Projects & Grant Recipients
Community Partner Fund + Global Leadership Adventures International Foundation
On this page, we have curated a list of every community partner organization that the Global Leadership Adventures International Foundation helps to support, as well as their corresponding project.
When you make a donation on behalf of the Community Partner Fund through the GLA International Foundation, you are directly supporting these organizations and the exceptional work they do around the world, whether that be in at-risk habitats, communities-in need or beyond.
We encourage you to read these stories below as you consider making a donation to our Community Partner Fund. The work these partner organizations commit to, and work to make sustainable month after month, year after year, is nothing short of astounding.
The Global Leadership Adventures International Foundation conducts a rigorous review process of our partner orgs prior to adding them to this list, in order to make sure the funds they receive can go toward support of their organization and the projects they run.
When you make a donation to this fund, you can donate to the general fund, or make a separate note for us about which partner org you’d like your donation funds to be allocated to.
COMMUNITY PARTNERS
PROJECTS
Building Sustainable, Healthy Communities in the Dominican Republic
DETAILS
In communities where residents spend 90% of their income on food, aquaponic food production systems provide a means for producing large amounts of organic food, at a fraction of the cost and environmental impact of traditional farming.
Local bateys also suffer from a severe lack of clean drinking water, so providing access to clean water filters through community distribution can dramatically improve public health and sanitation. In addition to this, 7E works to provide essential vitamins and access to health care to these marginalized communities.
Supporting Health Through Nutrition & Sanitation in Haiti
DETAILS
Haiti’s vibrant culture and warm Caribbean waters are second to none; however, the country remains best known as one of the most economically impoverished places in the West. Government services such as education and health care are simply not accessible to many Haitians.
7 Elements is working to improve conditions in these communities through the implementation of sanitation infrastructure, including clean water delivery and latrines; vitamin distribution and malnutrition outreach programs are also in place, as volunteers supply children and expectant mothers with nutritional supplements crucial to a healthy life.
7 Elements partners with community leaders in Haiti, who have identified the endemic lack of healthcare and education access as the primary obstacles in the communities in which they work.
MORE INFORMATION
7E works across borders to provide aide to residents of both Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Projects are implemented with community leaders and with community support.
GRANT RECIPIENT
7 Elements
ABOUT THIS PARTNER
With the help of our local partner, Dr. Dave Addison of 7 Elements, GLA students contributed side-by-side with local Dominican and Haitian communities—doing everything from working on water filtration projects to constructing sustainably-built community and health centers to assisting in mobile health clinics. Dr. Addison puts it perfectly when he says, “The students have the opportunity to live among the communities…they cook for the students and give the students the opportunity to discuss the local way of life with the family.”
Due to a wide range of economic and political challenges, many Haitians have been forced across the border into the Dominican Republic; there, many find themselves living in rundown bateys, where people do not have political representation and have very little economic participation. A small number of families work in the local landfill separating trash and looking for food.
Opportunities for change include increasing food sources and improving nutrition; reducing diabetes, hypertension, and waterborne diseases; creating accessible water sources; and addressing racial discrimination within the community.
Community projects directed by 7 Elements and supported by the GLA International Foundation in both the Dominican Republic and Haiti have contributed to improved community sanitation and introduced sustainable practices, as well as focused on malnutrition outreach and health care access. Their impacts will improve the community’s health and will lead the way to future projects in the region.
PROJECT
Improving Lives of Orphaned Children in India
DETAILS
Currently, Aashray houses 60 children between the ages of 5 and 18. This initiative is supported by dedicated staff members and several individual volunteers and organizations. Aashray provides counseling to both children and family members, healthy meals, supplemental education, life skills, and support and guidance toward responsible and independent adulthood.
MORE INFORMATION
Aashray Care Home was founded by Positive Women Network of Rajasthan Society in 2006 by women who were widowed as a result of or diagnosed with HIV/AIDS. Initially, there were only few children and a lack of community support. Gradually, local support increased, and with it Aashray was able to expand to provide care and services to over 60 children. Presently, the organization is running two orphanages in Jaipur, India and also running two homes for HIV patients under Global Fund to fight TB, HIV and Malaria.
