Green Empowerment

Building upon Green Empowerment’s active programs in 10 countries, our new Global Partnership with blueEnergy expands our collective reach to 12 countries and 27 partners working to advance locally led clean water and renewable energy solutions.

But this partnership is about more than expanding our reach. It formalizes a belief our organizations have shared for decades: collective impact goes further than any single organization working alone.

We’re excited to build what comes next, together.

Huge thank you to for accompanying us through every step, from exploring a collaboration to finding the right legal framework.

Learn more about the partnership and what it means for our work through our FAQ link: https://greenempowerment.org/gp/

"There are often conflicts between countries, but water brings us together."
– Siete de Julio Water Board Committee Member

Day 3 of our WASH Knowledge Exchange took us to Siete de Julio in Shushufindi in Canton, Ecuador:

What began in 1996 as a system for 80 families has grown into a unified network of 5 connected systems serving 1,500 users with 24-hour, high-quality water. After the original system failed, the community revitalized and expanded it in 2005, and the same committee has led it ever since, so well that communities ask them to stay on.

"We've become a point of reference for other communities within the county and across the Amazon that want to build high quality water systems." – Alfonso, President of the Siete de Julio Water Committee

It's easy to see why. The committee's bylaws require gender equity, with equal numbers of women and men in leadership. Schools and clinics pay residential rather than commercial rates because of the essential services they provide. And when residents face illness, disability or other hardships that make paying impossible, the committee exempts them, a practice rooted in compassion and unity.

Thank you to Alfonso and the Siete de Julio Water Committee for an unforgettable visit. 🙏

| PACOS Trust, TONIBUNG - TObpinai NIngkokoton koBUruon kampuNG, SIBAT Inc, AID Foundation, Inc. Fundación ALTROPICO, ENGIM Ecuador

Day 2 of our WASH Knowledge Exchange took us to Palma Real, Ecuador!

Since collaborating with Fundación ALTROPICO and Green Empowerment, Palma Real has run its own piped water system since 2018, serving 52 households. Committee president Santiago shared what it has meant for the community:

🚰👉 "Clean, safe water was something we wanted for a long time. Stunting and malnutrition were big problems. Since building the water system in 2018, we've seen that communal health has greatly improved."

Community members walked us through how they manage the system together. Users hold general assemblies twice a year and share responsibility through communal work days. Everyone contributes in the way they can, whether labor, cash, or in-kind contributions like chickens from elders who can't join work days. The committee plans ahead for major repairs with a dedicated budget, separate from routine upkeep.

Stay tuned for more!

| PACOS Trust, TONIBUNG - TObpinai NIngkokoton koBUruon kampuNG, SIBAT Inc, AID Foundation, Inc. Fundación ALTROPICO, ENGIM Ecuador

"We always ensure social buy-in when we do this work. I think that's the most important element." – Gustavo Huera Cuases, Water & Sanitation Lead, Fundación ALTROPICO

Our Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) Knowledge Exchange in Ecuador is underway! 💧🤝

This exchange brings together Green Empowerment team members and partners from Asia (PACOS Trust, TONIBUNG - TObpinai NIngkokoton koBUruon kampuNG, SIBAT Inc, AID Foundation, Inc.) and Latin America (Fundación ALTROPICO, ENGIM Ecuador) to learn from each other's experience.

First stop: Tres Vías, Esmeraldas, where we met with Gustavo and water committee leaders Joaquín and Clemente from the communities of Canalón and Monomanso. Fundación ALTROPICO and Green Empowerment have worked alongside communities to build 7 water systems in the region since 2016. The work began as a disaster response after the earthquake, and nearly a decade later, almost all of those systems are still fully operational across two watersheds.

Stay tuned for more updates throughout the week!

We’re growing our global community! Green Empowerment is proud to announce a new partnership with blueEnergy France, an organization whose story and mission have long mirrored our own.

For more than two decades, both of our organizations have worked toward the same north star: communities leading their own energy and water futures. We both trace our roots to Nicaragua, and we’ve both grown through long-term partnerships that put local knowledge and leadership at the center. Through this partnership, we’ll expand our collective reach and strengthen programs across Africa and beyond.

With the global funding environment shifting, consolidation across our sector is accelerating. We believe the organizations best positioned for the future are the ones that choose collaboration over competition, and that's exactly why we're choosing this path.

Learn more about the partnership and what it means for our work through our FAQ link: https://greenempowerment.org/bexge/

blueEnergy

Huge thank you to everyone who came out to Innovation & Tradition at yesterday. Provocative questions, inspiring discussion, and even an invite to stay on a family farm. We deeply appreciated the immediate sense of camaraderie shared mission palpable in the room!

Thank you The Moss for hosting us. Public Interest Registry and PS&S, LLC for providing the support that made this event possible.

And of course, huge thank you to our speakers:
Robie Halip, Executive Director at the Right Energy Partnership with Indigenous Peoples - REP
Roba Jilo, Co-Founder of Labata Fantalle Organization
Andrea Johnson, Executive Director at Green Empowerment