Roots Renewed

"Roots Renewed" focuses on the complex challenges confronting indigenous communities in Guatemala, such as food insecurity, economic instability, and the loss of cultural identity.

In Guatemala, indigenous groups face poverty levels that exceed the national average. Alarmingly, malnutrition rates among indigenous children are notably high. Local data indicates that about 79% of indigenous individuals in Guatemala live in poverty, in contrast to 41% of the non-indigenous population. Moreover, Guatemala has one of the world's highest rates of chronic malnutrition, affecting around 46% of indigenous children under five with stunting.

These difficulties are worsened by systemic poverty, marginalization, environmental deterioration, and the effects of climate change. These factors not only jeopardize traditional farming methods but also intensify food insecurity.

"Roots Renewed" tackles these issues by implementing sustainable agriculture and food security initiatives, promoting economic empowerment through social entrepreneurship, and preserving cultural and linguistic heritage. Focusing on approximately 100 indigenous families in Alta Verapaz and Quetzaltenango, the project seeks to create a significant impact locally and serve as a scalable model for broader solutions.

"Roots Renewed" is a holistic initiative that seeks to empower indigenous communities in Guatemala through sustainable agriculture, economic empowerment, and cultural preservation. Here's a breakdown of the initiative:

 Sustainable Agriculture: Indigenous families receive training and resources on sustainable farming methods that blend traditional wisdom with modern techniques. Workshops cover soil management, crop rotation, and traditional farming methods to ensure food security and environmental sustainability in the long term.

 Economic Empowerment: We will assist indigenous entrepreneurs, with a focus on women and youth, through entrepreneurship workshops and microfinance opportunities. By leveraging their cultural heritage, they can establish sustainable businesses to enhance household income and contribute to community-wide economic progress.

 Cultural Preservation: Collaboration with local schools and cultural institutions leads to the development of educational programs and materials in indigenous languages. This effort revives and preserves cultural practices, languages, and history, reinforcing cultural identity and safeguarding the transmission of valuable indigenous knowledge to future generations.

 Our approach is community-driven, respects indigenous knowledge and practices, and is founded on sustainable development principles. Our goal is to instigate enduring positive change that uplifts indigenous communities and nurtures a fairer and sustainable future. While we emphasize traditional knowledge and community involvement, we also harness modern tools and technologies for training, resource management, and documentation to ensure efficiency and scalability.

The solution is designed to directly benefit the Maya, Xinca, and Garifuna indigenous communities in the targeted regions of Alta Verapaz and Quetzaltenango, Guatemala.

1. Improve food security and nutrition for approximately 100 indigenous families through sustainable agriculture initiatives:
   

• The project will implement agricultural training programs that integrate traditional indigenous knowledge with sustainable farming practices. This will empower the target communities with the skills and knowledge to improve their food production and security in a sustainable manner.

2. Support economic sustainability and reduce poverty for 20 local indigenous entrepreneurs:

• The project will provide entrepreneurship training and microfinance opportunities for indigenous entrepreneurs, with a focus on leveraging cultural heritage to create sustainable economic activities. This component aims to catalyze community-wide economic development and reduce poverty.

3. Revitalize and preserve indigenous languages, history, and cultural practices, reaching over 1,000 community members:

• The project will develop educational programs and materials in collaboration with local schools and cultural institutions to preserve and promote indigenous languages, history, and cultural practices. This will strengthen cultural identity and ensure the transmission of invaluable indigenous knowledge to future generations.

1. Community Proximity - Help Tree’s founder and board of directors have experience working closely with indigenous populations, particularly the Karen community in Thailand. Our engagement with the Karen community has been very impactful. Through their experiences as volunteers, they have witnessed the critical needs of the Karen community. From delivering essential supplies like sacks of rice and dried food to ensure survival to the distribution of clothes and medicine, Help Tree has been at the forefront of providing immediate relief and a reminder that the world has not forgotten them. The joyous smiles of children receiving sweet treats and toys, and the determination of those striving for education despite lacking basic tools, have deeply touched and motivated our team. This proximity allows us to understand the cultural nuances, challenges, and aspirations of the communities we serve.
2. Trust and Respect - We have built trust and respect within the indigenous communities through partnership and support. Community members see us as allies who genuinely care about their well-being and are committed to supporting their self-determined development goals.

Overall, our team's deep understanding of and commitment to the indigenous communities of Guatemala, coupled with our participatory approach and local partnerships, make us well-positioned to design and deliver "Roots Renewed" in a way that truly benefits and empowers the target population.

Our accomplishment lies not in Roots Renewed but in a similar initiative we implemented for the Karen community in Thailand, known as One Heart for Karenni. Through Help Tree's intervention, we directly assisted 1,000 Karen individuals by distributing approximately 200 sacks of rice and dried food supplies. This tangible impact underscores the breadth and effectiveness of our efforts in addressing food insecurity among the Karen population, thereby contributing to the reduction of hunger and malnutrition rates within the community. While the distribution may have been limited to a specific region, the ripple effect is felt across the entire Karen community, regardless of their exact location within the area.

We are applying to Solve because we recognize the value of collaboration and the potential for leveraging Solve's network of partners to overcome specific barriers that our initiative, "Roots Renewed," may encounter. While our primary goal is not solely to raise funds, we believe that access to financial resources, technical expertise, and strategic partnerships offered by Solve can significantly enhance the impact and scalability of our solution. Specifically, we hope Solve can help us overcome the following barriers:

• Financial Barriers: Access to funding is crucial for implementing and scaling our solution effectively. Solve's network of partners can provide financial support, grants, or investment opportunities to sustain our initiative and expand its reach.
• Technical Expertise: Solve can connect us with experts and mentors who can provide technical guidance and support in areas such as sustainable agriculture practices, entrepreneurship development, and cultural preservation techniques. This expertise will strengthen our program design and implementation strategies.
• Legal and Cultural Considerations: Solve can assist us in navigating any legal or cultural challenges that may arise during the implementation of our solution, particularly concerning indigenous rights, land tenure, and cultural heritage preservation.
• Market Access: Solve's network can help us access new markets and distribution channels for products generated through our social entrepreneurship initiatives. This access will enable us to create sustainable economic opportunities for indigenous entrepreneurs and expand the impact of our solution.

