Support Maya-Achi Agroecology & Livelihoods

As world leaders meet in Dubai for COP28, communities throughout the world are struggling to sustain their cultures and ways of life in the face of devastating climate change. One of the regions of the world that's most vulnerable to climate change is Central America’s "dry corridor," where Rabinal is located. Summer rains which sustained the Mayan system of agriculture for millennia have abruptly become unpredictable and scarce. Yet far from abandoning ancestral farming practices, climate change has motivated many Maya-Achí families to recuperate them. As it turns out, traditional Maya farming practices are key to improving climate change resilience and improving nutrition. The benefits can be maximized by introducing culturally appropriate technologies, like drip irrigation.

This approach is known as agroecology. It is an ecologically sustainable approach to farming with proven effectiveness at increasing farmers’ resilience to climate shocks, diversifying diets, reducing toxic exposures, and enhancing biodiversity. This 2-year project -- a partnership between Rotary International and Voces y Manos -- will train and equip young people to promote agroecology in their communities. By providing youth with jobs regenerating soils, diversifying crops, and sustaining the Maya Achi way of life, this project will make communities stronger, and better equipped to face the challenges of climate change.

Help Us Complete this Rotary Foundation Global Grant

In partnership with the Rotary Foundation, Voces y Manos is launching a new initiative (called a "Global Grant") to support the climate change resilience of 350 families throughout the Rabinal region. Nearly a dozen Rotary Clubs throughout the United States and Guatemala have contributed $180,000 to support this 2-year global grant initiative. We're now turning to you -- Voces y Manos supporters, Rotarians, and the public -- to help us fill this $70,000 funding gap needed to execute this project.

Agroecology to Support Climate Change Resilience

Why use agroecology to build climate change resilience? The roots and ethos of agroecology have their origins in the knowledge passed down generation to generation in Indigenous communities, like the Maya-Achi community of Guatemala. Rather than introducing new practices, agroecology is all about helping communities revive their own farming traditions and ecological knowledge. This traditional Indigenous knowledge is quickly being lost, as older generations pass away, as newer generations migrate away from the territory, and as environmentally friendly farming practices are quickly giving way to monocrops and toxic agrochemicals. These toxic agrochemicals not only harm human health and the environment, they also dessicate soils, making them more vulnerable to drought.

But with your help, we can change that. This project will give full employment, work stipends, and internships to Maya-Achi young people, who will promote agroecology throughout the Maya-Achi region. These young people know their communities. They speak the Maya-Achi language, and are able to build trust with farmers. And they support farmers with the basic tools and resources they need to successfully practice agroecology. The program builds their capacity to weave together ancestral Mayan practices (such as crop rotation) with complementary Western techniques (such as drip irrigation). The specific strategies of this project include:

With your help, Voces y Manos' team of Indigenous youth leaders will bring these proven techniques to farmers throughout Rabinal. All the the same time, the project will protect ecosystems, help sustain the Maya-Achi, and support farmers' livelihoods. Not only that, it is providing meaningful opportunities to local youth, who can support their families while making their communities more resilient to devastating climate.

Why support this work? Many of us in the global North have enjoyed the comforts and privileges of living in a society that burns unsustainable levels of fossil fuels. Meanwhile, communities in the global South are struggling to survive a changing climate. It's our responsibility to do our part not only to reduce our consumption, but also to help communities adapt. We're all in this together, and Maya-Achi communities are helping lead the way to a more ecological way of farming and more sustainable mode of life. That's good for all of us. Let's follow their lead, and fund their good work!

Thank you for your support!

-The Voces y Manos team