Green Empowerment

On Wednesday morning following the results of the US-election, our Executive Director, Andrea Johnson, sent this email to our board, staff and associate board and we want to share it with our global community as remain steadfast in our work and vision for a more equitable world:

After months of hard work and community collaboration, families in La Estancia, Honduras, now have safe and clean water flowing right at home! ???? Together with our local partner #ASOMAINCUPACO, 1,926 people and 11 social infrastructure now have a dependable source of fresh water, improving health and daily life. Here’s to the power of partnership and community-driven change! #WaterForAll #Honduras #CommunityImpact

Assessing and improving water systems for communities in Shushufindi, a new program region in Ecuador! ????? This project is an initiative of UNICEF Ecuador, executed by ENGIM ONG with funding from Banco Pichincha and Sumar Juntos, who recognized a dire problem in defunct or decrepit water systems in this remote, oil-producing region of the Amazon. With our partner ENGIM taking the lead, and the support of Shushufundi’s municipal government, we have engaged 18 communities in self-evaluation of their systems, done participatory improvement planning with 6 communities, and have 4 complete system rehabilitations in the works. ??: The lead up work and community members coming together to repair and rebuild during one of many communal work days that will bring them clean water. #CleanWaterForAll #CommunityDevelopment #AmazonConservation

A huge thank you to everyone who joined our EKOenergy Climate Fund Learning and Knowledge Exchange Session yesterday! With 40 participants from across Asia, Africa, and Europe, it was an incredible opportunity to exchange knowledge, share experiences, and network. The session focused on securing O&M in solar-powered water projects. For this event, we invited organizations from Europe, Asia and Africa that we have funded over the past two years, who have experience with or are interested in coordinating water-related solar projects. We heard inspiring case presentations from Green Empowerment (Uganda), Centre for Renewable Energy and Action on Climate Change CREACC-NG (Nigeria), and OIKOS East Africa (Tanzania). A big thank you again to Usman (Mareri) Muhammad, Eng. Osbert Atwijukye, Geoanna Corneby, and Zabdiel KItonga for contributing! After the presentations, those who were able to stay for the second hour of the event had the opportunity to continue discussions in small groups. I’m deeply grateful that at EKOenergy ecolabel, we’ve been able to bring together such an amazing community. It’s definitely one of the highlights of my job to have the chance to connect with them. Based on the initial feedback, there is strong interest in similar events in the future. There is so much knowledge out there, but often the platforms to share it are missing. This is feedback we often hear. At EKOenergy, we are doing our best to contribute to this. I would be interested in learning about any other effective approaches to knowledge exchange!

Watch the highlights from NYC Climate Week! ???? At NYC Climate Week, Green Empowerment’s documentary Force of Water sparked some powerful conversations. After the film, we brought together changemakers shaping the future of water and climate action. Big shoutout to our inspiring panelists Jomo Erick, African Leadership Academy, Rocio Cavazos, Water.org, and Michaela Walsh, charity: water, for sharing their frontline insights. A special thanks to Hatim Eltayeb, African Leadership Academy, for setting the stage and to Ryan Phillips-Page and Marco Di Girolamo of Operation Water for wrapping up with vision and impact. https://lnkd.in/gu6aJX48 Huge thank you to our partner Public Interest Registry who helped us bring this film to New York. Thank you for supporting this dynamic conversation between organizations. #FOW #NYClimateWeek #ClimateAction | Climate Group

Huge thanks to Seacology for partnering with us to bring clean, reliable solar power to Pitas Laut. Stay tuned for more updates! ????

“I give to Green Empowerment because they are improving lives for communities that are often overlooked by other international aid groups. Everyone deserves access to clean water, safe sanitation and clean electricity. Green Empowerment fills a critical gap in making that happen.” - Hilary Lewis, Green Empowerment Board Member and donor since 2021 Did you know Green Empowerment can accept donor-advised funds (DAFs)? DAFs give you control not only over what you give, but also how and when you give—strategically, with purpose, and for long-term impact. Learn more about donating with DAFs: https://lnkd.in/gBnH4Diw

As we process the US-election results, we are thinking about the role we all play in shaping a more equitable world. This article by Solome Lemma, President & CEO of Thousand Currents, resonated deeply with our US-based team as we reflect on the values and visions that guide our work. We share it in hopes of offering a message of solidarity and action. Thank you Paulomi Bhattacharya, Co-executive Director of CREATE! Center for Renewable Energy and Appropriate Technology for the Environment!, for sharing this article with us.

??? As the season of giving approaches, we invite you to explore the tools that you have to support the causes you believe in. If you’re over 70?, you have a unique chance to use your Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) to create lasting impact. You can donate up to $105,000 tax-free and transform your gift into clean energy, safe water, and brighter futures for communities in need. Learn more about how to give through RMDs: https://lnkd.in/grrWUAzN

With just $88 per person, communities along the Rio Cayapas in Ecuador now have access to clean water—well below the World Bank’s estimated cost of $241–$443 for rural water projects. Green Empowerment and ALTROPICO have helped 13 communities gain access to treated water to homes, schools, and clinics through micro-utilities. We're now aiming to bring this to 8 more communities, reaching 2,000 more people. ?? Learn more in our 2024 Impact Report: https://lnkd.in/gZ3djsRU #AffordableWater #CommunityLed #Ecuador