Cooperative, as well as the Lala Salama Spa.

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Maasai Clean Cookstoves

August 21, 2020 Planeterra Partners

Maasai Clean Cookstoves

 Rift Valley, Tanzania

Impact

So far, the Maasai Stoves & Solar Project has trained over 120 women and installed more than 4,000 stoves in more than 60 Maasai villages across the Serengeti. Planeterra connected Maasai Stoves & Solar with travellers from G Adventures and Travelsphere, and their travellers have supported over 250 of the stoves installed, with each new stove removing 90% of indoor smoke in a family’s home. The engineering team has also created 11 widow support groups that provide social support for widowed women across a number of villages. 

15
women employed
1,250
community members benefitting

Critical Need

Household air pollution through traditional cooking practices over an open-fire stove or inefficient fuel burning stove is the fourth biggest health risk in the world. Four million people die worldwide each year from exposure to cookstove smoke that causes cancer, pneumonia, heart and lung disease, blindness and burns. Close to half of the pneumonia deaths among children under five can be linked back to the inhalation of particulate matter from indoor smoke. Every eight seconds, smoke from traditional indoor cooking fires claims a life.

The Maasai Stoves & Solar Project has developed a local solution to the problem of indoor air pollution, and have engineered clean cookstoves that can be easily installed into homesteads across East Africa. Affordable and made with local materials, they’re even installed alongside solar lights by an all-female team of engineers.

Our Involvement

Planterra helped the Maasai Stoves & Solar Project to develop an educational experience around the installation of their stoves, and it is their first revenue-generating program related to tourism. The visit is led by the organization’s all-female engineer team, which takes travellers to experience the air quality of a boma (homestead) with and without a clean cookstove. The tour pays for the cost of a new stove in the homes that do not have one. Along with the stoves, the entire boma also receives solar power, increasing security and safety in the homes.

Maasai Stoves & Solar works closely with Maasai women to incorporate their ideas into the stove construction. Through a training course, women become experts of stove and solar panel installation in their villages and neighboring villages. They have also begun training community members on more sustainable methods to create cow feed to avoid environmental destruction due to overgrazing.

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Nyamirambo Community Tour

August 21, 2020 Planeterra Partners

Nyamirambo Women's Center

Kigali, Rwanda

Impact

The Nyamirambo Women’s Center launched the product line “Umutima” – including housewares and children’s wear, employing women from the community, at a fair wage for their work. At the moment there are 50 women employed as seamstresses, and women from various other cooperatives contribute their weaving talents through contracts with Nyamirambo.

As part of NWC’s goals to promote women in tourism, the center has started to offer a community walking tour and lunch. The community-based tour runs in Nyamirambo community of Kigali, giving visitors an insight into the every-day life and challenges, social events and businesses. It also employs six local guides to facilitate and organize the tours. Travellers obtain an authentic experience and at the same time, the tour benefits the women at NWC and the community at large.

78
women employed
390
community members benefitting

Critical Need

Many Rwandan women face gender-based violence, inequality, and discrimination. The Nyamirambo Women’s Center (NWC) opened in 2007 to provide education and training to disadvantaged women so that they can gain better opportunities for employment. To fulfill its mandate, NWC offers the community different activities, such as free classes in literacy, English, basic computer skills, handicrafts and sewing, and training on gender-based violence and women’s empowerment.

In order to ensure they can support their community, the Nyamirambo Women’s Center started taking advantage of the tourism industry in Kigali by offering community tours, cooking classes and craft workshops.

Our Involvement

Planeterra partnered with Nyamirambo Women’s Center 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, showing travellers what it’s like to live in this vibrant community. Their other tourism experiences include a local cooking class and lunch. Planeterra was able to connect Nyamirambo Women’s Center with the travellers from G Adventures’ group tours, who now visit the organization to learn about their work, purchase handicrafts, and enjoy the walking tour and lunch.

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Cafe Ubuntu

August 21, 2020 Planeterra Partners

Café Ubuntu

Nakuru, Kenya

Impact

“I am deeply passionate about enabling others who may not have hope, because my own life is a testimony that it is possible to rise from the ashes. After joining Ubuntu, my life was never the same again. I finally felt at home, after having been discriminated against in my native community because of my son’s condition. I have five children between the ages of 12 and 29. Mike, my 15-year-old, has special needs. Before joining Ubuntu, I worked menial jobs to earn some income. Then Ubuntu taught me to sew. I had no prior training in the trade, but over the course of one year, I learned. We created things from scratch. And I harnessed these new skills and it helped change my life exponentially. I became part of the growth and development of Ubuntu Made. I now have a great sense of purpose. I have a renewed hope for making a better future for my children.” – Alice Njeri, one of the Ubuntu Makers

400
people directly impacted
1,200
community members indirectly benefitting

Critical Need

Maai Mahiu town is located along the major tourist and trade route in East Africa.  This route is also known as the AIDS Highway due to the truck drivers who travel it propelled the spread of the disease. As adults become ill or die, they leave an ever-growing population of orphaned or abandoned children to fend for themselves on the garbage-strewn streets.  These hardships along with the communities roughly 80% unemployment rate makes it extremely difficult to build and empower themselves and those around them. The Ubuntu Team realized that lasting change begins with creating jobs, and building opportunities that empower the local community to take ownership of their own lives so that they can begin building a brighter future for their families and the wider community.

