1K to believe in solidarity
Julia Navarro wrote, ‘Reality will be what we are capable of building.’ Building more than a thousand projects, through a combination of private effort and the will of the population, strengthens the hope of a possible society.
“The Raíz Foundation” and the “CAEMBA” project can be proud of this milestone. However, this realization has become the line to surpass. Achieving 1,000 projects from April 2016 to September 2023 means that the next decade must break this record.
The essence of “The Raíz CAEMBA Foundation” is formed by the drive to improve the quality of life for populations affected by natural disasters or in conditions of extreme poverty and vulnerability, primarily in the Coast and Amazonia.
The self-imposed condition is that the solutions be quick (needs do not wait), creative (there is always an answer to a problem), and innovative and environmentally friendly (learning from nature and working with it).
One lesson learned is that human generosity is vast. Thanks to donations, we will continue building bamboo houses and community infrastructure, aiming to multiply well-being and enhance local capacities. We aspire to eradicate precarious housing, promote sustainable livelihoods, and increase quality intercultural education in Ecuador.
Starting in 2023, our goal at “Raíz CAEMBA” is to build 5,000 bamboo houses in Ecuador to improve the lives of approximately 25,000 people in the next decade. This also includes constructing and replicating the Women’s House model in new sectors of Ecuador (this is a development center for beneficiaries of the houses).
In the Amazon, we aspire to include more indigenous schools with the “Beyond Lagartococha program” and replicate programs like the bioenterprise initiative to promote the creation of sustainable livelihoods in other areas of this region.
This purpose is also fulfilled by harnessing the virtues of a noble material: bamboo. On the farm, it is managed to ensure sustainable production, providing the raw material to build as many structures as possible. There is a significant reduction in the carbon footprint.
Many companies and institutions, as well as individuals, have come together to contribute with money, resources, and ideas to the ongoing improvement of the project. But the most valuable is the effort, the sweat put in so that others have a more dignified life in the construction of the houses, achieved with the support of volunteers.
It’s also crucial to highlight the effort of public institutions. Progress is possible because decentralized autonomous governments and other institutions provide the necessary support to ensure that the projects are in place and serve the purpose for which they were built.
Furthermore, and above all, one of the oldest institutions in the Americas, ‘minga,’ has been a fundamental pillar for the constructions. The involvement of the population also strengthens the community fabric, in a cooperative effort to progress towards well-being.
Another area of influence is water. The Foundation has acted with great efficiency in projects to provide clean water to remote communities as a contribution to eliminating malnutrition and in partnership with the private sector.
While each construction is an opportunity to trigger the progress of several families, “The Raíz CAEMBA Foundation” has made it a priority to create tools to ensure that improvements can be sustained over time.
In reality, the areas related to the Sustainable Development Goals make it a project with a strong impact in favor of economic equity, social inclusion, and environmental respect.
Multiplying well-being, reducing poverty, restoring dignity to people, being a single force for resilience—those are the values behind the 1,000 projects. With the same enthusiasm, we are ready to face an even greater challenge.
We count on all of you!
