Home Gardens for 200 Families, Oaxaca, Mexico

Dear GlobalGiving Supporters,

I’m happy to share exciting updates from the Chinantla region of Oaxaca, where the home garden movement you’ve supported continues to flourish—alongside a broader effort to promote healthy, sustainable households.

Following the successful establishment of 30 home gardens earlier this year, we embarked on a second round of fuel-efficient stove construction. We’re proud to report that 60 additional stoves have now been built in partner communities, bringing the total to 100 stoves and 100 families benefiting from this initiative. These stoves are transforming kitchens by reducing smoke exposure, firewood consumption, and health risks, especially for women and children.

The combined strategy of home gardens, fuel-efficient stoves, and environmental education workshops forms what we now call our “Healthy Homes” model—a holistic approach to improving family well-being while strengthening forest conservation.

In parallel, we have been working closely with these same families and communities to strengthen conservation governance. This includes updating and expanding Best Practices Management Plans for the community-designated forest conservation areas, with a renewed focus on fire prevention, rapid response to deforestation alerts, and long-term sustainability. 

These efforts also serve as a platform to integrate complementary strategies—such as community-based ecotourism, native seed banks, agroforestry, and youth engagement in environmental monitoring—that reinforce forest stewardship while generating local benefits.

Together, these actions enhance community resilience and lay a strong foundation for future projects that integrate conservation with well-being. Thanks to your support, we’re not only cultivating crops, we’re cultivating dignity, agency, and a shared vision of sustainability.

With appreciation and in partnership,

Marco Acevedo, EcoLogic Program Officer, Mexico