Aashray cares for children ages 3 – 18 who have been displaced due to HIV/AIDS status in two separate facilities, one for each gender. In addition to providing basic necessities and education, Aashray plans to expand to provide temporary housing to residents after their eighteenth birthday, to assist in the transition to independence.
GRANT RECIPIENT
Aashray Care Home
ABOUT THIS PARTNER
The Aashray Care Home was established in 2006 for children affected by HIV and AIDS. Their mission is to advocate for social inclusion of HIV infected and affected children and their participation in all major national flagship programs.
Currently, Aashray houses 60 children between the ages of 5 and 18. This initiative is supported by dedicated staff members and several individual volunteers and organizations. Aashray provides counseling to both children and family members, supplemental education, life skills, and support and guidance toward responsible and independent adulthood.
HIGHLIGHTS
-Aashray has provided care to 65 children since being founded in 2008.
-HIV/AIDS is highly stigmatized in India, resulting in a low incidence of testing and treatment; as a result, it is not uncommon for children to be orphaned due to the death of both parents from the virus.
-35% of children of HIV-infected adults are denied basic amenities such as proper nutrition due to this stigma; many in India view HIV/AIDS as a death-sentence.
PROJECT
Inspiring Tomorrow’s Leaders in South Africa
DETAILS
ALA seeks out youth with exceptional potential, closing the opportunity gap and developing their skills in a two-year residential program. ALA connects graduates to opportunities such as career and postgraduate opportunities that enable students to lead change in Africa’s public, private, and social sectors.
MORE INFORMATION
The African Leadership Academy and Global Leadership Adventures actually share a founder! As a way to develop the curriculum for ALA and bring together students from Africa and around the world, Fred Swaniker created the Summer Academy at Cape Town.
That’s when Fred joined forces with Andrew Motiwalla, a returned Peace Corps volunteer, to lead a new organization that provided summer leadership experiences to all interested teenagers. Building on the success of the Summer Academy at Cape Town, and believing in the potential of every young adult to be a global leader and make an impact, Global Leadership Adventures was born.
Fred Swaniker was named to the Time 100 list in 2019 for his work on the African Leadership Academy and beyond.
GRANT RECIPIENT
African Leadership Academy
ABOUT THIS PARTNER
African Leadership Academy (ALA) is a pan-African high school in Johannesburg, South Africa that seeks to transform Africa by developing a powerful network of leaders who will work together to address Africa’s greatest challenges through ethical leadership.
Donations to ALA contribute to building the next generation of leaders who will work together to address Africa’s greatest challenges and meet the needs of a changing continent and the demands of its citizens.
HIGHLIGHTS
-ALA’s Ghanaian founder, Fred Swaniker, was recognized by President Obama for the positive community impact of ALA. Before attending Stanford Graduate School of business, Fred managed a top-performing school in Botswana.
-Ninety percent of ALA graduates have actively engaged in work or transformative projects in Africa; 99% go on to attend college.
-ALA provides partial and full scholarships to students who show enormous potential but have a financial need.
PROJECT
Supporting Rural Costa Rican Communities
DETAILS
Art is a powerful thing: it is a tool for engaging youth, bringing communities together, building pride, and has the ability to transform the run-of-the-mill to something magical.
Parismina Community Fund’s most pressing project is the completion of a mural of the village logo: The community came together to paint a mural to show pride and identity, but due to a lack of funding for supplies it has remained unfinished.
Next, there are several spaces earmarked for murals and other creative additions including a community center, schools, and public spaces.
MORE INFORMATION
From our partner:
“Murals create vibrant neighborhoods that people want to visit, live in, and take care of!
In Latin America there is long history of murals being the messengers of history, values and hopes for the future. In conservation efforts, studies have shown that murals boost the environmental awareness (especially in kids). This is what inspires our projects and the volunteering we want to bring into the community.”
