GoldTeak Team

Our GoldTeak Guardian Team takes a break from clearing the sea grass that grows between the trees. We try our best to remove as much as possible by hand, but in the rainy season the grasses seem to grow more quickly than we can clear them away!

My Goat had a Baby!

A happy occasion! The arrival of the baby Goats. For those of us who live a more urban existance this is a ''çute'' and fun occassion, however, for the guardians on our land this is an added revenue source for their survival... for Parid our supervisor he gets half of my baby goat just for caring for the goat.

All our guardians make minimum wage, are provided with a house on the land and medical care. This money is significant because 6 years ago these 23 families had no prospects for work that would provide for their families.  The majority of our staff

We encourage the growth of Micro-businesses  that help the villagers and our guardians help themselves.  During festivals, or as bonuses we give them animals or seeds to inter-crop vegetables between our trees and around their homes.  But the most impressive thing is that our supervisors have taught the others, through example, to save some of their money to buy more chickens, goats and rabbits to raise and sell for extra cash.  This may seem like minor income by our standards, but in their little village this makes them ''well off''.  Their increased wealth also trickles down to the villagers who create services and businesses for our guardians -- like transport services to move supplies in and out of the plantation, and small stores that sell needed items to neighbors.

The changes do not happen overnight but on every visit I notice some kind of improvement in the lives of everyone around the plantation.

Until next time,  Stacy