The Tandana Foundation

The people of Gualapuro will soon have the clean water system they have not only dreamed of for the past few decades but WORKED SO HARD FOR over the past few years.

With $15,400 in donations from people around the world, material & machinery support from the Municipality, the leadership of the Tandana Foundation, the expertise of Public Works engineers and the MANUAL LABOR of residents of all ages (occasionally aided by some fearless Tandana Volunteers ), Gualapuro now has an impressive  water collection system, and completed 30,000 gallon reservoir tank (which will gravity feed the town)  and a pump house.

To bring this project to completion, we entered phase 3 needing to raise another $15,000. Now we are just a few thousand away!

More than half that amount will provide each home with the 4 necessary devices that will  keep both the residents and the water supply safe.  This is necessary because while the community water system is new,  the existing pipes in each home are not. The remainder of the raised funds will provide the complete pumping system that will  carry the water from the spring up more than 700 feet to the reservoir high above town, the electric  meter and  breakers, and extra security for the pump house and all systems. These security and enforcement measures will provide protection from theft and mudslides so that this system will be able to serve the community for decades to come.

Please SHARE this project with others and SUPPORT as you are able. 

1. Donate here on GFM. (They do take a small percentage.)
2. Donate directly to Tandana without fees!
3. Give cash donations to team members. (You'll still get a tax receipt and can appear on the donors role - or not.)

YUPAYCHANI!! (Thank you in Kichwa)

In the Quichinche Parrish of Otavalo, Ecuador, community members have been hit hard by closures due to Covid-19. The Tandana Foundation works all year round with indigenous communities in Quichinche to support community development projects. Due to the circumstances of Covid-19 we have temporarily paused these programs to focus on Covid-19 response.

One of our main initiatives has been providing baskets of basic food items to community members in need. These baskets include dry goods and other staple food items which community members no longer have access to due to road closures, the shutdown of public transportation and stay-at-home orders by the government. By supporting this fundraiser your money will go to buying the products needed to make food baskets as well as the transportation needed to deliver them to the communities.

As an organization we want to ensure that our community partners are safe during these trying times and that we are supporting their current needs. Your donation will directly support indigenous people in Quichinche, Ecuador during the global pandemic.

The Tandana Foundation is a nonprofit organization based in Ohio that carries out its operations in Ecuador and Mali. For more information about the Foundation and our current community initiatives including Covid response, please visit our website. Our Mission is to support the achievement of community goals and address global inequalities through caring intercultural relationships that embody mutual respect and responsibility.

Because of your generosity, Gualapuro is well on the way to having a desperately needed & long-awaited clean water system.  

Since we broke ground on June 4th, 2019 --- $8,162 has been spent to 1) complete the  water capture system at the river,  2) install underground tubes connecting the capture system to the main reservoir high above the community, 3) build a secure pump house, and 4) excavate for the main reservoir tank - with machine and by hand. 


As you can see, we've accomplished a lot for a little over $8K! We will continue working diligently to make every dollar contributed goes as far as possible.
Right now, we are holding the Mayor accountable for his promise to provide A) the materials to construct the main reservoir and B) the electrical transformer necessary for the pump.  We are also pushing other public entities to STEP UP as well. To  keep all this momentum going (look what's been done in just 2 months!), we need your support.  If you've been watching the project and waiting for your time to jump in -- the time is now!  If you donated earlier, please consider taking a 'double dip'.  Here are giving options to make it easy:

1. Donate here on GFM**. ( They do take a small percentage.) 

2. Donate directly to Tandana without fees RIGHT HERE!  (If you choose this option, PLEASE send us a message so we can add your donation to the total reflected here.) 

3. Give  cash donations to team members. (You'll still get a tax receipt and can appear on the donors role - or not.) 

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*This  effort replaces the previous FB Phase 2 fundraiser which will cover the costs to attach individual homes to the water system upon completion.

**We've discovered the GFM platform allows us to communicate with you better and also allows us to track offline donations.

Will you help our neighboring village obtain clean water? 



We're raising money to help Gualapuro - a small indigenous community nearby -  install a system that will provide clean water for years to come.   The first phase involves purchasing materials  and digging trenches needed to capture the water from the source.  The community - through a tradition called a Minga - will do the manual labor but there are tanks and tubes and other materials that must be purchased.

Our friends at The Tandana Foundation  are administering the project and handling all the funds -- what a blessing that is!  They've worked in Ecuador for years and know the ins and outs of getting things done here.  Your donation to them - earmarked for Gualapuro - is also tax deductible to the full extent permitted by law and all of the money the Tandana Foundation receives* for Gualapuro goes to Gualapuro. 

Click here to follow our progess on the website

*GoFundMe charges 2.9%  If you include 'a tip' when making your donation, it does not offset the fee - it is an additional amount you are donating to GoFundMe, not the water effort. (Their wording on this is confusing.)  

We are equipped to give receipts to local people who wish to give cash.

Any questions at all about giving options, please contact a team member or send us a message through this site.