DIRECTORY ENTRY - CRACYP (Progreso Verde, Green Progress)

CRACYP (which stands for Rural Forestation and Progress Network Corporation, in Spanish) is a non profit organisation facilitating reforestation and sustainable rural development in an agricultural area of extreme poverty.  We work with over 200 communities in the subtropical foothills of the Western Andes in Ecuador.  

Our mission is "Progreso Verde" or "Green Progress" - that is, social and economic development, but in a way which protects the environment.  We build environmental awareness and motivate and assist local communities to take practical conservation action.  Our sustainable development projects help to increase incomes to the point where people are able to think further ahead than the next meal and can afford to care about the environment.

The 'price' of our help is that they must use a small percentage of the extra income to plant trees - which stabilize and enrich their land and provide them with fruits or other useful products.

CRACYP's "Green Progress" projects are long-term.  We train people in techniques for sustainable agriculture and appropriate technology to add value to their crops by processing them locally rather than selling them as raw materials, and provide ongoing support.  We advise on and assist with the reforestation process.  In this way the communities improve their quality of life and preserve the environment on which their future depends. 

An internship in sustainable development with CRACYP is an ideal way to gain practical experience for a career in rural development, sustainable agriculture, fair trade, ecotourism and similar fields.  In addition to seeing and experiencing the work of the NGO, each intern takes responsibility for an individual project, which might be a small stand-alone development project, or one phase or aspect of a larger project.  A Development Workshop is held each month for interns to explore different aspects of sustainable development in rural areas and network with local experts working in this field.

Volunteer opportunities on our sustainable development projects are a rewarding way to spend holiday time in Ecuador, to experience the reality of working in sustainable development, or to learn new skills and practise your Spanish.