INVEST IN COMMUNITY PROJECTS AND WE WILL DOUBLE YOUR CONTRIBUTION
Between July 1st-August 31st, all donations will be matched up to $82,000
Thank you for your support of projects that create viable futures for the people of the altiplano. This year alone your gifts will provide 50 scholarships to students from rural communities, increase the capacity of 6 communities to combat childhood anemia, improve the oral health of 254 children in rural communities, and provide a sustainable source of capital for 166 people to invest in the improvement of their businesses.
Community-led, integrated development and long-term collaboration with communities are fundamental to the Foundation’s mission. When you make a donation to a rotating fund project, you provide communities with a source of capital for years to come. Once a community repays the initial loan, those funds remain for the use of the community when it defines subsequent development projects. The project spotlighted below exemplifies just how important long-term collaboration is for sustainability and highlights how the rotating fund program helps communities reach their economic development goals.
Project Spotlight: The Restoration and Protection of Bofedales
The Chijnaya Foundation works with five alpaca herding communities and supports their efforts to improve their economies. Our collaboration considers all the factors that must be addressed including: reducing herd mortality rates, improving breeding practices, strengthening organizational and administrative capacities, improving yarn production, and restoring and protecting the high wetland areas, the “bofedales” that make alpaca herding possible.
Bofedales are wetlands found in the Andes of Peru, Bolivia and Chile at elevations above 12,500 ft above sea level. They are an essential part of high-altitude environments because they help regulate water levels, provide water for both animal and human consumption, and provide grazing pasture for livestock. Due to climate change and overgrazing, bofedales are disappearing. In April, the herding communities of Coarita, La Union, Pucarayllu, Alto Pucarayllu, and Sapanccota began the implementation of the Restoration and Protection of Bofedales project to protect these vital landscapes and ultimately their way of life. The project involves multiple communities and employs local technicians for their expertise in various fields. This initiative is unique in serving the needs of marginalized communities that are seldom the recipients of outside support.
While the Foundation has been successful in securing funding for the initial phase of the project, there is a critical need for continued support to accomplish lasting improvements. Please invest in this crucial endeavor and other community-led initiatives during the matching campaign. For more information on this project and others please visit our website at chijnayafoundation.org.
Empowering altiplano communities would not be possible without your support. Please help us receive the full matching grant of $82K, and double your impact between July 1st- August 31st while all donations are matched up to $82K. We are truly grateful for your generosity and dedication to creating opportunities for Andean communities to define and pursue their goals.
Sincerely,
Susan C. Bourque, President
[email protected]
Kimberly Mazza, Executive Director
[email protected]
Liz Klarich, Secretary
[email protected]