The Foundation does not seek to benefit from the promotion or publicity of its work and therefore limits public reporting related to supported programs. Case studies on this website have been selected to demonstrate the type of organizations and programs Gunvor Foundation seeks to partner with. More information is available to partners and inquiring organizations during the selection review process.
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Location
Brazil
Organisation
Project Description
The Nordesta reforestation and education association was founded in Geneva, Switzerland in 1985, with the goal of preserving tropical forests and improving the lives of their isolated populations. Its two areas of activity are environment and education. Nordesta has been partnering with Gunvor Foundation since 2023.
Gunvor Foundation’s three-year program with Nordesta aims to plant 200,000 trees of more than 100 species. In 2025, Nordesta will triple the number of trees planted so far, advancing the project towards important climate and biodiversity goals—including the potential absorption of 200,000 tons of CO2. Each year, work begins with the collection and treatment of seeds, many species of which are on the verge of extinction. The seeds are so rare and delicate that Nordesta must extract them from the trees up to 10 meters off the ground then take them directly to the nursery, as they will be too fragile to be stored in a seedbank. About 30 people are dedicated to this process.
As a part of the initiative, Nordesta has also launched the “Advogados da Natureza” (Nature’s Advocates) program — an educational initiative involving around 60 children from rural communities. Each week, they engage in environmental workshops, learn about biodiversity, and take part in tree planting activities. The project fosters long-term sustainable engagement with local communities, emphasizing the vital role of environmental preservation.
“We work with species on the verge of extinction. Their seeds are so rare and delicate that we must extract them from the trees up to 10 meters off the ground then take them directly to the nursery.
They’re too fragile to be stored in a seedbank.” —Adrien Chardet, Director & International Coordinator
Location
Guatemala
Organisation
Project Description
Health Poverty Action (HPA) acts in solidarity with health workers, activists, and communities worldwide to improve health and challenge the causes of poverty. HPA approaches health as an issue of social justice, and seeks to address neglected populations with the highest priority. The organization works to strengthen health services in areas such as nutrition, water, sanitation, immunisation, and income generation. HPA has been partnering with Gunvor Foundation since 2020.
Gunvor Foundation has been working with HPA on projects to improve the health of indigenous mothers and children in the Highlands of Guatemala, consisting of a target population of approximately 89,000 women and 52,500 children (aged 0-6). The rationale behind these projects is the high rates of maternal and newborn mortality. Expected results focus on improved quality of maternal and child health services offered; improved community referral systems to Ministry of Health facilities in place for pregnant women and newborns; and ensuring target communities practice improved “health-seeking” behaviour.
Critically, since the beginning of the latest projects, the number of annual maternal deaths has reduced. Perinatal mortality has also dropped from 18 to 4 cases per year (until COVID-19 impact saw a recent steep rise). Health-seeking behaviour has been improving, including seeing an increase in 0-1 year olds receiving immunisations up to 87% to 91%. Referrals to health facilities has more than tripled.
Location
Kenya
Organisation
Project Description
Hand In Hand International fights poverty through job training and job creation in Kenya and Tanzania with programs that empower women and support Climate Change mitigation. HIH has been partnering with Gunvor Foundation since 2019.
Gunvor Foundation has been working for years with Hand in Hand International to fight poverty by empowering individuals, predominantly women, through business training. So far, in Kenya and Tanzania, where our projects are most active, we have helped create more than 99,800 jobs and almost 75,000 small/micro businesses, and improve quality of life for more than 360,000 people.
To better understand these projects and the types of results we’re achieving, it is best to share a specific example. Bertha C., 54, who lives in the Mapanga village in the Dodoma region of Tanzania, is married with three children, a son and two daughters of school age. Bertha is the sole breadwinner in the family, as her husband is a farmer whose financial contribution to the family is limited and intermittent. Bertha is a member of the Mcheula self-help group, consisting of 30 members, predominantly women, which partners with Hand In Hand to obtain business training and marketing finance education. One notable point of help came in the keeping of business records—to assess performance and identify areas of improvement. Traditionally, people in Bertha’s culture are less likely to keep business records, since they do not wish to see losses when and if business performs poorly.