How the Planeterra Foundation is empowering women across the world

Visits to Planeterra’s current 50 projects are included on 206 G Adventures itineraries, whether via a meal, accommodation, transport, a tour or a handicraft outlet.

One more unusual project is the Masaai Clean Cookstoves in Tanzania. Lee explains that smoke inhalation indoors is a huge health issue in Sub-Saharan Africa and this project trains local women to become experts in installing clean stoves. Visitors to the project experience the difference in air quality between a boma (homestead) with a clean cookstove and one without.

“You wouldn’t traditionally think that would be something you’d see as you pass by the Ngorongoro Crater,” exclaims Lee, adding that everyone who goes on the tour pays for a new cookstove. “It’s a great example of paying it forward,” she says.

And the results of Planeterra’s projects are really starting to bear fruit in the longer term too.
“The first cohort of our Ccaccaccollo Women’s Weaving project in Peru is now seeing all of their children going to university. It’s an illiterate population that has become fully literate,” enthuses Lee.

But despite such successes, Planeterra shows no signs of stopping there.

“Alanna Wallace, coordinator of our Africa programe, is currently out in Zimbabwe working on developing a barbecue lunch programme in Victoria Falls where women will recreate their grandmothers’ recipes. It’s preserving cultures and providing incomes with travellers able to go there to enjoy lunch.”

So aside from showing customers the Planeterra projects they can visit while on a G Adventures tour, how else can agents help?

Lee says: “Firstly, there is an option for customers to add a booking donation to their trip, 100% of which goes towards Planeterra projects. Secondly we can do a lot with a little and the cost of projects ranges from around £1,000 right up to almost £30,000 so agencies can work with us to sponsor a project. If they get in touch with us we are happy to work with them either on an existing project or if they have a particular destination in mind, we can work with them on setting something up.”

With its continued drive to support women globally, it seems there are many more who will benefit from Planeterra’s work over the next 14 years and beyond – and plenty of opportunities for you and your clients to add your support.