GRANT RECIPIENT
Parismina Community Fund
ABOUT THIS PARTNER
Local Director for the GLA Costa Rica: Sea Turtle Initiative Program, Jason Taylor, runs this project. He grew up in this rural community and has been an active organizer of community-based initiatives for many years. Through the Parismina Community Fund, Jason and other volunteers continue to build bridges between the beautiful community of Parismina and its visitors. This organization focuses on engaging local youth in art projects to help beautify their community spaces while bringing a shared sense of belonging through the arts.
PROJECT
Protecting Sea Turtles in Costa Rica & Providing a Sustainable Income Alternative for the Local Community
DETAILS
Asociacion Salvemos las Tortugas de Parismina is a community run non profit based in Parismina, Costa Rica. ASTOP is a conservation organization dedicated to protecting sea turtles and their eggs from poaching.
Four different species of sea turtles (green, leatherback, hawksbill, loggerhead) nest on the beaches of Parismina, all are listed as vulnerable, endangered, or critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
ASTOP was formed in April of 2001 by local residents in conjunction with the Costa Rica Coast Guard.
MORE INFORMATION
In addition to their principle projects, ASTOP organizes many cultural, environmental and education programs, such as beach cleanups, ecological agriculture programs, and art activities for children. They are also building a butterfly farm and a tropical garden.
GRANT RECIPIENT
Asociación Salvemos las Tortugas de Parismina (ASTOP)
ABOUT THIS PARTNER
Asociacion Salvemos las Tortugas de Parismina (ASTOP) is a grassroots nonprofit located in rural Parisima, Costa Rica. It is dedicated to protecting sea turtles and their eggs through anti-poaching measures, hatchling rehabilitation and nesting beach conservation.
By employing former poachers and promoting ecotourism, ASTOP supports the sustainable development and local economy of Parismina, a village of about 400 people.
HIGHLIGHTS
-Before the formation of ASTOP 98% of green turtles were killed for their meat and 98% of all turtle nests on Parismina beach were poached. Poaching has since decreased by 60%, saving 10,000 hatchlings each year.
-ASTOP also supports the village of Parismina economically and employees former poachers as “turtle guides” leading tourists on night hikes to view nesting turtles.
-There is no road to Parismina–it is accessible only by boat or plane and the only paved surface in town is a runway. ASTOP helps both local and international volunteers arrange logistics in order to ensure they have enough volunteers to support their principle projects of night patrols of sea turtle nesting sites and maintaining the turtle nursery.
PROJECT
Protecting Sea Turtles and Preserving the Ecosystems they Depend On
DETAILS
From 2005 to 2010, the World Wildlife Fund developed el Proyecto de Conservación de Baulas del Pacífico (CBP) the Project for Conservation of the Pacific Leatherback Turtles at Junquillal Beach in Costa Rica to save the critically endangered Pacific leatherback who use Junquillal Beach as its nesting ground.
In October of 2010 AVIVE was formed as a community-based organization to continue the work of the CBP and ensure optimal conditions for turtle nesting through active conservation with community support. The organization now protects all local species of sea turtles and works to conserve the local ecosystem and the welfare of the Junquillal community.
MORE INFORMATION
Sea turtles face threats from a variety of sources in Costa Rica. Climate change threatens nesting areas, predators threaten eggs and young hatchlings, but humans are also a threat. Besides being packed with nutrition, Costa Rican folklore says that sea turtle eggs are an aphrodisiac, so it has been the cultural norm for people to steal eggs to eat or sell.
GRANT RECIPIENT
Asociación Vida Verdiazul (AVIVE)
ABOUT THIS PARTNER
Asociación Vida Verdiazul (AVIVE) is an independent, non-governmental, non-profit whose goal is to ensure the conservation of threatened ecosystems and contribute to the well-being of the communities that depend on them. Officially formed in 2010, this group of passionate environmentalists has been working independently since 2001 to conserve sea turtles and the Nandamojo River Basin.
