Advocating for Renewable Energy in the Land of Free Diesel
Global Challenges, Local Solutions: Series #2 By Mohammad Pakravan, Green Empowerment Technical Program Manager Without a doubt electricity is one of the most vital infrastructures for any development initiative. However, not any type of electricity source is appropriate or sustainable for development, especially in remote areas. While many of the community members in the rainforests…
Read MoreBacteria, Boiling & the Body’s Resistance: Dispelling Myths About Access to Clean Drinking Water
Global Challenges, Local Solutions: Series #1 By Mohammad Pakravan, Green Empowerment Technical Program Manager In January of this year I traveled to Malaysian Borneo to learn about development and capacity building in Malaysian Borneo. During my month-long visit in Sabah and Sarawak and Indonesia, I had a chance to visit some of the most remote…
Read MoreWhy partnership inspired me to roll up my sleeves and make cebiche!
I participated in the #cebichechallenge for several reasons, the first was to help raise awareness about Green Empowerment’s vital efforts to bring renewable energy and clean water to rural communities across the globe, communities like San Antonio, Nicaragua and Membrillar, Peru. In the isolated high desert region of northern Nicaragua, the 70 family community of…
Read MoreWhat Flows from a Protected Watershed?
In honor of Earth Day we are thrilled to share that earlier this month the government of Nicaragua officially recognized the “Reserva Silvestre, El Cua,” established by our local partner organization the Association of Rural Development Workers- Ben Linder (ATDER-BL), as one unified forest reserve. The reserve was built piece by piece over the last…
Read MoreA 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…
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