Posadas Mayas

Posadas Mayas

August 21, 2020 Planeterra Partners

Posadas Mayas

San Juan la Laguna, Guatemala

Impact

Through all of the tourism initiatives in San Juan La Laguna and the interconnectedness of all the activities, there are 47 families directly benefiting, but over 400 people indirectly benefiting from tourism. This translates into more access to education and scholarships, improving local infrastructure and training more people in the community in ways of doing sustainable and responsible tourism. The members involved with Posadas Mayas have developed an environmental education program that has been integrated into the local schools’ curriculum, benefiting around 2,000 members of the community.  Topics include waste management, reforestation, and community cleanups. As a part of this program, they plant around 2,500 trees every year.

47
families directly impacted
400
community members benefitting

Critical Need

95% of the 10,177 inhabitants of San Juan La Laguna are Indigenous Mayans of the Tz’utujil ethnicity. The local economy is based on the cultivation and export of coffee by private producers, with community members working as labourers. Most men practice agriculture, while many women work as weavers. Local employment opportunities are extremely limited and many people travel several hours to the cities to find work, many spending several days away from home to be able to provide for their families. This area of Guatemala has strong Indigenous roots and they continually strive to protect their culture and the environment. 

Our Involvement

Planeterra worked with the San Juan La Laguna community in Lake Atitlan to develop a homestay program and visitor centre for groups. This provides access to the tourism market for the small town that had traditionally lacked access to opportunities in tourism. Initiatives related to the homestay program include small businesses that support the tourism industry and the environment. 

These projects aim to increase income for the Tz’utujil people, conserve their cultural heritage and support the long-term health of the local environment. The program is now supporting over 100 additional people in related micro-enterprises that include a Mayan art gallery, multiple weaving co-ops managed by women, coffee and chocolate co-ops, as well as local honey producers.

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Two women stand outside homestay

Puesta Del Sol

August 21, 2020 Planeterra Partners

Puesta del Sol

Ometepe, Nicaragua

Impact

Puesta del Sol has created new job opportunities which has strengthened the economy and quality of life of La Paloma. This has created access to formal education for the members of the Paloma community. They have also developed a series of training programs related to tourism and new tourism initiatives. The Association has created a community fund that allows them to provide scholarships, support the elderly and invest in community infrastructure (local school, local park and others).

18
people directly impacted
300
community members indirectly benefitting

Critical Need

Job opportunities are scarce on the island of Ometepe, which forces many people to emigrate to find work and be able to support their families. The Puesta del Sol community association was founded by women in the community to provide more job opportunities and better the quality of life for the people on the island.

Puesta del Sol received funding from foundations previously in order to develop a homestay program and a community center in their village. However, there were never enough customers to sustain the businesses. Community homestays are often in remote areas and lack the ability to market their services, resulting in little revenue. 

Our Involvement

Planeterra Foundation worked with the community of La Paloma on Ometepe Island to strengthen the homestay program and visitor center for groups. This provides a stable income to a small village that has traditionally lacked the opportunity to benefit from tourism.  Planeterra helped introduce Puesta Del Sol to tour operator G Adventures to help provide a steady stream of travellers. 

Puesta del Sol Association Ometepe, Nicaragua

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Mesilou Atamis Homestay Association

August 21, 2020 Planeterra Partners

Mesilou Atamis Homestay Association

Kundasang, Borneo, Malaysia

Impact

The Mesilou Atamis Homestay Association is managed primarily by the young generation in Mesilou who have returned home to create income from tourism. The program not only provides a new source of income, it also highlights sustainable projects locally, like the organic fruit orchard and the aquaponics farm. Through the regeneration of this tourism experience, and connection to a customer base of international travellers, the community feels they are able to shine again after many years of not having the opportunity to share their culture.

23
families directly impacted

Critical Need

Mesilou Atamis Homestay Association was registered in 2014 with 20 homestay families. Located at 1600m above sea level, the homestay is popularly known as the “The Highest & Coldest Homestay in Malaysia.” In the past, Mesilou Atamis Homestay showcased unique traditional and cultural activities to guests, but over time became more like a home rentals service through demand from the domestic tourism market. A homestay once created as a way to showcase their local culture had lost its connection to cultural celebration and immersion. 