Overall, we believe that Solve's platform and resources align with our mission to empower indigenous communities and address the complex challenges they face. By leveraging Solve's support, we can overcome barriers and accelerate the positive impact of "Roots Renewed" on indigenous livelihoods and cultural preservation efforts in Guatemala.

The Team Lead's connection to the communities in Guatemala stems from a previous mentor who has personal ties to the region and its people. This mentor's firsthand experiences and ongoing support provide valuable insights into the community's needs and aspirations.

"Roots Renewed" combines sustainable agriculture, economic empowerment, and cultural preservation to address indigenous community challenges. It integrates traditional and modern practices for resilience and self-sufficiency, serving as a model for community-driven development globally. The initiative highlights the importance of cultural preservation and challenges conventional development paradigms by prioritizing indigenous voices, paving the way for more equitable interventions in the future.

Here is a simplified theory of change for the "Roots Renewed" initiative:

1. Activity: Sustainable Agriculture Workshops
   

• Output: Enhancing knowledge and adoption of sustainable farming practices.
• Outcome: Improving food security and nutrition for indigenous families.
• Why: Teaching indigenous communities sustainable farming methods helps them produce more food for their families, reducing reliance on external aid.

2. Activity: Entrepreneurship Training and Microfinance Support

• Output: Empowering indigenous entrepreneurs with business skills and financial resources.
• Outcome: Increasing household income and economic stability.
• Why: Supporting indigenous entrepreneurs enables them to establish or expand businesses, generate income, and improve their economic status.

3. Activity: Cultural Preservation Workshops and Educational Programs

• Output: Fostering cultural awareness and preservation within the community.
• Outcome: Strengthening cultural identity and resilience among indigenous communities.
• Why: Preserving and promoting indigenous culture helps communities maintain their identity, pride, and sense of belonging, enhancing overall well-being and resilience.

"Roots Renewed" aims to address poverty, food insecurity, and cultural erosion in indigenous communities in Guatemala through these activities. This theory of change is backed by research on sustainable development, entrepreneurship, and cultural preservation, as well as input and engagement from the target population.

1. Goal: Enhance food security and nutrition for indigenous families in Guatemala.
   

• Indicators: Reduction in malnutrition rates among indigenous children, rise in households reporting consistent access to nutritious food.
  

• Indicators: Increase in average household income for participating entrepreneurs, number of new businesses initiated or expanded with our assistance.

3. Goal: Reinforce cultural identity and resilience in indigenous communities.

• Indicators: Growth in community involvement in cultural preservation activities, percentage of youth expressing pride in their indigenous heritage.

Progress Measurement:

• Conduct routine monitoring and evaluation of program activities and outcomes.
• Administer surveys and interviews with participants to evaluate changes in knowledge, behavior, and well-being.
• Monitor key indicators over time and compare them to initial data.
• Collaborate with community leaders and stakeholders to gather qualitative feedback and insights.
• Periodically review progress towards achieving impact goals and make adjustments to strategies as necessary.

1. Agricultural Training
   

• Mobile apps and digital platforms are utilized to deliver agricultural training materials to indigenous communities, offering educational content on sustainable farming practices, crop management techniques, and weather forecasting.
  
• The aim is to empower community members with valuable knowledge and skills.

2. Entrepreneurship Support

• SMS technology and digital platforms are harnessed to provide entrepreneurship training and microfinance support to indigenous entrepreneurs.
• This includes facilitating access to financial resources, business mentoring, and market information through mobile banking and online platforms.

3. Cultural Preservation

• Digital tools and multimedia platforms are employed to develop educational resources for cultural preservation initiatives.
• Efforts include creating digital archives of indigenous languages and histories, producing videos, podcasts, and online courses to promote cultural awareness.

4. Monitoring and Evaluation

• Data analytics and remote sensing technologies are used to monitor and evaluate the impact of interventions.
• By analyzing data on agricultural productivity, household income, and cultural participation, progress is tracked towards impact goals and areas for improvement are identified.

The approach is inclusive and adaptive, combining modern innovations with traditional knowledge systems to address challenges faced by indigenous communities in Guatemala. By merging ancestral wisdom with contemporary tools, sustainable solutions are created to benefit people and the planet.

California

None as of the moment.

Full-time - 2

Part time - 5

This is a new concept. Basically, just this year.

Our team is multinational, with members from the United States, the Philippines, Thailand, and Georgia. We value diversity and prioritize inclusive practices. To achieve this, we provide implicit bias training, mentorship, resource groups, and regular assessments.

"Roots Renewed" operates as a social enterprise focusing on social impact and financial stability in Guatemala. We will offer sustainable agriculture programs, entrepreneurship training, microfinance support, and cultural preservation initiatives to indigenous communities. Services are delivered through workshops and partnerships, respecting indigenous knowledge. Funding comes from grants, donations, investments, and revenue, ensuring operational sustainability.

Our strategy for financial sustainability revolves around securing Grants and Donations. We actively pursue funding from philanthropic organizations, foundations, and government agencies aligned with our mission. These contributions are essential for funding our programs and covering operational expenses.