My Nonprofit Reviews

My path crossed with The Eden's Rose Foundation while backpacking through Ecuador in early 2012. My wife's cousin had met the director of the foundation at a music festival the previous summer where he was fundraising and raising awareness about the projects in Ecuador. We made plans to visit the projects during our trip to S. America.

I immediately felt this organization was different than other non-profits and organization's I've worked with in the past. The heart of this organization is the people of Tosagua, the children, the women, and the communities. Their stories were touching, their children, barefoot and malnourished, were loving and playful. My companions and I fell in love with the mission of the Eden's Rose Project and decided to spend some time volunteering. The org. raises money for projects by selling handmade goods (macrame jewelry, hand knit hats & gloves, wood carvings, etc) in the U.S. at music, yoga, and arts festivals. These crafts are handmade by the communities the foundation works with in Ecuador and the artisans are paid above fair-trade wages. We, as volunteers, to some of the jewelry to a touristy beach town to see if there was a market for selling some of the jewelry IN Ecuador so the foundation could send some women down to the beach to raise money or sell their own crafts year-round.

After our trip in S. America, when we returned we became fundraising volunteers in the States, traveling around the country to different music festivals raising money and awareness each weekend. We were able to witness the positive impact of the Children's Basic Needs Center in Ecuador and raise consciousness about the current project, funding for a clean water filtration system, to give access to safe drinking water AT the needs center and throughout the San Ramon community.

This organization is small with a enormous heart. 100% of the revenue from sales are used to help fulfill the project goals. The people in these communities in Ecuador are some of the most beautiful, warm, loving people I've ever encountered. We are trying to grow our headquarters in the U.S. and develop some domestic community outreach programs in the near future. I cannot wait to see all the wonderful and inspiring stories to come out of The Eden's Rose Foundation in the coming years.

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