They say that money does not grow on trees but ask the Incas, Aztecs and Costa Rica's Chorotega people and they'd say otherwise. Before Europeans arrived to the Western Hemisphere seeking gold, the region's indigenous people used the tiny brown cocoa seeds as currency. In recent years, cocoa and chocolate has been on decline due to plant diseases but where there is a will, there is a way. On the Western Coast of Costa Rica the 600 native Maleku are bringing cocoa back through sustainable cultivation. We at The Pollination Project excitedly provide seed grants to help make visions a reality, from the forests of Costa Rica to the streets of Uganda.
Please help us welcoming our seven recent grantees to the Pollination Project family!
Harriet Kamashanyu, Rhythm of Life, Kampala, Uganda. A social initiative in the red light district provides HIV-positive women and their daughters with career development opportunities.
Adam Dolezal, Dine Action Camp, Berkeley, California, USA. The Dine people of the Navajos host an action camp aimed in fighting decolonization to build sustainable communities.
Noémie Graas, Cocoa Maleku, El Sol, Costa Rica. The indigenous Maleku are afforded trainings in sustainable management and biodiversity through the reforestation of a cocoa agroforest.
Benedicto H. Ntibikema, Rural Community Adaptation to Climate Change, Kasulu, Tanzania. Trainings in sustainable farming, entrepreneurship and environmental conservation give people the opportunity to overcome poverty in a sustainable way, both to the environment and themselves.
Wirsiy Odette Leila, Herbal Gardens for Schools (HG4S), Bamenda, Cameroon. Community members partake in a 2-day workshop on herbal education, collaborating with schools to establish medicinal plant gardens.
Melanie Gilbert and Melissa Palomo, Street Animal Welfare Education Programming in Nicaragua, Granada, Nicaragua. Training on animal welfare raises awareness and empowers communities to humanely manage their street animal population.
Heather Calcaterra, Project Personal Pack, Lake Orion, Michigan, USA. Children in the foster system are provided packs filled with basic hygienic needs.
Are you inspired by these changemakers? Do you have an idea rooted in bringing peace and justice to all things? We accept grant applications every day of the year. We love learning about projects all across the globe and cannot wait to hear about yours!