Our Involvement

Our ground partners, Ubuntu Team, empower communities and create jobs through social impact businesses in Kenya, including Ubuntu Made, Ubuntu Cafe, and Ubuntu School. Our corporate partners support Ubuntu Made and Ubuntu Cafe by incorporating a visit to the Cafe in their Kenya tours. Through intentional purchasing decisions, our corporate partners are helping provide a customer base for the Ubuntu Team, which, in turn, offers jobs for marginalized women in Kenya. Travellers enjoy a complimentary meal at Ubuntu Cafe and have the opportunity to shop for locally and internationally sold products as memorable and impactful souvenirs. These social businesses also support Ubuntu School, which addresses injustices affecting the community of children with special needs by providing therapy, education, and vocational training.

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Mto wa Mbu

August 21, 2020 Planeterra Partners

Mto wa Mbu Cultural Tourism

Monduli, Tanzania

Impact

Mama Yusuphu and her family, including Aziza, pictured below, are cooks who host a meal that is part of Mto wa Mbu’s tour of the area. Visitors eat a traditional meal cooked and served at one of the host families in the village, allowing many households to benefit from the tours. The benefits from Mto wa Mbu’s community tourism initiative are invested back into community development projects like sanitation projects for the local schools. They also run a training program, where youth pursuing a career in tourism can shadow tours while they are studying at university.

475
people employed
2,380
community members benefitting

Critical Need

Nestled in the Monduli district outside of the Tanzanian city of Arusha is the community of Mto wa Mbu, meaning “river of mosquitos.” In a country where the unemployment rate hovers just above 10%, Mto wa Mbu Cultural Tourism Enterprises is providing jobs to locals, including women, in an innovative and sustainable way that celebrates local culture and heritage. Boosting the economies of villages and towns near national parks also increases the protection of the environment, biodiversity and curbs urban migration and loss of culture and heritage. The Mto wa Mbu people are successfully celebrating their heritage and people while protecting the valuable natural resources and wildlife alongside which they coexist.  

Our Involvement

Planeterra works alongside Mto wa Mbu Cultural Tourism Enterprises to monitor the positive effects of tourism on the village, which runs multiple experiences for travellers such as bike tours, cultural experiences, and delicious meals.

Along with empowering community members through employment and economic opportunities through an influx of visitors willing to purchase goods such as handicrafts, Mto wa Mbu also has a Village Development Fund. This means a portion of the funds raised through tourism are invested back into the area for improvements to schools, sanitation and water.

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Life Monteverde

August 21, 2020 Planeterra Partners

Life Monteverde

Monteverde, Costa Rica

Impact

The majority of conventional tourist destinations displace farming culture. In the case of Monteverde, agrotourism has become an alternative to integrate the best of both economies. Life Monteverde is a local leader for this model of agrotourism. Agrotourism also facilitates commercializing specialty coffee at a fair price for Life Monteverde and 10-12 local coffee growers, which allows for a better wage and social services for seasonal and permanent staff. 

Life Monteverde was started by three farming families in 1990, which later grew to create a union of 12 families dedicated to sustainable coffee production, agriculture and education on sustainability. With the growth of the association came the opportunity to benefit the larger community. Today, these 12 families benefit, but so do more than 15 families of permanent staff, more than 40 seasonal workers and the 12-15 neighbouring farms that are also part of Life Monteverde’s coffee production. In addition, 10 more families are involved in a homestay program for study abroad students.

Life Monteverde has a mandate to educate both the local and international community about their work. The organization provides tours free of charge to local school groups, and subsidized tours for Costa Rican university students. They also host thousands of international school groups and visitors each year. 

400
people directly impacted
1,200
community members benefitting

Critical Need

Rampant deforestation in the 20th century left Costa Rican farmers with infertile soil and terrible growing conditions. Recognizing the mistake of this deforestation, the government began implementing policies that encouraged conservation and the preservation of healthy ecosystems in the early 1970s. Later, during the late 80s and early 90s, Costa Rica also promoted a national system of conservation areas, integrating national parks and other protected forests with the surrounding community. As a result, Costa Rica is now known as a global leader in sustainability. 

However, climate change threatens to derail the hard work done to encourage organic agriculture, create national parks, and promote ecotourism. There exists a need for grassroots organizations and companies, like Life Monteverde. Life Monteverde works to promote conservation and the preservation of natural resources and educate locals, students and international tourists about the need for sustainable practices. 

Our Involvement

Through Planeterra’s partnership, we connected Life Monteverde to travellers who are now able to learn about sustainable practices and farming during their visit. This additional revenue for Life Monteverde has increased their income so they are able to grow their educational programs for local schools and students.

