CareBridge - a cooperative project between commercial, nonprofit, government, and educational organizations to improve the plight of displaced populations, renew environmental resources, and use the refugee camp environment as a matrix for sustainable and microenterprise development. We designed and maintain the web site, help coordinate projects, and providing AT engineering and procurement. To learn more about the CareBridge, please visit www.carebridge.info

Afghan-American Development Alliance (AADA) - a multi-sector group working to redevelop Afghanistan in the most environmental and sustainable ways. We're helping to form the new organization as well as providing engineering and procurement roles.

Tibet Monastery Project: Mike Sullivan is one of our appropriate technology engineers. He will be leaving for Tibet in July to upgrade the photovoltaic system of a monastery that he installed for us four years ago. Mike will also meet with several Tibetan NGOs and villagers to coordinate an upcoming project with the Tibet Poverty Alleviation Fund, Tibetan Village Project and Greenstar. Click here to learn more about the monastery project.

Tibet - We have a Tibetan refugee, Tamdin Wangdu, working here who has a non-profit called Tibetan Village Project. We're funding some of his projects including training people to install and maintain solar electric systems in the central and westerns areas. We're working with Greenstar to install a high speed internet access community center this summer north of Lhasa and a second one in the west soon, hopefully near our solar work in a remote monastery. We're helping the Tibet Poverty Alleviation Fund with some health clinic projects, improved heating and cooking systems, and some enterprise development. We're working with Village Earth on a grant to provide informational services and volunteers on the Greenstar network - things like telemedicine, engineering, sanitation, shelter resources and volunteers. We have a Chinese partner in Hong Kong and have several projects going on with him including creating some microenterprise projects. We're planning to meet David from Light Up The World in Tibet this summer to research installing some hand-powered generators and LED lighting systems as well as create a local mini-manufacturing of these products. This was very successful in Nepal and other places.

Nigeria - Our agent in Lagos just received the first container of solar vaccine refrigeration systems we sent two months ago. He will be installing them in remote parts of the country and - if all goes well - Rotary International will be funding an expanded version of this project. Fr. Wence Madu, a Nigerian customer we've worked with for 6 years is visiting us again during July to work on expanding the solar water pumping systems we've done together and explore possibilities for providing internet access and telephone service in remote areas.

Bangladesh - We're helping to establish a new company called Solar Bangladesh to provide microenterprises, renewable energy, and appropriate technology in remote areas.

Tanzania - We've continuing our 20 years of work with Fr. Paul Fagan in Tanzania when he returns to the USA this summer. We'll work on expanding and improving his solar powered medical clinics, water pumping and storage systems, solar lighting, and reforestation projects.

Azerbaijan - our partner, Village Earth just returned from a two week project. We covered some of the travel expenses and are working closely with them to establish a Service Center and more educational opportunities.

India - We donated $21,000 to help establish a microcredit association for the HELPO Foundation in Pune, Maharashtra State. They also have ongoing work in Orissa and Bihar States - two of the poorest areas in India. We just received samples of an organic cotton yoga mat made by one of our Global EcoVillage partners in India, Auroville. We're working on establishing a marketing network in the usa to sell products made with renewable energy by remote villagers.

Nashik India - Results from some of our microenterprise development in Nashik.

Ghana - Elike, an apprentice from Ghana has been here for the last 4 years learning about business and renewable energy. (If you've received any products from us this year, he was the one who packed and shipped them to you.) Elike's working on establishing a food distribution system in Ghana.

Nicaragua/Honduras - we're continuing our work with Dr. Richard Komp's training and mini-manufacturing projects. A new project with USAID and CARE/Honduras includes solar water pumps and two pilot drip irrigation systems that are being installed now.

Mauritania and Mali - our partner, Engineers Without Borders, justed returned from these countries. We supplied the components for a solar water pumping project they will install, donated a Katadyn water purification system, and arranged with Safe Water Systems for them to test solar water pasteurization.

Philippines - we're working with a faith-based group, HISG, to potentially provide solar water pumping systems on a remote island. We're also working with an organization using biofuel generation from agriculture byproducts to produce power on a different island.

Nepal - we're creating a cooperative alliance with Lotus Energy and The Himalayan Light Foundation to supply components and work together on renewable energy projects.

Marketing Microenterprise Products
The Sustainable Village is helping to market products that are made in developing countries by our partners including Greenstar, Ecovillage, and the Tibetan Village Project.

People in developing countries struggle for their survival and barter for most of their needs. There is very little opportunity to generate money for essential items that can only be purchased with cash. Microenterprise projects create the necessary jump-start for economic growth and development.

An Extremely Comfortable Yoga Mat

For a relatively modest investment, a microenterprise not only generates income and profit for those who operate the business, but spawns opportunities for those who provide services to the seed enterprise. Since these villages use renewable energy, the manufacturing process doesn’t produce more pollution. We feel these products are “Beyond Organic.”

When you purchase these products, you support ethical business practices, sustainable growth, renewable energy and some of the world’s poorest villagers. Click here to download the brochure.

New Technology Testing - we have new reports available for our testing of an evaporative cooling process for refrigeration and vaccine storage, pottery water purification, and solar heating/cooking. We're sending some new, more efficient stoves to Tibet and two solar pasteurizers to Africa for further testing. We're also researching and testing more efficient cooking pots.

Some Pictures of Our Activities

Steve, the founder of The Sustainable Village is reading a report of feasibility studies conducted by a group of students from University of Colorado on the use of appropriate technology and tools in Belize	US State Department sponsored visitors from Brazil and Morocco consulting with The Sustainable Village. March 2002.	Employees of The Sustainable Village testing a stove for Tibet by burning yak dung.