G-1581

Ecotourism Business for Women

Description

Financing

Documents

Photos

History Logs

Project Description

Region: Central America

Country: Costa Rica

Location: Turrialba

Total Budget: $36,180

Area of Focus: Community economic development


This grant will support a network of women-owned businesses called "The Network of Women Entrepreneurs of Sustainable Tourism in Turrialba" (RETUS) in rural communities around Turrialba, Costa Rica by refurbishing a community center house, providing them with transportation and developing leadership and business training workshops.

Turrialba is the home of the CATIE Research and Higher Education Center. On the campus is a historical building called The Sustainability House. This house is the heart of and central location for meetings and workshops that supports the rural women's enterprises. Built in 1942, the house needs refurbishing.

Rotary volunteers from District's 5790 and 4240, and contractors vetted and authorized to do work on the CATIE campus will refurbish the Sustainability House. Because this house is already a focal point for the community, the potential impact for long-term successful, sustainable commerce for the women is limitless.

CATIE partners and shares faculty with the University of North Texas in Denton, TX. Graduate students from UNT study at CATIE through the Masters in Sustainable Tourism (MIST) program. MIST graduates share their knowledge of experiential/environmental tourism throughout Central and South America and locally, in the Turrialba area. In fact, one MIST graduate is a local Rotarian and on the committee for this grant.

The Network of Women Entrepreneurs of Sustainable Tourism in Turrialba (RETUS) will collaborate with CATIE to develop a youth leadership education program for Turrialba's 200+ children that focuses on fostering eco-healthy practices, teaching them to be good environmental stewards of their country and in time support the next generation of women owned enterprises and leaders.

The Network of Women Entrepreneurs of Sustainable Tourism in Turrialba (RETUS) is currently asking for support:

1. To develop an ecotourism business. This business will conduct tours throughout the area to communities and women owned businesses. The entire community will benefit from money raised from tour packages. Expanding to additional or new services/products to be offered by RETUS as they enroll and train more young women in the community who seek employment.

2. For business skills training and micro-finance support to Costa Rica's rural women-owned enterprises in areas of eco-tourism, sustainable farming, and agro/aquaculture.

3. For assistance to develop school-linked (field trip) community programs and train Turrialba's teachers to educate students on poverty reduction and rural sustainable living.

4. Funding to facilitate the creation and expansion of community aquaponic gardens that use local fish to provide both nutrients to the garden and a fish industry for the women of the community.

5. Purchase of a previously owned minivan to:

a) Transport the eco-tour groups around the community to visit the women owned enterprises.

b) Transport the women to their office on the CATIE campus for training, workshops and community events that will be held there.

c) For transportation of elementary and middle school students in the area to the CATIE campus for programs and field trips that educate them on best environmental practices and sustainable farming.

Note: Currently, when transportation is required, the community must rent a mini-bus.

Outcomes:

a) Create gardening awareness through education programs at schools and in community

groups.

b) Test new vegetable and food varieties from year to year.

c) Meet the increasing demand for nutritious and fresh food.

d) Sales of seeds, plants, food and fish will create countless economic development,

micro, and social economic opportunities.

Estimated timeline is July 1, 2018, through June 15, 2019, with a minimum three-year, follow up and inspections.

HOW CLUB MEMBERS WILL BE INVOLVED

Rotarian Participation:

1. Team members will require a minimum of three years participation in the team.

2. Rotarians will volunteer their time and expertise to refurbish the Sustainability

House on the CATIE campus.

3. Rotarian volunteers will design a series of Business, Marketing and Social Media

training materials for the RETUS women. The materials will be in Spanish and English and

may include some ESL training modules.

4. Rotarian volunteers will conduct a series of no less than 8 workshops for the women

entrepreneurs to insure they have the tools and skills to launch the ecotourism

business.

5. Rotarians and Rotaractors from the University of North Texas (some who are graduates

of the MIST program) will mentor the women for 2 years to support the implementation

phase as well as offering guidance as the business expands.

6. It is expected that within three years,RETUS will become an income generating

enterprise and the community will have a well established ecotourism offering.

7. Through RETUS's partnership with CATIE, the Sustainable House will become an "Eco-

Hostel" and central location for all ecotourism activities and environmental

sustainability education programs in the Turrialba community.

Role of the International Rotarians:

1. International Sponsor Club will monitor the progress through emails to the Host Club

and CATIE campus advisers to the Women's Entrepreneurial Network.

2. International Sponsor Club will visit the project sites at least once in a year to

support the project and address any needs the host club may identify.

3. International Sponsor Club will work with the Host club to collectively monitor all

activities, making sure to stay within budget and hosting annual audits.

4. Rotary Club of Denton, along with other clubs in District 5790 and across the US,

including ESRAG, will support this grant. Rotarians, members of Rotaract, Interact and

volunteers from UNT will participate to this project's completion.

10/22/2020 Project Update: This project is completed.

The last statement from Banc Nasional Costa Rica to zero out the account was received 10/5/2020. We are currently completing the Financial documentation for this project to submit on Global Grant #1978399 website. Expect it will be accepted and closed before December 31, 2020.

Primary Host Partner

District: 4240

Rotary Club of: Cartago

Primary Contact: Jimmy Ramirez

Email: jimmy_ramirezcr@hotmail.com

Primary International Partner

District: 5790

Rotary Club of: Cross Timbers, Flower Mound

Primary Contact: Karen M. McDaniels

Email: karen804m@gmail.com

Project Status

Completed
This project is "Completed". This means the project has been implemented and the report was accepted by The Rotary Foundation. The project will stay listed on this website as a testimony of the achievements of the project partners.

Project listed for the 2018-19 Rotary Year.

The TRF Grant application number is #1978399.

