Alliance for International Reforestation Inc.

RURAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING, REFORESTATION

Our vision is to improve human and environmental health in Central America as we work to restore the

Goal One: Our three-year strategic plan is to complete construction of a second Training Center in Quiche, Guatemala while maintaining the first Center to serve the new communities asking for AIR's training.

Goal Two: Also in strategic plan is to increase number of professional Maya technicians, who each serve 8 to 10 schools and communities. Also, train new technicians in northern Nicaragua.

Goal Three: Add a Development Director and engage the Board of Directors in order to increase AIR's financial capacity--but continue with at least 90% of funding going to the field.

In 2021 AIR conducted an internal restructuring designed specifically to provide more leadership development roles for our technical staff. We separated the area served by AIR into two regions, with one of the regions now managed by a senior technician. This allows our executive director develop and mentor someone to help her with management of our organization as we grow. We also and added subject-area specialist roles (e.g., coffee-focused agroforestry). These roles allow our staff to become subject matter experts in key aspects of our program. They are then responsible for teaching other staff members and leading initiatives such as those for coffee-based agroforestry and avocado plantations.

AIR adapted our work over the last year in response to COVID to remain safe and to be flexible to meet the immediate needs of each community where we serve. Our core work of regenerative forestry and reforestation education/implementation was able to continue, albeit with periodic interruptions, since it occurred outdoors in rural areas in small groups. Adaptations for this work included implementing health and safety measures among our staff to reduce the risk of COVID spread within and between communities (e.g., masks, cleaning protocols, vaccinations). In one instance we also paused our operations for a short time to protect our farmer partners when an AIR staff became infected with COVID and other staff members were exposed. During outbreaks in the communities where we work, our staff switched roles from technical training to emergency response. Our support was adjusted day to day based on the specific needs identified in each community. For example, we provided food kits to families when markets closed or when they needed to isolate/quarantine, and used our trucks to provide transportation to clinics for the seriously ill. We made the decision to halt our volunteer efforts in 2021. This primarily affected the construction of vented fuel-efficient cook stoves. Bringing international visitors to work with a disadvantaged rural population without good access to healthcare was deemed too great a risk.