All of our summer study abroad groups and volunteer programs have been cancelled due to COVID-19.
We need your help to be able to continue to serve our communities and the families you love!
Until now, IOI had been the only organization in the Galapagos working to increase food sovereignty from continental Ecuador while reducing the carbon footprint of products sent to the archipelago. Amid the crisis, the gravity of the islands' dependence on external provisions became abundantly clear, and the government is launching a program to strengthen local production.
In turn, our sustainable agriculture and urban gardening project is now the model for the statewide implementation of similar initiatives. IOI will be the coordinating agent of this government effort in Isabela County, reducing dependency on mainland shipments by 15%. Additionally, IOI staff and members of our Isabela Sostenible group will lead an effort to triple the amount of urban gardens in Puerto Villamil to 75.
As part of this effort, IOI will additionally coordinate the government’s disaster relief efforts in Isabela, serving as a food bank for local residents. The program will distribute weekly market baskets of produce from the agricultural program to 60 families in economic distress.
Our host families and community members update us through a WhatsApp chat about their harvests!
WE NEED YOUR HELP TO CONTINUE TO FIGHT THE EFFECTS OF THE PANDEMIC.
100% of your donations will go directly towards supporting IOI's food production and disaster relief efforts. Our committed front line staff and your host-families depend on your donations. Please help the survival of IOI during this crisis!
Learn more about how IOI is working through the pandemic in our May Newsletter and on our COVID-19 Response Page