Our Involvement

Planeterra provided a catalyst grant for Mesilou Atamis Homestay (MAH) to undergo a training program by BEST Society, a Malaysian non-profit that has expertise in community development. MAH received training to improve their homestay operation, with a focus on creating new tourism activities that allow travellers to experience and connect with the local culture. 

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!Khwa ttu San Cultural Centre

August 21, 2020 Planeterra Partners

!Khwa ttu San Cultural Centre

Cape Town North, South Africa

Impact

The ||Kabbo Academy takes on approximately 30 students per year for their seven-month program, with a combined total impact that spans approximately 150 dependents across a number of countries in Southern Africa. The implementation of the sustainability training into the ||Kabbo Academy has helped the graduates learn practical skills that they can implement at home. Having international travellers and a new educational tour has also given the graduates and !Khwa ttu staff the opportunity to interact with more international travellers, and practice their English and public-speaking skills.

40
people employed
400
community members benefitting

Critical Need

There are currently around 113,000 San scattered across six countries in Southern Africa, whose ancestors are the earliest visible inhabitants of Southern Africa. The San are increasingly thinking of themselves as ‘First People’ or ‘Indigenous People’, a step that aligns them with the histories and empowerment of ‘First Peoples’ around the world.

Like many other ‘Indigenous People’, the languages, cultures and home ranges of the San are under very considerable threat from the fast changes to their world. They are now amongst the most marginalized and poverty-stricken peoples in Southern Africa.

Our Involvement

Planeterra worked with their partners at G Adventures to help the staff at !Khwa ttu and their trainees at the ||Kabbo Academy to develop a one-of-a-kind tour which will not only educate travellers about San culture and language but will also include information about how the training program is changing lives. Planeterra also provided !Khwa ttu with a grant to be used to enhance the organization’s “Green Team”, adding additional sustainability training into the ||Kabbo Academy, which graduates can implement in their home regions.

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Libaran Island Community Tourism

August 21, 2020 Planeterra Partners

Libaran Island Community Tourism

Sandakan, Borneo, Malaysia

Impact

This tourism experience on Libaran Island is led by women who had never worked outside their homes. As they gain new income through tourism, they are also becoming more confident in speaking with travellers. The tour on Libaran Island highlights unique aspects of the community’s culture, environment and handicrafts, allowing the community to celebrate their culture and share it in a new way with guests.

10
community members employed
1,200
community members indirectly benefitting

Critical Need

Libaran Island is known as Borneo’s “Turtle Island” because thousands of Green and Hawksbill sea turtles return to nest here every year. To protect the turtles, the  FOSTER project, which stands for “Friends of Sea Turtles Education and Research”, was initiated on the island.  Being so remote, there are few economic opportunities for locals. Given that it is a nesting site for endangered species,  it is important that local people have the ability to earn an income that allows them to be stewards of this fragile environment, rather than taking advantage of it.  Tourism that fosters conservation as well as economic opportunities were needed to help this community thrive.

Our Involvement

Planeterra provided a catalyst grant to BEST Society, a Malaysian non-profit that has expertise in community development, to build the capacity of community members in Libaran village with the help of staff from a local resort. Community members learned how to improve the quality of their souvenirs made from ocean plastic waste, as well as how to use local plants like the pandanous leaf for weaving and cooking.

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AidChild’s Café & Gallery

August 21, 2020 Planeterra Partners

AidChild’s Café & Gallery

Kayabwe (Equator), Uganda

Impact

In 2002, AidChild was chosen by USAID, the Uganda Ministry of Health, and the CDC as a model for pediatric HIV/AIDS care for the continent. Through this model, AidChild has served thousands of children, and has graduates and students in the fields of education, medicine, pharmacy, fine arts, cosmetology, and engineering. By supporting A.L.I’s businesses, travellers are having a direct and positive impact on the lives of the youth and children in their care.

