The dry corridor in Guatemala is one of the 10 most vulnerable areas to climate change in the world. Malnutrition is becoming an endemic problem and along with poverty, is driving migration. Rotary Oakland's project is called Adapting Family Agriculture to Climate Change Through Youth Leadership in Rabinal Guatemala. We've done a pilot project so we know we have a positive impact. It's a culmination of a decade of work developing the capacity of a local youth education organization Voces y Manos to help address an existential community problem.
We've taught 3 indigenous, Maya-Achi speaking youth as agricultural technicians who train 250 family farms (1250 people) helping them adapt to climate change which is consistently destroying their traditional crop, maize, due to lack of rain in growing season. Farmer training focuses on implementing sustainable agricultural practices that improve productivity, income, nutrition, and increase climate resilience. Practices include adoption of soil and water conservation techniques, diversification of land parcels, reforestation, and use of organic fertilizer to restore degraded soil and improve crop yields. These agro-ecological practices have been scientifically proven to enhance climate resilience by substantially improving the water retention capacity of soil. They are also culturally appropriate to the local community, and therefore more likely to be sustained than exogenous practices. To improve household income, a primary strategy will be the introduction of locally appropriate commercial crops which are resistant to the drying effects of climate change, as well as vaccination of poultry and larger livestock to ensure their survival. Growing a diversity of fruits, vegetables, and commercial crops with local demand-as documented in the community assessment-can contribute to improved economic well-being and nutrition. Skills and strategies learned will allow participants and local community leaders with whom we work to continue practicing sustainable agriculture methods, increasing their resilience to climate change, and thereby improving families' economic conditions.
This is the perfect Rotary project utilizing indigenous young people, edcucated over a decade with Rotary help to a dress an existential problem within their local communities. Please see the uploaded summary and budget.
Completed
This project is "Completed". This means the project has been implemented and the report was accepted by The Rotary Foundation. The project will stay listed on this website as a testimony of the achievements of the project partners.
Project listed for the 2022-23 Rotary Year.
The TRF Grant application number is #2125542.
Proposed Financing
Existing Contributions Towards This Project
Date
Cash
DDF
Total
Guatemala del Este (4250)
28-Aug-21
$8,500
$0
$8,500
District 6710 DDF
28-Aug-21
-
$5,000
$5,000
District 5150 DDF
28-Aug-21
-
$3,000
$3,000
District 5170 DDF
28-Aug-21
-
$2,792
$2,792
District 5170 DDF
28-Aug-21
-
$16,000
$16,000
District 5170 DDF
28-Aug-21
-
$3,378
$3,378
District 5150 DDF
28-Aug-21
-
$1,000
$1,000
Truckee (5190)
28-Aug-21
$2,000
$0
$2,000
Chicago (6450)
28-Aug-21
$2,000
$0
$2,000
Amount Requested from The Rotary Foundation
-
$24,935
$24,935
Additional Contribution (not matched by The Rotary Foundation)
$56,395
Total
$125,000
DDF contributions in grey are pending approval of the corresponding district committee.
Note: as of July 1, 2015 there is a 5% additional support fee for cash contributions. This fee does not appear in the financials above because it does not apply if the funds are sent directly to the project account (without going through TRF, and therefore without Paul Harris credit). Clubs sending their cash contribution to TRF must be aware they will have to send an additional 5%.
