Long Way Home
Organization Details
We have transformed 30,000 used tires and tens of thousands of eco-bricks (plastic bottles stuffed with inorganic rubbish) into the Hero School campus. On our campus, we collect and filter water from the rooftops, use solar power, and manage all black and grey water on site. Our campus is a public sustainability demonstration available to the public. 177 Indigenous students (PreK-high school), most of whom are women attend our school. We are integrating STEM, ESD, green building, democracy, and local traditions into our curriculum which propel us to fight poverty in San Juan Comalapa.
Impact Story
In the 97% Indigenous rural town of Comalapa, in Guatemala 64% of the population lives in poverty, and 27% live in extreme poverty. Residents lack access to potable water, food, shelter, quality education, and the air, soil, and water are contaminated. Hero School students and teachers conduct research to identify households with the greatest need for intervention. They team up with our green builders to plan and implement projects in the community. This infrastructure includes smoke-safe stoves to reduce respiratory illness and reduce the consumption of firewood, water tanks to collect and store rainwater for access to potable water, composting latrines to improve household sanitation, retaining walls to prevent landslides and erosion, and homes that are earthquake resistant. The rubbish required for each green building project is available from students who contribute eco-bricks and glass bottles in lieu of tuition. This hands-on approach to education cultivates a sense of responsibility and pride in how they are improving their community. Students who are involved in real-world challenges become powerful agents of change.
Diverse Social Enterprise
The TRANSFORM Support Hub is committed to accelerating diverse owned and led enterprises to build more equitable and resilient supply chains.
