A Mobilized Community, Río Abajo
By Steve Gretzinger, Green Empowerment Board Member It had been many years since I had last put on dusty boots to visit a remote, rural village in Central America. On Friday, February 21st I was blessed to have the chance to see Green Empowerment’s water project in Northern Nicaragua far from the beaches frequented by…
Read MoreInvesting in Resiliency in Amaguaya, Bolivia
Perched on the banks of a small river in the vast, rugged landscape of the Andes Mountains sits the community of Amaguaya. The Aymara people who call Amaguaya home have made their living for generations through raising llamas and farming potatoes. Though small by some standards, this community of 56 families is a hub in…
Read MoreSupport Sovereignty and Protect Natural Resources
Written by Green Empowerment Board Member Joseph Richards * Pictured above People of Ulu Papar, Sabah, Malaysian Borneo protesting a mega-dam that would flood their community. Dear Friends, I am really excited to share my Green Empowerment story with you, a tale of a remote community in need, organizations that answered the call and a mission…
Read MoreFresh Faces at Green Empowerment
Here at Green Empowerment we are excited to introduce you to two new members of our team, Mohammad Pakravan and Abraham Ngu! Mohammad Pakravan, Technical Program Manager Mohammad joined our Portland headquarters in August where he has taken up the mantle of Technical Program Manager. Originally from Isfahan, Iran, Mohammad describes his hometown as “a city with mountains…
Read MoreSharing Modern Technology, Gaining Ancient Wisdom
A Volunteer’s Reflections from the Field by Miriam Zubizarreta Ostivar Some people back home questioned me about the lack of facilities and comfort during site visits. My answer was that far from being a problem, it was grounding to see how few material items and luxuries we actually need to be happy. The Setting When…
Read MoreHealth and Happiness in Huarina and Beyond
Dear friends, This spring I traveled to the Bolivian highlands to meet the families of Huarina, whose lives were transformed by a clean cook stove project that we recently completed. I was welcomed by their smiles and joyful stories of women cooking on their new stoves without tears in their eyes or coughing attacks. I…
Read MoreGreen Empowerment Receives Energy Globe Award for Nicaragua
Many thanks to the Energy Globe Foundation for awarding Green Empowerment with an award for our revolving solar credit fund in Northern Nicaragua. This project was designed to help tackle energy poverty in Northern Nicaragua. We partnered with local coffee cooperative El Gorrión to establish a revolving credit fund to provide 150 coffee-farming families with…
Read MoreBuilding Resilient Communities and Supporting Market Participation in the Bolivian Highlands
Written by Andrea Johnson, Green Empowerment Executive DirectorGreen Empowerment has worked in Bolivia since 2016 with partner, Practical Action. The majority of our projects, including our first project along Lake Titicaca, focus on renewable energy systems for productive end uses with indigenous communities. Bolivia is consistently ranked as the second or third poorest country in the…
Read MoreFarewell, Elise!
Written by Executive Director, Andrea Johnson It is with mixed emotions that Green Empowerment says farewell to Elise Kittrell, our Technical Manager and Peru and Bolivia Program Lead. Elise will be taking on an exciting new role as an Environmental Engineer at PBS Environmental and Engineering. In this new role, Elise will take her experiences…
Read MoreWashington State University Travels to Ecuador!
Written by Green Empowerment Operations Manager, Martin Olza and Trip Participant, Danielle Keerbs This spring, students and faculty from Washington State University traveled to Ecuador with Green Empowerment to help advance our projects in Imbabura. The trip was a unique opportunity for this environmental studies class to apply lessons learned in the classroom and learn new concepts related to global…
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