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San Antonio Women’s Co-op

August 21, 2020 Planeterra Partners

San Antonio Women's Co-op

San Ignacio, Belize

Impact

The San Antonio Women’s Co-op was formed by a local San Antonio Women’s Group made up of nine Mayan women, with a goal to “empower women and inspire the children.” The women started the cooperative to find a way to earn an income, learn new skills, and share their traditional knowledge not only with visitors but with the younger generation. 

The success of the tourism business has resulted in the cooperative employing nine more women and supporting 11 local artisans.  The cooperative created a community fund, to sponsor girl’s education and have since sponsored the education of two girls who have recently graduated from high school.

24
people directly impacted
144
community members benefitting

Critical Need

The village of San Antonio, a community of 3,500 people in western Belize, has its roots in Mayan traditions and currently practices subsistence agriculture. The average household has seven children, and as in many cultures around the world where resources are scarce, education for women is not prioritized. Girls often go without attending school beyond primary levels. Government support is not easy to access, and so mothers rely on other forms of income to help support their children’s education and send their daughters to high school. With little education, many girls and boys find themselves unemployed at an early age, perpetuating a cycle of poverty.

Our Involvement

Planeterra provided a grant to the San Antonio Women’s Co-op (SAWC), which allowed them to build an indoor workshop space. The new space has increased the centre’s capacity to host many more travellers and has given them added space to safely house their products. This space also resulted in the cooperative being able to add a training program for unemployed youth in the community so that they too can benefit from tourism.

While at the cooperative, travellers try their hand at ancient pottery-making techniques with a group of Mayan artisans, enjoy a delicious home-made lunch, and have a chance to purchase pottery and other crafts made by the women in the community.

A woman makes tortillas over an open stove

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Bike with Purpose

August 21, 2020 Planeterra Partners

Bike with Purpose

Caye Caulker, Belize

Impact

“I am deeply passionate about enabling others who may not have hope, because my own life is a testimony that it is possible to rise from the ashes. After joining The Ocean Academy school opened in 2008 as the very first and only community high school on the island of Caye Caulker. As a result, more than 90% of students are enrolled in school. Many of the students are the first in their families to attend high school. Today, there are 125 students enrolled in Ocean Academy and 25 students are directly involved in the Bike with Purpose project. As the local economy of the island has shifted to aquatic sports, tourism and hospitality services the youth involved in the project develop the skills and training needed for future employment opportunities. Further, the project has reduced the school dropout rate.

22
people directly impacted
132
community members benefitting
Bike with Purpose_Planeterra

Critical Need

On the remote island of Caye Caulker, students often have to travel to the mainland to receive a quality education. This barrier leads many by the age of 12, to choose to quit school and join the workforce. Nation-wide, only 50% of secondary-aged youth are enrolled in school. Prior to the opening of Ocean Academy in Caye Caulker, only 35% of students continued past primary school. The local economy on the island was based on fishing and boat building and lacked other opportunities for the community. 

Our Involvement

In partnership with Ocean Academy and Planeterra sought to create a student-led bicycle tour of the island, that is now called Bike with Purpose. Planeterra raised donations to fund needed bicycles and other materials. Planeterra also connected Bike with Purpose to our tourism partners, creating a constant stream of travellers. Bike with Purpose funds nearly 15% of the educational programs for the students at Ocean Academy.

Belize Caye Caulker Bike with Purpose_Planeterra

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Mi Cafecito

August 21, 2020 Planeterra Partners

Mi Cafecito

Sarapiqui, Costa Rica

Impact

Mi Cafecito is a successful tourism and agriculture co-op which has created many employment opportunities for members of the community as well as connected local farmers and artisans with a market to sell their products, significantly improving the economic development of the community. Mi Cafecito continually develops new touristic experiences for their travellers. Nowadays, they also sell coffee and other artisanal projects online.

30
people directly impacted
90
community members benefitting

Critical Need

In 2009, San Miguel de Sarapiqui, Costa Rica was affected by a massive earthquake. The collapse of the main road left this community with no access to services or customers for several years. As a result, they were unable to access the opportunities that other regions were receiving from the growth of the tourism industry in Costa Rica. In 2011, the CoopeSarapiqui cooperative established the Mi Cafecito Coffee Tour to try to find ways for the coffee producers to earn more money. While it was a good idea, in theory, they did not receive enough visitors to sustain the business and were at the point of shutting down when Planeterra began working with them to develop a sustainable enterprise.

Our Involvement

Planeterra worked with a small community coffee cooperative to develop the Mi Cafecito program, which includes a meal experience at their on-site restaurant, and other related tourism services in San Miguel de Sarapiqui, Costa Rica. As the town’s main cooperative, Coopesarapiquí brings together more than 200 small farmers that produce organic coffee from the four regions of San Carlos, Sarapiqui, Heredia and Alajuela. In addition to the coffee tour, they farm fish for fresh lunches for their visitors. Through training and the connection to Planeterra’s tourism partners, the cooperative was able to triple revenues in the first year of operation.

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