52
HIV positive youth benefitting

Critical Need

There are approximately 130,000 children under the age of 14 living with HIV in Uganda. These HIV-positive children and youth are in need of support, medical care, and education that enables them to live long, healthy lives—and to transition from “vulnerable” to powerful. The AidChild Leadership Institute (A.L.I.) provides tutoring, leadership coaching, job-skills training, language development, music education, nutrition and wellness support to the older children or “interns” in the organization’s care. AidChild’s Human Development Centre (H.D.C.) is a creation of the organization’s senior interns at A.L.I., offering psychosocial support and innovative pedagogy in early childhood education for 30 babies and children daily.

Our Involvement

As much as 70% of the A.L.I. budget is covered by the businesses under their corporate label, including AidChild’s Café and Gallery, located where a highway crosses the equator line in Kayabwe, Uganda. Planeterra has partnered with A.L.I. and provided them with a grant to upgrade their kitchen, which once struggled to meet the needs of the busy café. A grant has also been given to provide training to the nine staff members working at the café and gallery. 

Planeterra connected the café with travellers from their tourism industry partners, where they have a meal at AidChild’s Café and Gallery, supporting the charity’s sustainable business so that more funds can be channelled towards A.L.I.’s innovative new models of care.

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Laem Sak Tourism Community Enterprise

August 21, 2020 Planeterra Partners

Laem Sak Tourism Community Enterprise

Ao Luk, Krabi, Thailand

Impact

Our partnership brings additional income to 450 community members in Ao Luk, allowing local businesses to grow. With improved tourism products, the community is better set up to benefit sustainably from tourism and perform in the niche market of adventure tourism. The community members take responsibility for their fragile environment seriously and are able to bring travellers through ecosystems in a way that is sustainable and is educational.

250
community members benefitting

Critical Need

Laem Sak is one of the hidden gems of Southern Thailand, with its beautiful sea, mangroves, islands, cultural diversification, foods, and rich natural resources. Because of this, the Laem Sak Tourism Community Enterprise was launched in 2014 to allow community members to diversify their income. Unfortunately, the program had limited success in reaching customers, as it is considered to be far away from the typical tourist route. As a community near a fragile marine ecosystem, the community members felt a strong desire to attract visitors as a more responsible way to experience the Andaman Sea.  

Our Involvement

Planeterra partnered with the North Andaman Network (NAN), a local non-profit organization that provides training to small community tourism enterprises in order to upgrade the Laem Sak Tourism Community Enterprises’ tourism experience. This included the purchase of new equipment for marine tours and upgrades that would enable them to receive travellers for active tours that include hiking, biking and kayaking. Planeterra connected the Laem Sak community with G Adventures, who bring their travellers to experience the community through a 3-day sea kayaking experience with locals, and hands-on activities like batik making, sea-grape planting and experiencing local foods. These programs are supporting the women, men and youth of this community, making up 12 microenterprises.

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Soa Zara

August 21, 2020 Planeterra Partners

Soa Zara

Ranohira, Madagascar

Impact

Soa Zara and the ITC Lodge employ eight full-time and four part-time staff and their association is made up of five members which include someone from the forestry department and two community members. Soa Zara also works with the local community of Ranohira on a number of community programs that enhance their environmental work. Their “energy tree” project in the town is encouraging the community to grow and use trees solely for the purpose of firewood and charcoal (like fast-growing acacia and eucalyptus) and to discourage the cutting of forests. This project will also protect the longevity of the tree-planting project. 

Soa Zara is working to protect Madagascar’s natural environment while empowering its people, and the result will be the reforestation of the area around Ranohira.  This will lead to a renewal of habitat for species like endangered lemurs, but also expand the current ecosystem within Isalo National Park. 

33
people employed
198
Community members benefitting

Critical Need

Madagascar is home to an abundance of plants and animals found nowhere else on earth. However, because of destruction by humans, the island has lost 90% of its original forests, cleared mostly to make way for agriculture and to be used for fuel. This makes deforestation a major issue in Madagascar, and along with it, the vulnerability of many unique animal species.  

