The Planeterra Foundation is the non-profit partner of G Adventures. Established in 2003 by our founder, Bruce Poon Tip, Planeterra was created as a means for the travel industry to give back to communities. As a Canadian non-profit organisation, Planeterra has contributed millions of dollars towards projects in areas of social enterprise, healthcare, education and conservation in travel destinations globally.
With an annual contribution from G Adventures, Planeterra is able to offset their operating and project administration costs, as well as receive pro bono services for their efforts globally. This effective model allows Planeterra to invest 100% of public, private, and individual donor funds directly towards the community development projects worldwide.
From Iceland to Sri Lanka, Brazil to Uganda, 17 new partnerships were announced in 2018, which means Planeterra now has 68 project partners in 41 countries around the world.
Projects
New Paths for Youth – Bike with Purpose in Belize
This project aims to provide youth on Caye Caulker with training for future employment opportunities. It is a social enterprise in tourism, giving students from Caye Caulker’s Ocean Academy the chance to practice guiding skills while giving travellers a unique experience on their visit to Caye Caulker. Ocean Academy prepares students for careers relevant to island tourism and conservation science. Planeterra provided funds needed to purchase bikes
and other materials for a student-led bicycle tour of the island. This activity is included for over 2,500 G Adventures travellers and bike rentals are available for all travellers, with proceeds funding educational programs for the students at Ocean Academy.
58 students enrolled at the Ocean Academy
40 bicycles purchased by G Adventures
2,500 G travellers visit each year
Empowering Women – Maasai Clean Cookstoves in Tanzania
Planeterra helped to create a community tour alongside our partners at the Maasai Stoves & Solar Project, as their first revenue-generating program. This visit is lead by the all-women engineer team, which takes travelers to experience the air quality of a boma (homestead) with and without a clean cookstove. The tour pays for the cost of a new stove in a home that does not have one. A new stove installed in a family’s home removes 90% of indoor smoke pollution. Along with the stoves, the entire boma also receives solar power, increasing security and safety in the homes.
Our project partner works closely with Maasai women to incorporate their ideas into the stove construction. Through a training course, women become experts of stove and solar panel installation in their villages and neighboring villages. So far, the Maasai Stoves & Solar Project has trained 75 women and installed 750 stoves in in over sixty Maasai areas across the Serengeti, and has expanded into neighbouring Uganda.
750 clean cookstoves installed
1,050 people are indirectly benefitting
1,000 G travellers visit each year
Conserving Cultures – Jukil Lodge in Bolivia
Beginning in June 2016, Planeterra and G Adventures, with the help of sponsor Live Out There, began funding the construction and upgrade of equipment and facilities at Jukil Community Lodge. A training program was also instituted, including technical assistance for organizational management, cooking, restaurant operations, business formalization, business administration, and more. With many of the village’s younger residents in search for economic opportunities, this lodge is seen by the community as a way to rescue their indigenous culture and provide opportunities for the future. Visitors to the Lodge learn about the local agricultural practices, including their specialization in quinoa production, and take a guided walk with a community member to the sacred Jukil mountaintop.
50 families benefitting from the program
1,500 G travellers will visit each year
