“Tequio”: every person has a civic duty to contribute to the vitality of the community as directed by its elected leaders.
Founder Neftalí Duran
The Proyecto Rosenda Oaxaca reforestation project is a grassroots, community-based endeavor rooted in the Tequio concept, led by Neftalí Duran’s family and wider community.
The Mixteca region, like much of the state of Oaxaca, has seen its natural habitats damaged by over-harvesting and the need for fuel for the last few hundred years. Many thousands of hectares of the rich, biodiverse forests of Oaxaca have been stripped completely of their trees. This project seeks to empower the community to work together in planting trees for the common good and the future of the region.
Proyecto Rosenda
This first phase of this project is underway. Immediate needs include a collective toolshed and library, funds to pay and provide food and water to workers, two gas operated augers, and transportation costs. We operate as a fiscally sponsored project through Tiny Seed Project and funding comes from grassroots sources such as fundraisers, individual donations, and mini grants. The project will cost approximately $7,000 USD for the first year. All donations are tax deductible.
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Miguel Angel Lopez Duran is leading a community crew in planning, procuring and planting trees at the beginning of the rainy season (typically April/May, as early as March). The saplings are being procured by the local leadership via state programs, and we are fundraising to provide payment for community members to be involved in this project.
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This project will began in 2021 with the planting of 16,000 trees and will continue to provide temporary employment for up to 12 local workers.
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We hold ourselves accountable through community meetings and audits at the end of the each season to discuss the success of the project and improvements for the following year.