AVIVE achieves its goals through simple, concrete actions including nightly beach patrols, operation of a turtle hatchery, replanting native tree species in coastal areas and educating local youth on the importance of conservation.
HIGHLIGHTS
-Temperature of the nest determines the gender of sea turtle hatchlings. Typically eggs at the bottom, or cooler part, of the nest hatch males while eggs toward the top, or warmer part, of the nest hatch females. With climate change and increased sand temperatures, more female sea turtles are being born than males, creating a threat to genetic diversity. To combat this AVIVE maintains a hatchery where they transplant eggs from nests on the beach to the sand of the protected hatchery. The moisture and temperature of the hatchery is controlled and it also provides protection from stray dogs and other predators.
-In addition to working directly with turtles, AVIVE also implements educational programs for children in the surrounding communities. In fact, local primary and secondary students who were a part of this program, presented their research on sea turtle conservation and were finalists in la Feria Científica de Costa Rica (the National Science Fair of Costa Rica)!
PROJECT
Supporting Sanitation & Community Health in Ghana
DETAILS
Dream Big Ghana focuses on giving support in the three areas: sanitation, education and youth sports development. One of their major projects, building eco compost toilets, has benefited the health of hundreds of local people.
MORE INFORMATION
Dougal, nicknamed “Tigo” by his Ghanaian neighbors, is originally from the U.K., but has been living and working in Ghana for over six years, gradually establishing the NGO Dream Big Ghana in partnership with local village communities.
Dougal fell in love with the Ghanaian way of life and people as a volunteer soccer coach in Dzita and Agbledomi, rural fishing and farming villages. However, shocked by the poverty that some of his friends lived in, he sought the help of community leaders to identify needs and propose practical solutions.
GRANT RECIPIENT
Dream Big Ghana
ABOUT THIS PARTNER
Dream Big Ghana Foundation (UK) was set up in 2013 to support the work of local NGOs seeking to relieve poverty in Ghana’s Volta Region. Dream Big Ghana currently focuses on programs related to education, sports development, health and sanitation. Their sanitation efforts are implemented on household level and also in schools, providing improved sanitation facilities to 1500 household members and 650 school children.
HIGHLIGHTS
-These villages, located in the Volta region of Ghana, are home to 10,000 residents
-A majority of people here live below the UN poverty baseline (set at $1.25 a day)
PROJECT
Providing Housing & Hope for Ghanaian Children in Need
DETAILS
Located on seven acres of oceanfront land in the Village of Tegbi, Father’s House functions as a community outreach center and long-term holistic care facility for Ghanaian children rescued from slavery and exploitation. Donations support the facilities and help to provide upkeep and other essentials for residents.
MORE INFORMATION
Miller and Garrett made it their life’s mission to create a safe and healthy environment where rescued children could learn and grow. Shortly after, seven acres of oceanfront land was donated to their cause, and they began construction. During construction, feeding and teaching gatherings garnered a weekly attendance of over 300. In 2009, construction was complete and Father’s House Ghana was born.
In 2011, eight young boys were rescued from slavery, and became the first full-time residents of Father’s House. The boys came to to be known fondly as the “Great Eight,” and they still reside at Father’s House today.
GRANT RECIPIENT
Father’s House Ghana
ABOUT THIS PARTNER
Father’s House Ghana was founded by Jeff Miller and Matt Garrett. The two friends were inspired to create Father’s House after an eye-opening visit to Ghana where they witnessed children as young as 4 being forced into modern day slavery, by coercion or under the false promise of “learning a trade.”
Miller and Garrett were determined to do something and created Father’s House Ghana, which now functions as a community outreach center and long-term holistic care facility for children rescued from slavery and exploitation.
With 15 full-time residents, Father’s House has become a pillar of the local community and a sanctuary for children in need.
HIGHLIGHTS
-Last March, the boys at Father’s House who are involved with cultural drumming and dancing performed and the local Independence Day festival to celebrate Ghana’s 60 years of Independence.