L’Association Soa Zara was founded in 2016, and since then they have planted more than 100,000 trees. Soa Zara has two tree-planting initiatives – the first is a project to replant a forest corridor between Ranohira and Isalo National Park, which will create a green corridor for future rescued lemurs and encourage the repopulation of the area’s wildlife. Green corridors are especially important in Madagascar, as the fragmentation of forests means wildlife can’t migrate and breed outside of small groups created because of isolation caused by deforestation.  

Our Involvement

Planeterra has partnered with Soa Zara to create a tree planting activity for travellers staying at the ITC Lodge. Travellers get hands-on planting their own trees in the “green corridor” next to the Isalo National Park, and learn about the reforestation project.

Along with this steady stream of income from the tree planting experience, Planeterra is helping to support Soa Zara’s current washbasin project. In order to protect the nearby river from pollution, Soa Zara is working with the local women’s cooperative to create a washbasin station and water filtration system in Ranohira, which will allow the community to do their laundry in a safe environment without polluting nearby water systems. This is just one of their many community outreach programs that seeks to bridge the protection of the environment with economic development for the people of Ranohira.

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Penduka

August 21, 2020 Planeterra Partners

Penduka

Windhoek, Namibia

Impact

By ensuring a customer base, Planeterra connected Penduka to a reliable revenue stream for their restaurant. An added bonus is that while waiting for their lunch boxes, travellers visit the workshop to learn more about the work done at Penduka, and often shop for souvenirs to bring home. As a result, travellers are also making a difference in the lives of the cooperative’s women and 350 others, who do not work on the property but are contracted out from various villages in rural Namibia.

81
people employed
405
Community members benefitting

Critical Need

Namibia paid special attention to gender equality and women’s empowerment during the formation of the country’s constitution, and significant gains have been made since then, including increased school enrollment for girls, and political representation for women. However, there is still much improvement left to make for women in the country’s socio-economic sphere. The patriarchal nature of many local cultures combined with the impacts of the HIV/AIDS crisis mean women often face an uphill battle, particularly in women-headed households. Employment opportunities, particularly those that take into account the special circumstances of those living with conditions or illnesses such as HIV are needed throughout the country.

Our Involvement

Planeterra has partnered with Penduka, a women-owned-and-run business in the Katutura Township outside of Windhoek, which employs at-risk women, many of whom are living with chronic illness or are differently-abled. Planeterra provided Penduka with a link to more than 1,500 international travellers and assisted them in the creation of a takeaway-style lunch for travellers heading out of Windhoek to explore the rest of the country.

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Kao Thep Pitak

August 21, 2020 Planeterra Partners

Kao Thep Pitak

Ban Kao Thep Pitak, Suratthani, Thailand

Impact

The tourism program in Kao Thep Pitak engages women, men and youth. It provides a new income source for community members while also promoting local entrepreneurs. The income from tourism has allowed community members to improve their living conditions.

70
people directly impacted
225
community members benefitting

Critical Need

The Kao Tep Pitak community is located next to a beautiful suspension bridge with a clear view of a heart-shaped mountain – a perfect photo opportunity for travellers. With the support of a Thai national tourism organization, the community set up a community-based ecotourism enterprise providing homestays, meals and tours to travellers in 2014.  Unfortunately, even with their tourism enterprise, most travellers simply passed by the village to take a photo on the bridge. Few travellers came to the community and provided any economic benefits to locals. The association wanted to build a community centre that would allow them to better host guests, but they were unable to raise the necessary funds through tourism.

Our Involvement

In partnership with the North Andaman Network (NAN), who originally supported the creation of Kao Tep Pitak’s tourism association, Planeterra was able to provide community members with training in food and hygiene and improvements to the tourism experience. Further, Planeterra provided a grant to see the completion of a community centre which the association had started back in 2016. The community centre included a dining area, kitchen and restrooms for hosting guests. Through Planeterra’s corporate partner G Adventures, we were able to help them secure a stream of thousands of guests to come and visit the community, enjoy fruit orchards, and enjoy a local southern Thai meal. Community members are also able to showcase local handicrafts to the guests which benefits even more community members.

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