LOOKING FOR A SELFSUFICIENCY IN AN UNESTABLE ECONOMY

Rio Dulce in Guatemala September 2009

Casa Guatemala is an association that has always been working toward the self-sufficient. Combined with the outside donations it has been able o gather enough income and be able to survive. But In an economy as unstable as it is now, our association is now obligated to be dependent solely from outside donations. Those donations are always needed and are the only economic resources on which our organization can subsist.

The global economy is going through difficult times and the repercussions affect our entity very significantly. We have seen an 80% reduction in donations in the last seven months.

Searching for economic resources to pay for education and food can't be taken lightly. In an unstable economy as it is today, we can't try to guarantee these two fundamental pillars of development. We should prepare an economic action plan so that this money arrives complete and on time, covering all of the necessities to last an entire year.

The aforementioned problem with the global economic conditions makes it very complicated to find consistent donations that can cover the total for our bills and can arrive punctually at the start of the course, guaranteeing the education and diet during these economic hardships.

A logical possible solution for our foundation is to be full self-sufficient. Producing the necessary material, technical, and human resources for our project can guarantee the children's diet and education without the need to look for outside help.

We're moving towards self-sufficiency based on using our natural resources to cultivate the land, along with the re-opening of our pig and fish farm and chicken coop.

Research based on farms smaller than ours, with fewer possibilities, show that they receive a significant income from their production.

Our association has started down this road with the creation of a "hotel school," where the kids receive a formation for their futures, and we also obtain economic benefits that help to maintain our institution. Unfortunately, the hotel's income isn't enough for us to be totally self-sufficient, but it's an important pillar of our project that guarantees a better quality of life and work for our children and gives them first-hand experience with society.

This project was born with the intention to re-invent this idea of self-sufficiency. The goal is that with our daily work, as well as with our natural resources, we can take care of the economic needs of the house, allowing our donations to secure a better quality of life for our children.

PRINCIPAL OBJECTIVE

To achieve self-sufficiency based on our own physical and natural resources

Specific Objectives

To tie together the pig and fish farm, chicken coop, and use of the land To create a line of sales and distribution of the products made by our center To improve the services provided by Hotel Backpackers to be the main element of sustainability

Project Summary

Based on the project's intention, our main goal is for Casa Guatemala to be self-suffient in the end by using different methods.

Some of the next methods can vary to request professional contracts, always justified in a coherent manner.

This project aims at FIVE totally different fronts, each of which is necessary to achieve the same main goal:

FIRST:

We will work on restoring the pig farm inside of Casa Guatemala. This farm has been supplying a small store situated on the Rio Dulce, which could serve quality meats all the time. This store's infrastructure has already been developed, as well as the infrastructure to produce baby pigs and fatten them up for sale.

This part of the project centers around the reconstruction of the pig style, the infrastructure, and the chicken coops, the buying of new technology and resources for the reproduction and growing of the chickens and pigs, the collection of eggs, and the resumption of the fish hatchery.

The professional in charge of this project, with the specific degree to develop it, will focus on raising and taking care of the animals, as well as creating the appropriate channels for selling and distributing the materials.

To restart the following projects: pig farm, chicken coop, fish hatchery, and use of the land

Reconstruction of the pig sties: $1000 Annual salary of the zoo technician (pig and fowl): $6000 Reconstruction of the slaughterhouse: $4000 2 males for reproduction: $2000 8 females for reproduction: $4000 Food and vaccination for the reproducing animals until they start to generate an income: $1,200 Total Cost: $18,200

SECOND: THE CHICKEN COOP

With the chicken farm, we would like to have the same performance as the pig farm, developing necessary actions for the farm to produce enough to be self-sufficient with the sale of the meat.

This performance would be equally supervised by a paid professional from the pig farm.

The current buildings are dilapidated, with only 30% of the buildings being usable.

The reconstruction would cover the entire construction of the chicken coops, which includes the roof, the wire, the nurseries, the food and water dispensers: $10,000 The entry cost to raise 1000 chickens: $600 Food and vaccines until the end: $1800 The chicken is ready to be sold after 7 weeks of life, and then we hope to be able to recover the capital to continue with this cycle. The cycle starts with the first entry of cash flow of the previous chickens, and the following ones go each week to ensure a continued production. Total Cost: $12,400

THIRD:

Into the plan we have the production of eggs: One section of the chicken pen we plan to use it for the egg-producing hens, this income would start to come in and we would start distribution immediately

1000 egg-laying hens: $600 Food and vaccines until the end: $3,000 The cycle of raising the hens is measured by taking into account that the hens need 15 weeks to lay their first eggs and that their production period is done 51 weeks. Total Cost of the Project: $3,600

FOURTH:

Reactivating the three fish tanks: two hatchery tanks and one tank to fatten up the fish

This project includes the draining and cleaning of the tanks and minor repairs to the drains and flood gates, maintaining the water filters and installing two active gas-powered pumps for pumping and oxidizing the water:

Price of the water pumps: $1,000 To freshly fill the tanks and to grow 6,000 tilapia minnows: $300 The minnows take 8 months to grow to commercial size, and the raising and caring for them during this time has a cost of: $1,600 Total Cost: $2,900

FIFTH:

This goal is focused around the activation of agricultural work on the plantation. We intend to use all the usable land (25 acres) to create different crops, not only for our own consumption, (which is happening now) but also for sale.

Annual salary for a farmer (crops outside and in the greenhouse): $6,000 Material needed: tools (fumigation pumps: $700, wheel barrels: $300, shovels, hoes, rakes and spades: $1,500); fertilizers, seeds, etc.: $6,500 (no motor power machinery exist) Total Cost: $15,000

These are the FIVE active programs that we would like to develop.

The implementation of these three programs is progressive and advances with time, completing it step by step at the right time.

It is imperative that each project is supervised by the appropriate professional, like a farmer and a zoo technician, which salaries would be covered by this proposal. The institution would be responsible for covering the salaries of the field personnel that will properly develop the project. They will evaluate the needs that come up and provide immediate solutions that won't interrupt this delicate process.

• To structure a line of sales and distribution for our products • To improve the services of Hotel Backpackers as the principal element of self-sufficiency

Both of the previous objectives require systematic marketing to cover every season, taking into account their is a high and low season of agriculture and tourism. We propose hiring a consultant and marketing professional.

Timeline:

This project will last 12 months and will have three phases.

Phase 1: To establish and further specify the project's objectives by doing and agricultural and marketing analysis when the product is approved. We will make the necessary adjustments for this project based on the needs of the sponsor, as well as the needs of the institution. We will re-evaluate the budget, due to market fluctuations in the prices of grain, feed and fluctuation of the currency. Phase 2: To achieve the expected income, as well as to hire the necessary personnel for farming Purchase of the necessary materials by the hired professionals Start of farming and necessary work for a quality product We will start to open marketing and sales of the possible product to become direct producers and distributors at the local level, thus gaining a client base. Due to our location, it is viable to do this because the local hotels need these materials to get to their kitchens in an efficient manner. Phase 3: Evaluation of the final product, as well as the start of marketing and continuation of production Evaluation of the product and re-thinking of new goals for future collaborations

Quoting

Evaluation of the project

We will periodically re-evaluate the farming process and make the appropriate changes based on the sponsors and institutional needs at the time to ensure the success of the project.