Proposed Financing

Existing Contributions Towards This Project

Date

Cash

DDF

Total

District 5790 DDF

9-Aug-18

-

$2,610

$2,610

Cartago (4240)

20-Aug-18

$425

$0

$425

Denton Morning (5790)

23-Oct-18

$2,100

$1,010

$3,110

Mineral Wells (5790)

24-Oct-18

$1,000

$0

$1,000

Denton (5790)

24-Oct-18

$6,964

$5,235

$12,199

Denton Evening (5790)

5-Nov-18

$500

$0

$500

Arlington (5790)

18-Feb-19

$1,325

$0

$1,325

Amount Requested from The Rotary Foundation

$6,157

$8,855

$15,011

Total

$36,180

DDF contributions in grey are pending approval of the corresponding district committee.

Note: as of July 1, 2015 there is a 5% additional support fee for cash contributions. This fee does not appear in the financials above because it does not apply if the funds are sent directly to the project account (without going through TRF, and therefore without Paul Harris credit). Clubs sending their cash contribution to TRF must be aware they will have to send an additional 5%.

Project Supporting Documents

Project Photos

History Log Entries

30-Jun-18

System Entry

System Entry: Creation of project page.

8-Aug-18

by Sharron Miles

System Entry: Pledge of $5,235 with $5,235 DDF by Sharron Miles of the Rotary Club of Cleburne, District 5790.

20-Aug-18

by Karen M. McDaniels

System Entry: Pledge of $100 by Jimmy Ramirex of the Rotary Club of Cartago, District 4240.

20-Oct-18

by Karen M. McDaniels

System Entry: Pledge of $365 by Jimmy Ramirez of the Rotary Club of Cartago, District 4240.

20-Oct-18

by Karen M. McDaniels

System Entry: Pledge of $1,000 DDF by Shane Ferrell of the Rotary Club of Arlington Sunrise, District 5790.

20-Oct-18

by Karen M. McDaniels

System Entry: Pledge of $830 DDF by Bill Bracken of the Rotary Club of Mid-Cities Pace Setters, District 5790.

20-Oct-18

by Karen M. McDaniels

System Entry: Pledge of $2,100 by Allen Chick of the Rotary Club of Denton Morning, District 5790.

23-Oct-18

System Entry

System Entry: Pledge of $2,100 with $1,010 DDF by Brian Glenn of the Rotary Club of Denton Morning, District 5790.

24-Oct-18

by Karen M. McDaniels

System Entry: Pledge of $1,000 by Benay Ayers of the Rotary Club of Mineral Wells, District 5790.

24-Oct-18

by Karen M. McDaniels

System Entry: Pledge of $2,000 by Karen McDaniels of the Rotary Club of Denton, District 5790.

27-Oct-18

by Karen M. McDaniels

System Entry: Pledge of $1,000 by Benay Ayers of the Rotary Club of Wichita Falls, District 5790.

5-Nov-18

by Jesse Lee Davis

System Entry: Pledge of $500 by Jesse Lee Davis of the Rotary Club of Denton Evening, District 5790.

31-Jan-19

by Karen M. McDaniels

System Entry: Pledge of $1,000 by Shane Ferrell of the Rotary Club of Arlington (Sunrise), District 5790.

31-Jan-19

by Karen M. McDaniels

System Entry: Project is now "Fully Pledged".

31-Jan-19

by Karen M. McDaniels

System Entry: Pledge of $1,000 DDF by Shane Ferrell of the Rotary Club of Arlington (Sunrise), District 5790.

13-Feb-19

by Karen M. McDaniels

System Entry: Pledge of $780 DDF by Kevin Cooksey of the Rotary Club of Burleson, District 5790.

13-Feb-19

by Karen M. McDaniels

System Entry: Pledge of $400 DDF by Sharron Miles of the Rotary Club of Cleburne, District 5790.

18-Feb-19

by Karen M. McDaniels

System Entry: Pledge of $1,325 by Mary Tom Curnutt of the Rotary Club of Arlington, District 5790.

2-Jun-19

by Karen M. McDaniels

System Entry: Application Sent to The Rotary Foundation through Member Access.

2-Jun-19

by Karen M. McDaniels

System Entry: Application approved by The Rotary Foundation.

2-Jun-19

by Karen M. McDaniels

System Entry: Payment has been issued by The Rotary Foundation.

16-Jan-20

by Karen M. McDaniels

This project is still in progress and is noted as such on the GG project 1978399. We are waiting for the final bills from vendors and payment thereof. We expect to have all the finances reconciled by 1 March 2020 with final submission to TRF Global Grant site by 1 April 2020

17-Nov-20

by Karen M. McDaniels

All funds for this project have been used.

All projects are completed for this global grant

Final Bank statement in Costa Rica shows zero balance

Final documents to Global Grant website to be completed before 12/31/2020

25-May-21

by Karen M. McDaniels

RETUS tour operations is closed.The Canton of Turrialba, where this project resides is experiencing another outbreak of COVID-19. Rural communities are closed to not only tourists but other outside visitors including our Rotary network there. The Sustainability House Eco-Hotel is now under CATIE administration. It is open for guest bookings and is supporting itself from the income. CATIE has hired a hotel administrator to manage guest bookings, cleaning and maintenance. There are now five aquaponic gardens in the rural communities of Turrialba.The RETUS women who maintain these gardens have dedicated a large amount of their produce to their communities. We expect to support this project well into 2023. For a detailed report of this project, please see the Documents section above.

6-Sep-21

by Karen M. McDaniels

System Entry: Final Report sent to The Rotary Foundation.

12-Feb-22

by Karen M. McDaniels

System Entry: Final Report approved by The Rotary Foundation.

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