ORGANIZATION RECORD

Location: Guatemala City, Guatemala

Website: www.byoearth.com

Mission: To improve the life conditions for vulnerable communities in the region by generating solutions through vermicomposting to nurture the lands, build the soils and integrally restore life in the planet.

Year Founded: 2007

Preferred method of contact: Email, Skype

Project Information:

• Availability for Summer 2017: ByoEarth is currently continuing its partnership with UCLA, but is open to having two projects per summer
• Future project ideas: Would like to continue current initiatives:
  • Constructing organic gardens, worm cribs, and training women cooperatives in organic farming
  • Capacity-building such as marketing training, financial literacy training for organic farms
• Ideal Group Size: 5-6, or two smaller groups throughout the summer
• Accommodations: In the past, ByoEarth has rented a group house for interns. Is also open to providing homestays.
• Skills:
  • Advanced Spanish skills for at least one intern per group
  • Agricultural knowledge is a plus
  • Marketing or management skills a plus
  • ByoEarth is interested in taking part in the selection of interns for the coming summers
  • ByoEarth would be open to helping interns find additional opportunities to volunteer with other local organizations during the internship to help them get to know the Guatemalan culture more
• Reported cost to interns:
  • Program in-country costs (reported by partner): Stay tuned

Partnership History:

• Summer 2016
  • Chapter(s): UCLA
  • Project: Identifies families with children between the ages of 2 and 5 who are most at risk for malnutrition, and built gardens with vegetables and fruits with them. Offered basic health and cooking classes for parents of these children to learn how to make nutritious meals with the plants that they grow. Built shops for them to create businesses.
  • Investment: $6,050
  • Project team: 0 interns
• Summer 2015
  • Chapter(s): UCLA and UCSC
  • Project: Worked on production of products for a women’s co-op. Building organic gardens for food security and creation of organic fertilizer. Built cages for rabbits as additional resources for fertilizer production.
  • Investment: $6,000
  • Project team: 6 interns
  • Project Blog
• Summer 2014
  • Chapter(s): UCLA and UCSC
  • Project: To design, develop and build 2 innovative ecological systems (similar to a greenhouse) where women will grow organic herbs to sell using the vermicompost they already make. This project took place through a collaboration with Fundación Junkabal, another local nonprofit in the area.
  • Investment: $6,500
  • Project team: 8 interns