Earth Spirit Rejuvenation: Supporting Projects in Indigenous Communities of the US and Bolivia

New Mountain Fund partner, Earth Spirit Rejuvenation, works in the US and Bolivia to provide solutions to cultural, environmental, and economic challenges. Even though this new nonprofit has been in business less than six months, projects are already underway in Bolivia.

Bolivia: Artisan Cooperative and Water System Development

Bolivia is a country of diversity. It houses parts of the Amazon Rain Forest and the Andes Mountains as well as dozens of indigenous cultures. Most of the country’s people live on the high plain, the Altiplano, at 14,000 feet above sea level, surviving on little more than $2 per day per household.

ESR’s purpose in Bolivia is to facilitate:
• the development of artisan cooperatives that can produce desirable products for and find markets in Western countries;
• the exchange of quality artisan goods to the US and of much-needed capital to poor Bolivian families and communities;
• access to the technical expertise of Earth Spirit to help comm. unities develop priorities and specific plans to meet their water and sanitation needs;
• the connection of Bolivian communities with Bolivian nonprofits and businesses that will carry out the needed projects.

Andean Exchange (AEx) is the name they have given the alpaca marketplace for Earth Spirit Rejuvenation. Founding Director Jennifer Hamblen, a hydrologist and yoga instructor, is receiving shipments from three cooperatives which have a total of 110 artisans. She and her AEx partner Karla Tibbetts are busily canvassing the country to find consumers who appreciate intricately beautiful artisan clothing and want to help support indigenous communities. They recently sold the clothing at the Denver Food and Gift Show, where their clothing was a hit! Proceeds from this season’s sales will go to provide training and augment the resources and incomes of the artisan cooperatives as well as to specific community development projects.

This year, Karla and Jennifer will fund public showers in a small rural community, San Jose de Catagaita, which is hours by bus on dirt roads from the closest public shower. After the rainy season ends in June, the shower blocks will be installed, along with a rainwater catchment system on the roof of the school and two dry composting toilets, all funded by Earth Spirit Rejuvenation and TERRA Resource Development, Inc. (www.terradevelopment.org).

Donations go to support specific projects which are overseen and carried about by ESR in the US, and in conjunction with small, local nonprofits in Bolivia. Check out www.earthspiritrejuvenation.org to see how you can help through purchasing clothing, volunteering, and donating funds to specific projects described on their website.

Please contact Jennifer@earthspiritrejuvenation.org for more information.

Help the Children of Nepal

The Social Development Centre Nepal has been in effect since 2006. It's a small home for orphans, and half-orphans (single parent invalid or not capable of caring for the child), located in the Kathmandu neighborhood of Khusibu near Naya Bazaar. Here, these children receive nourishment, shelter, education and medical attention.

At the time of this blog, there are currently 12 children at the centre, and one more will arrive within the week.

Through the combined volunteer efforts of many Nepali community members and international travelers, the orphanage is now being structured to become a sustainable and stable base for these children. This will give them the opportunity to grow up in Kathmandu, and to become healthy, educated and productive Nepali citizens.

The goal is to support these thirteen children as an independent, locally-run and member-funded orphanage. Operated on a completely volunteer basis with no overhead or administrative costs, this is an example of how the hard work of a few people can make a huge difference in the lives of others.

The Centre's director, Suzanne Clark, has created a fundraising page, with the help of The Mountain Fund. Her goal is to help raise the running costs of $800US per annum per child, to gain funds to change their residence to an accommodation which has water and to build a bank balance that will ensure a secure supply of food and education. Please click HERE to visit her fundraising page, and to help support this organization.

Thank you for your support!

[Note: The photo above shows the children in their school uniforms. The school fees and uniforms are generous donations from people who have met the children.]

The Mountain Fund and Adventure Engine Team Up for Nepal Trekking

February 2008: The Mountain Fund and its Trek4Good program are proud to announce an exciting new partnership with Adventure Engine. Adventure Engine is an online administration suite providing everything from reservation programs, inventory management systems, merchant accounts, e commerce solutions, and marketing and distribution programs to adventure tourism suppliers, operators, outfitters and tour companies. The Mountain Fund is a US based charity with a mission to "organize grassroots non-profit and non-governmental organizations from a diversity of disciplines, and to support and coordinate these organizations' efforts to eliminate poverty, its causes and symptoms, in developing mountain communities around the world".

The Mountain Fund/Adventure Engine partnership will make it possible for trekking
agencies in Nepal [who subscribe to ethical treatment of porters, environmentally sound practices and a commitment to sustainable tourism], to access and use the powerful Adventure Engine. The Mountain Fund's Director, Scott MacLennan, says “Many good trekking agents in Nepal are at a market disadvantage in not being able to book online and take payments online. This is standard practice for Western companies, and Western clients have come to expect that level and ease of service. Asking clients to e-mail for information, or send credit card information in an e-mail, costs these companies business. This program will make all that possible and affordable.”

1% for the People:
One of the conditions of accessing Adventure Engine via The Mountain Fund is that 1% of all trip sales will go to The Mountain Fund to be invested in schools, health clinics and other projects in Nepal. It’s a total win-win. The agent gets an affordable, smart, easy-to-use system for booking online and taking secure credit card payments, while helping his/her local charities and schools earn money.

The idea of "1 Percent for the People" was first hatched by Danny Giovale, owner of Kahtoola Snow Shoes. For quite a while, there's been a "One Percent for the Planet" program which supports environnmental work, but what about the people? What about schools, health clinics and microfinance programs? Many people living in mountainous regions today know how to care for the natural environment, as it has been the source of their livelihood for generations. What they lack is access to healthcare, clean water, good education and capital to start businesses. That is what "1 Percent for the People" is all about, by tapping into the need for tour and trekking operators to have powerful, easy to use online booking systems to sell more trips and treks. "1 Percent for the People" makes it possible for trekking agents, hotel owners and tour operators in Nepal to make more money.

To learn more about these new programs, please contact The Mountain Fund's Director, Scott MacLennan, at mtnfund@mountainfund.org.

Moving Mountains in Nepal

The Mountain Fund's
Moving Medical Camp in Kathmandu, Nepal

October 2007:

"Greetings from Kathmandu. The rainy season has gone on about a week longer than it should so it is hot in Kathmandu and will probably be warmer on the trek than I expected as well. I've had to change our itinerary slightly to account for a huge mudslide on the road we need to take. We will have to get off one bus, walk 2km and get on another bus. In case we have any further delay, I've added another clinic day in the area near the Karing For Kids clinic. That way, if we are delayed and can't make the clinic day at Gatlang, we'll have the next day to do a clinic in Chilime. What changes is that we are going to bypass the village of Briddam and go from Timure directly to Syabru. Briddam is well-off compared to everyone else in the area and there are nearly no children in that village. Briddam has a well known home-stay program, and all the children as a result, have ended up with sponors to attend school in Kathmandu. Revised itinerary is attached. Hoping for no further changes, and this is Nepal!"

~ Scott MacLennan, Founder of The Mountain Fund

Trek4Good is a charity trek program of The Mountain Fund. Click HERE to see more information about our treks.