Foundation Spotlight

The Youngevity Be The Change Foundation is inspiring outreach both big and small in communities locally and around the world. We’re changing lives. And it all began with our plantation.

 

Matagalpa, Nicaragua is often referred to as “The Pearl of the North” in Central America. In May of 2014, Youngevity International, in partnership with the Siles family, purchased a 1,000-acre coffee plantation in this lush part of the Nicaragua rainforest.

When we purchased the once-thriving plantation, it was in a state of disrepair. The school on this property had been closed, sanitation was poor, and the living quarters could best be described as rustic. Many of the children of those working and living on the plantation were barefoot and exposed to the dangers of this mountainous terrain. Our plantation is home to 180 workers and their families and swells with an additional 500 seasonal workers during harvest. It was essential that the living conditions of the workers and their families along with the well-being of the children be addressed immediately.

Moved by the plight of our community in Nicaragua and the possibilities of restoring the plantation to its original splendor, the Youngevity Be the Change Foundation, and Youngevity Distributors and customers sprang into action. They took up a clothing and shoe drive that was so well received that we were not only able to provide for our plantation’s inhabitants, but for every plantation on the mountainside. Because of this, the Youngevity Plantation became known as the “sharing plantation.” In partnership with Fair Trade, our Foundation also built a new hydroelectricity plant to generate green power and built a three-story condominium style dormitory in which the families could thrive. And one of our proudest moments came when we reopened the school.

Reopening the school was a catalyst for life altering change. In addition to the school for the plantation’s children, the Foundation has been able to open a daycare for the youngest in the area to have a safe and welcoming place to spend time while their parents are working. In an effort to reach out to all ages, our partner, Marisol Siles started a literacy program for the adults at the plantation, many of whom could not even sign their names when the program began. This campaign is having far-reaching effects. The children at the plantation are helping to reinforce the learning they receive with their parents, and it’s becoming a beautiful circle of learning, sharing, and growth.

What makes this literacy program extra special is the generosity and warmth that has grown from it. Not content to simply help the residents of our own plantation, our hearts are also reaching out to the greater community and extending the literacy program to anyone willing to learn. Marisol Siles is leading an initiative to pick up workers from other plantations, bring them to the classes, then take them back—forming a bridge of hope to anyone that wishes to learn.

This spirit of giving back to every community in which we live is why Youngevity’s Be the Change Foundation exists; caring and ordinary people doing extraordinary things to make a difference in the lives of others. We support the Youngevity Be The Change foundation directly and materially by donating 100% of the proceeds of our 12 oz. bags of coffee to help those in need around the world.Thank you for purchasing our coffee and supporting these efforts. Simply by drinking this great coffee, you are sharing your hearts of love and hope “for the good”.

 

Read about the Foundation’s outreach in other Spotlight stories below!

 

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