-Last year, Father’s House’s first student graduated from Senior High School! Emmanuel was a neighbor who started receiving educational support from Father’s House several years ago. and was invited to move into the home, so that he could study later into the night since his family did not have electricity. He is the first member of his extended family to ever attend high school and this September he began college as a Computer Science major.
-Father’s House currently has 15 full-time residents, and supports an additional 20 local children in the neighborhood.
PROJECT
Using Education to Improve the Lives of Underprivileged Communities in the Andean Highlands of Peru
DETAILS
With a primary goal of providing a healthy school climate and opportunities, Helping Hands Cusco aims to assist underprivileged children in obtaining qualitative education and fostering an environment where they can learn about values, group work and individual development.
The San Gabriel Charity School was officially opened in 2008 to provide quality education to underprivileged children in the developing districts of Cusco. It has grown to serve 120 children in 6 classes and also offers an after school program. Construction is set to begin on a second campus later this year, which will provide education to 280 students and employment opportunities for members of the community.
Donations support educational materials, transportation, and other essentials to area children.
MORE INFORMATION
Helping Hands also runs the Hope House. In small towns surrounding Cusco there are only primary schools, so in order to get a secondary school or high school education, students must travel closer to the city. If a family is going to send a child to school, typically they only send a boy.
However, statistics show that in Peru, girls typically have better grades. Helping Hands build a dorm called the Hope House where young girls can live while pursuing a high school education. The residents of Hope House receive food, lodging, educational materials, bus tickets, and clothing at no cost.
GRANT RECIPIENT
Helping Hands Cusco
ABOUT THIS PARTNER
Helping Hands Cusco is a Peruvian nonprofit organization that works to improve the standard of living for underprivileged children, families and community members of poor areas in Cusco. The main focus on Helping Hands is education and the organization founded and runs the San Gabriel School serving 120 children at no cost to them or their families.
Helping Hands Cusco was founded in 2005 by Mario Diaz and his wife Rosa Guitierrez. Mario, who is a grammar and literature teacher of both English and Spanish, grew up in an extremely poor family in Cusco, Peru. As a young child, Mario noticed a shift in his life when his father completed his advanced degree. Because his father had to work full time to support his large family, it took him 12 years to graduate from college.
However, he succeeded and became the first professional in the Diaz family, thereby providing the means for Mario and his siblings to pursue an education. Mario saw first hand how education can provide opportunities and end the cycle of poverty, thus motivating him to start Helping Hands.
Helping Hands also focuses on empowerment, community building and preserving Andean traditions. Helping Hands Cusco hopes that each child and each member of the community may feel supported, accepted and connected, by mutual helping hands.
HIGHLIGHTS
-About 25% of the population of Peru lives below the poverty line, meaning they live on less than $2 a day. The rural poverty rate in Peru is even higher, at nearly 46%. In the region around San Sebastian, underprivileged children had to take a long bus ride (meaning an extra daily cost) to go to a distant public school or study in an expensive private school. Therefore, most children in the area were not able to get an education before Helping Hands stepped in.
-In addition to running the San Gabriel School, Helping Hands Cusco also provides training in alpaca wool production for young single mothers, teaching them to make quality textiles and decorations that can be sold at fair prices so these young women can support their families.
PROJECT
Fostering Community and Health Education Through Sports in South Africa
DETAILS
Donations go to sporting equipment replacement and upkeep (such as soccer nets and balls, uniforms, and outreach) and to Sportstec’s after school program, helping to provide homework help, guest speakers, and life skills materials such as sanitary pads and HIV testing.
MORE INFORMATION
The core elements of Sportstec are threefold: The Early Childhood Development center (ECD) provides childcare and educational opportunities for preschool aged children to prepare them for their first form al year of school.
An after-school program enables access to homework help, tutoring, and life skills for school-aged children.
Finally, the sports extension program, available to children of all ages, supports physical education and community togetherness through sporting events at local schools.
GRANT RECIPIENT
Sportstec International Development Agency
ABOUT THIS PARTNER
Sportstec operates with the mission of bringing about social change through sports. Founded in 2006, Sportstec has partnered with governmental and private organizations alike (including Nike and Unicef) to promote using sport as a vehicle to address positive youth development, physical education, sportsmanship, life skills, and coach/teacher education, as well as assist with the systemic growth of sport development structures around South Africa.
