Groundswell International Inc

GROUNDSWELL INTERNATIONAL STRENGTHENS COMMUNITIES TO BUILD HEALTHY FARMING AND FOOD SYSTEMS FROM THE GROUND UP.

GROUNDSWELL INTERNATIONAL, INC. (GROUNDSWELL) STRENGTHENS COMMUNITIES TO BUILD HEALTHY FARMING AND FOOD SYSTEMS FROM THE GROUND UP. GROUNDSWELLS GLOBAL NETWORK INCLUDES 14 NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS SUPPORTING 1,446 COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS GROUPS ORGANIZED INTO THREE REGIONAL PROGRAMS FOR ACTION-LEARNING AND AMPLIFICATION: LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN (ECUADOR, GUATEMALA, HAITI, HONDURAS, MEXICO), SOUTH ASIA (INDIA, NEPAL), AND WEST AFRICA (BURKINA FASO, GHANA, MALI, SENEGAL). IN 2023, COLLECTIVELY, THE GROUNDSWELL NETWORK SUPPORTED 223,166 SMALLHOLDER FARMERS TO STRENGTHEN THEIR PRODUCTION, RESILIENCE, AND WELLBEING. OUR WORK IMPROVED THE LIVES OF 1,562,222 PEOPLE FROM 1,225 MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES BY ADDRESSING THE ROOT CAUSES OF ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION, FOOD INSECURITY, POVERTY, CLIMATE VULNERABILITY, AND SOCIAL MARGINALIZATION. WE SUPPORT

A PRACTICAL APPROACH THAT BUILDS PARTICIPANTS CAPACITIES TO EXPERIMENT WITH ECOLOGICAL FARMING STRATEGIES, SPREAD EFFECTIVE SOLUTIONS, AND DEVELOP COMPLEMENTARY STRATEGIES TO MEET THEIR BASIC NEEDS AND LEAD ONGOING PROCESSES TO IMPROVE HUMAN AND SOCIAL WELLBEING AND ENVIRONMENTAL REGENERATION. WHILE PROGRAMMING IN EACH REGION, AS WELL AS AT THE COUNTRY LEVEL, IS DESIGNED TO RESPOND TO THE LOCAL CONTEXT, GROUNDSWELL PROGRAMS EVERYWHERE: -WORK WITH FARMER LEADERS TO TEST AND ADOPT AGROECOLOGICAL METHODS AND SPREAD THEM TO MORE PEOPLE THROUGH FARMER-TO-FARMER TRAINING, ALLOWING THESE FARMERS TO PRODUCE MORE HEALTHY FOOD AND RESTORE HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF HECTARES OF DEGRADED LAND. -EMPOWER WOMEN FARMERS TO PARTICIPATE IN SAVINGS AND CREDIT GROUPS, IMPROVE ECOLOGICAL

