Guatemalan Sustainable Farming Project
Donation protected
Dear friends and family,
I have a very exciting opportunity to talk to you about. This summer, I will be spending six weeks in Antigua, Guatemala. I'll be doing this through a program called Máximo Nivel that combines a Spanish immersion experience with various volunteering opportunities.
While talking with a Máximo Nivel coordinator about possible volunteering options, I found out about a particularly ambitious volunteering project, affectionately titled "The Pig Poop Project." The project would partner Máximo Nivel volunteers with local farmers in order to build infrastructure that could provide several sustainable benefits to the surrounding community. Putting the whole process in a nutshell, methane would first be collected from decomposing hog manure (provided by a local hog farm). The methane collected would serve as an energy source for stoves, lamps, water heaters, etc... The remaining excrement would then be mixed with water and used to grow large amounts of algae, which in turn would be fed to tilapia in a local fish farm. The excrement/water mix overflow would also be used to fertilize crops growing in the region. So, in summary, the project provides a renewable energy source, a means of waste disposal, more tilapia, and healthier crops for the community. It's a win-win-win-win situation.
The only issue with the project is that it can't be implemented without first accruing some capital for equipment and infrastructure expenses. There are plenty of farmers in Guatemala that would love to use such a system, and plenty of Máximo Nivel volunteers that would love to help build it (myself included), but without a bit of capital, the project can't get off the ground.
That's where you come in. If 3,000 dollars can be raised before I head out on July 6th, Máximo Nivel has told me we would have sufficient funds to take on the project this summer. Furthermore, as construction takes 6 to 8 weeks, I may even be able to personally see the project through from start to finish! Very exciting!
I would like to extend to you a warm invitation to become an essential part of this project, and to help improve lives in the Antigua community by donating to this cause. All donations would go 100% to the funding of this project (other than a small service fee for the hosting website). Furthermore, I've set this account up so that if I am unable to reach my goal of $3,000 by the time I head out, no one will be charged for their donation (i.e. you will only be charged once enough donation pledges have been made to ensure the project is undertaken).
Thank you for your time, consideration, and especially for your potential generosity.
Kind Regards,
Graham Carson
I have a very exciting opportunity to talk to you about. This summer, I will be spending six weeks in Antigua, Guatemala. I'll be doing this through a program called Máximo Nivel that combines a Spanish immersion experience with various volunteering opportunities.
While talking with a Máximo Nivel coordinator about possible volunteering options, I found out about a particularly ambitious volunteering project, affectionately titled "The Pig Poop Project." The project would partner Máximo Nivel volunteers with local farmers in order to build infrastructure that could provide several sustainable benefits to the surrounding community. Putting the whole process in a nutshell, methane would first be collected from decomposing hog manure (provided by a local hog farm). The methane collected would serve as an energy source for stoves, lamps, water heaters, etc... The remaining excrement would then be mixed with water and used to grow large amounts of algae, which in turn would be fed to tilapia in a local fish farm. The excrement/water mix overflow would also be used to fertilize crops growing in the region. So, in summary, the project provides a renewable energy source, a means of waste disposal, more tilapia, and healthier crops for the community. It's a win-win-win-win situation.
The only issue with the project is that it can't be implemented without first accruing some capital for equipment and infrastructure expenses. There are plenty of farmers in Guatemala that would love to use such a system, and plenty of Máximo Nivel volunteers that would love to help build it (myself included), but without a bit of capital, the project can't get off the ground.
That's where you come in. If 3,000 dollars can be raised before I head out on July 6th, Máximo Nivel has told me we would have sufficient funds to take on the project this summer. Furthermore, as construction takes 6 to 8 weeks, I may even be able to personally see the project through from start to finish! Very exciting!
I would like to extend to you a warm invitation to become an essential part of this project, and to help improve lives in the Antigua community by donating to this cause. All donations would go 100% to the funding of this project (other than a small service fee for the hosting website). Furthermore, I've set this account up so that if I am unable to reach my goal of $3,000 by the time I head out, no one will be charged for their donation (i.e. you will only be charged once enough donation pledges have been made to ensure the project is undertaken).
Thank you for your time, consideration, and especially for your potential generosity.
Kind Regards,
Graham Carson
Organizer
Graham Carson
Organizer
Fargo, ND
