The Above Video Highlights Issues Our Project Addresses
Four Bridges Traveling Permaculture Institute is developing projects to support indigenous communities around the globe. Our annual conference addresses world issues in sustainability. Throughout the year, we take action to support these issues. This year we chose to support projects in Peru and Bolivia.
Mission Statement: We are a diverse group of people dedicated in preserving and sharing our cultures and restoring a healthy way of life through a collective effort of farmers, educators, healers, youth, elders, and spiritual leaders.
We have organized a partnership between College Sustainability Students in the U.S. and indigenous people in Andean Communities of Peru and Boliva. Students will participate in projects designed to restore and sustain these indigenous communities. This project will create mutually beneficial relationships that will offer insight to students of conditions in third world countries, as well as course credit toward their college degree. In return, each community visited by the class will receive much needed supplies and services to support their community and build sustainable systems that will benefit their communities for years to come. Areas served will include Quechua and Aymara communities in the area of Cusco, Peru, Bolivia, and a project to build a Montesorri School directed by Oscar Olivera, of Cochabamba, Bolivia who is featured in the above video.
What We Need & What You Get
We are raising funds to connect low income students in the United States with impoverished indigenous communities in Peru and Bolivia. Funds are needed to bring students to these areas for practical, hands on workshops in sustainability. Workshops have been created to help build infrastructure including greenhouses, seed banks, classrooms, and outdoor garden classrooms. These projects will empower women, elders and youth to maintain, improve, and expand this infrastructure to sustain their communities for many generations to come.
Donations will cover tuition and accommodations for low income students from the US to participate in this progam, and will provide funding, supplies, materials, and other resources to complete projects in various indigenous communities in Peru and Bolivia.
Support ¡Sostenga! Founding Farm Manager, Elijah Trujillo's Travel to South America for Final Practicum Experience!
Elijah Trujillo was the first student farmer on the Sostenga Farm when he started taking classes in Environmental Science, Sustainable Agriculture in 2007. He was the lead on the development of the garlic project and saw many new crops to fruition.
Elijah plans to graduate in May 2013 and must complete 160 hours student practicum in the applied Environmental Sciences and seeks your support to help get him on his way. The project is an organized a partnership between various College Sustainability Students in the U.S. and indigenous people in Andean Communities of Peru and Boliva. Students will participate in projects designed to restore and sustain these indigenous communities. This project will create mutually beneficial relationships that will offer insight to students of conditions in third world countries, as well as course credit toward his college degree. Areas served will include Quechua and Aymara communities in the area of Cusco, Peru, Bolivia, and a project to build a Montesorri School directed by Oscar Olivera, of Cochabamba, Bolivia.
To provide a donation to help Elijah and other students meet this goal please donate to our campaign!
The Impact
The impact of this project provides a win win situation, offering opportunities not otherwise available for low income US students, while performing humanitarian support to impoverished indigenous people in third world countries. The impact will be profound;
- Low income US Students will be afforded the opportunity of a lifetime to travel to far away lands, and experience first hand what it means to exist in a third world country.
- Students will gain a sense of satisfaction in knowing that their work has helped others in need.
- Students will receive training and credits in sustainable practices that can be put into practical use in their own communities back in the US.
- Upon their return to the US, students continue their service for 6 weeks in their own communities, building infrastructure and teaching practical, hands on sustainable skills.
- Quechua and Aymara communities receive much needed supplies, materials, training, and infrastructure to empower their future generations.
- Strong connections will be developed for future projects, which will include bringing young people from the communities we impact, to our educational farm in Santa Cruz, NM for further training and fellowship.
Other Ways You Can Help
If you cannot donate to this campaign, you can help this project in other ways;
- Share this campaign with your friends.
- Become a member of Four Bridges Traveling Permaculture Institute.
- Volunteer for other projects and activities.
- Visit our website at www.4bridges.org.