HIGHLIGHTS
-Sportstec’s “Homeground Initiative” has partnered with the South African government and UNICEF to provide broad-based support to local primary & secondary schools to enable the educational and personal development of children and young people in isolated communities.
-The organization funds programs throughout all of South Africa’s regions in communities that need extra support.
-Sporting events bring the community together, give youth something to work toward, and teaches teamwork and life skills that carry over into other areas of life.
PROJECT
Empowering Women in Ghanaian Communities
DETAILS
This organization is in its early stages of development, having been founded in 2018 by a summer Global Leadership Adventures staff and our local partner when they saw a need in the community.
Mother’s Heritage International is entirely community based and serves to help rescue, educate and support girls and women in Ghana through community education and helping to rescue and provide refuge for trafficked girls. While the organization is just getting off the ground, they have successfully completed three medical missions, and hosted their volunteer who has helped us reach out and educate other young women. Currently, donations go toward the cost of buying land, materials, and the other needs to create a home for the girls we would like to rescue from Lake Volta. Currently, donations go toward the cost of buying land, materials, and the other needs to create a home for the girls we would like to rescue from Lake Volta.
MORE INFORMATION
Thousands of children are currently living underneath the control of fishermen “masters”, where they are slyly taken from their families and forced into cruel labor on Volta Lake. These children, during hours of extensive labor, are often exposed to sexual abuse, untreated diseases, malnourishment, harmful practices and sometimes even death.
By establishing well-maintained relationships on the lake through regular medical missions, Mother’s is able to receive information from community members and undertake rescues with a team of people. Once they identify and are able to relieve a girl from the fishing industry, they bring her to an on-site home where she will receive medical attention, mental and emotional care, and a home to grow up and go to school in a healthy, nurturing environment.
GRANT RECIPIENT
Mother’s Heritage International
ABOUT THIS PARTNER
This organization is in its early stages of development, having been co-founded in 2017 by a summer Global Leadership Adventures staff and our local partner when they saw a need in the community.
Mother’s Heritage International is entirely community based and serves to help rescue, educate and support girls and women in Ghana through community education and helping to rescue and provide refuge for trafficked girls. While the organization is just getting off the ground, they have successfully completed three medical missions, and hosted their volunteer who has helped us reach out and educate other young women.
PROJECT
Long-Term Water Protection for Ecosystems and Communities
DETAILS
The priority project is the completion of a soil and organic fertilizer station to make compost creation more efficient and provide a safe, covered area in which volunteers can work. All visitors to the Guanacaste Water Center benefit from this project: local students, community service students, GLA program students, community volunteers, and foreign volunteers.
MORE INFORMATION
From our partner:
“Fertilizers and soils are an essential part of our work for nursery projects, reforestation, orchards, etc. This help will allow Nandamojo Association to have new compost bins and a space to make mixes. We also hope to purchase a shredder to speed up the composting process.”
GRANT RECIPIENT
Association for the Protection of the Nandamojo River Watershed
ABOUT THIS PARTNER
This organization was founded nearly 30 years ago by several international folks who, upon arriving in Costa Rica, were inspired to do permaculture, nature conservation, research on systems to clean water, water resource protection, and more.
The challenge that motivated the creation of the organization was “to make the river flow again all year long,” and thus began the ecological history of the Nandamojo River basin with the union of both international and local people.
The main projects have been erosion control, the use of vetiver grass, ecological restoration, environmental education, generation of green jobs and fire management.
Nandamojo Association currently has environmental education programs for all ages. They also have a native tree and plant nursery, take part in reforestation projects, and make compost and many organic fertilizers (especially with the use of microorganisms such as fungi and beneficial bacteria).
Nandamojo also has an organic garden project at a local school. Additionally, they work with beekeepers and create sources of employment that help people’s economies while protecting natural resources.