PRODUCTION, GAIN ACCESS TO PRODUCTIVE ASSETS, AND DIVERSIFY THEIR LIVELIHOODS, WHICH IN TURN IMPROVES THEIR FAMILIES FOOD SECURITY, INCOMES, AND RESILIENCE. -STRENGTHEN LOCAL MARKETS AND INCREASE FARMERS INCOMES THROUGH SAVINGS AND CREDIT GROUPS AND COMMUNITY-BASED AGRICULTURAL ENTERPRISES THAT ADD VALUE TO LOCALLY GROWN CROPS. -NOURISH VULNERABLE FAMILIES BY EXPLICITLY INTEGRATING GENDER EQUITY AND NUTRITION INTO AGRICULTURAL PROGRAMS. OUR HOLISTIC APPROACH LINKS AGROECOLOGICAL FARMING TO FAMILY NUTRITION. -SUPPORT CITIZENS TO ENGAGE WITH LOCAL DECISION-MAKERS ON ENABLING LOCAL POLICIES AND PRODUCE INFLUENTIAL CASE STUDIES, POLICY BRIEFS, AND IMPACT REPORTS BASED ON LEARNING ACROSS OUR NETWORK, TO SHARE WITH OTHER STAKEHOLDERS TO EXPEDITE THE NECESSARY TRANSITION TO AGROECOLOGY. WEST AFRICA -- WE CONTINUED TO WORK WITH OUR PARTNERS AGRECOL AFRIQUE IN SENEGAL; ASSOCIATION NOURRIR SANS DTRUIRE (ANSD) IN BURKINA FASO; THE CENTER FOR INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE AND ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT (CIKOD) IN GHANA; AND SAHEL ECO IN MALI. OUR WEST AFRICA PROGRAM FOCUSES ON SUPPORTING DRYLAND FARMING HOUSEHOLDS TO TRANSITION FROM CONVENTIONAL AGRICULTURE TO AGROECOLOGICAL AND REGENERATIVE FARMING AND FOOD SYSTEMS THAT ALLOW THEM TO MITIGATE AND ADAPT TO CLIMATE CHANGE; STRENGTHEN LOCAL MANAGEMENT OF BIODIVERSITY; AND GENERATE NATURE-BASED SOLUTIONS TO INCREASE FOOD SECURITY AND INCOMES. IN 2023, ACROSS THESE FOUR SAHELIAN COUNTRIES, GROUNDSWELL- SUPPORTED PROGRAMS THAT ENGAGED 101,152 SMALLHOLDER FARMERS THROUGH CASCADING, FARMER-TO-FARMER TRAINING; CONTRIBUTED TO REGENERATING 157,266 HECTARES OF LAND; AND PROGRAMS BENEFITTED 1,464,257 PEOPLE. LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN - IN 2023, WE WORKED WITH PARTNERS EKORURAL IN ECUADOR; PARTENARIAT POUR LE DEVELOPPEMENT LOCAL (PDL) IN HAITI; QACHUU ALOOM AND ASOCIACION COMUNITARIA FLOR DEL CAFE ALDEA EL DURAZNO IN GUATEMALA; AND ASOCIACION DE COMITES ECOLOGICOS DEL SUR DEL HONDURAS (ACESH) AND VECINOS HONDURAS. IN THESE FIVE COUNTRIES, IN 2023, WE SUPPORTED 13,248 SMALLHOLDER FARMERS TO IMPROVE THEIR FARMING, CREATE SUSTAINABLE RURAL LIVELIHOODS, AND STRENGTHEN THEIR COMMUNITIES RESILIENCE. GROUNDSWELL PROGRAMS WITH PARTNERS IN THE REGION BENEFITTED 93,726 PEOPLE (ABOUT THE SEATING CAPACITY OF THE LOS ANGELES MEMORIAL COLISEUM) AND HELPED REGENERATE 5,012 HECTARES OF LAND. IN 2023, WE ALSO BEGAN A NEW PARTNERSHIP WITH CENTEOTL IN MEXICO, TO EXPAND OUR INITIATIVE IN SUPPORT OF COMMUNITIES IN MESOAMERICAS CRITICALLY AFFECTED DRY CORRIDOR. SOUTH ASIA -- WE WORKED WITH OUR PARTNER BOUDHA BAHANUPATI PROJECT (BBP) - PARIWAR AND THE RURAL WOMENS UPLIFTMENT ASSOCIATION (RWUA) IN NEPAL TO CREATE OR STRENGTHEN 64 SAVINGS AND CREDIT GROUPS WITH 1,415 MEMBERS; TRAIN 1,499 SMALLHOLDER FARMERS IN AGROECOLOGICAL FARMING PRACTICES TO IMPROVE PRODUCTION AND FOOD SECURITY; AND DISTRIBUTE GOATS AND MILKING BUFFALOS TO 112 RURAL WOMEN, WHO WILL PASS ON THE ANIMALS OFFSPRING TO OTHER WOMEN IN THE FUTURE TO SPREAD BENEFITS. IN INDIA, THE PRESERVATION AND PROLIFERATION OF RURAL RESOURCES AND NATURE (PRAN) IN BIHAR, INDIA, TRAINED 213 SMALLHOLDER FARMERS IN AGROECOLOGICAL FARMING PRACTICES AND ORGANIZED WOMEN INTO NINE NEW COMMUNITY GROUPS. COLLECTIVELY, GROUNDSWELL-SUPPORT PROGRAMS IN THE SOUTH ASIA REGION BENEFITED 4,239 PEOPLE, REGENERATED 132 HECTARES OF LAND ACROSS 64 COMMUNITIES, AND THE SAVING AND CREDIT GROUPS ACCUMULATED $59,411.94 USD IN ASSETS.