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:: AIR
Facts
OBJECTIVE OF THE ORGANIZATION:
AIR was founded by Political Science Professor Anne M. Hallum in 1992 at Stetson University in DeLand, Florida. AIR's objective is to assist local communities in Central America to conserve their environment through reforestation, sustainable farming, and education. AIR's approach is to
develop self-sustaining environmental programs that can be managed and implemented directly by community groups, not by outsiders.
 PROJECT LOCATION:
AIR projects are currently operating in 30 to 50 rural indigenous communities in the Departments of Chimaltenango and Solola, Guatemala. We also maintain one large tree nursery in the northern community of Todos Santos. The number of communities is estimated because each of AIR's field promoters works closely with five or six villages for a few years,
and then they will move on to other villages once the community projects become self-sustaining. Thus, we incrementally add new communities to the program. In addition, AIR has just begun projects in rural communities around Esteli, Nicaragua.
AIR'S TEAM:
AIR's staff in Guatemala is composed of 8 individuals: the Executive Director, Cecilia Ramirez; six field promoters and a
full-time secretary. The field promoters, or "tecnicos", are specialists trained in the area of agroforestry, and AIR employees are Guatemalans who come from the regions in which AIR works. This is important for the success of AIR's
programs since the staff have the ability to relate to the groups with which they work and are able to communicate with them in their native language: Cakchiquel, Mam,
or Spanish. At Stetson University, DeLand, Florida, AIR maintains U.S. Headquarters and the eight-member Board of Directors meets. All North Americans donate their professional time to AIR's success. Student volunteers from Stetson University, from Japan, England, and the U.S. Peace Corps are also important members of AIR's team, as are the hundreds of individual donors, clubs, and churches.
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AIR Board Members (as of 2007) |
Dr. Anne M. Hallum - Chairperson
Professor of Political Science
Stetson University
DeLand,Florida |
Dr. Joel Alvis
Author and Pastor,
Presbyterian Church USA
Atlanta, Georgia |
Vicki Alvis
Spanish Language Teacher
Atlanta, Georgia |
Lorna Jean Hagstrom
Philanthropist
Agriculturalist |
Candace Lankford
Community Activist
Member, Volusia County School Board
DeLand, Florida |
Rachel Hallum
Graduate Student
University of Florida |
Dr. Ken McCoy
Professor of Theatre Arts
Stetson University
DeLand, Florida |
Robert McIntosh
Attorney and former
Peace Corps Volunteer in Guatemala
Sanford, Florida |
Christopher Wunderlich
Founder and Chairperson
AGROFUTURO, Inc.
Barcelona, Spain |
C. McFerrin Smith
Circuit Court Judge
Volusia County, Florida |
Silvia McLain
Attorney and Philanthropist
Lake Mary, Florida |
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BENEFICIARIES:
AIR works with organized community groups-- including several women's groups-- that have demonstrated an interest in conserving their environment. The
direct beneficiaries of AIR's projects are the members of the community groups and their relatives, totaling over 600 rural indigenous families.
In addition, the environmental improvements resulting from
 these projects will benefit the entire regional population. AIR has partnered with the Guatemalan Ministry of Education and the British Embassy to publish and present an environmental curriculum that is being used in 166 school classrooms, reaching thousands of school children. AIR has begun a three-year training program for a class of 150
farmers in sustainable farming methods to reduce their use of dangerous, expensive chemicals. This individualized training is then supplemented by occasional radio programs for farmers that are produced by AIR and broadcast throughout
Chimaltenango. These educational efforts demonstrate that AIR is planning for long-term improvements, as well as addressing immediate environmental problems.
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Mountain
Villages in the
Dept of Chimaltenango, Guatemala
where AIR is Working in 2002-03 |
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No. |
Community |
Responsible A.I.R. Technician |
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1 |
El Campamento |
Luis Iquique |
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2 |
Montellano,
Yepocapa |
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3 |
Pajales II
Acatencango |
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4 |
Parramos |
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5 |
Sajpap Las Lomas S. M. |
Miguel Lopez |
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6 |
Panicuy Las Lomas |
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7 |
Panicuy Las Lomas |
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8 |
Paquxic Comalapa |
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9 |
Simajhuleu |
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10 |
Tres Cruces, Estancia de la Virgen |
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11 |
El Molino |
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12 |
Pajales I |
William Santizo |
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13 |
Itzapa |
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14 |
Itzapa |
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15 |
El Socobal |
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16 |
Simajhuleu |
Edgar Sinay |
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17 |
Comalapa |
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18 |
Paquip |
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19 |
Comalapa |
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20 |
Talpetate |
Eladio Iquique |
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21 |
El Platanar Xejuyu |
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22 |
Sacala |
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23 |
San Antonio Las
Minas |
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24 |
Oratorio |
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25 |
Todos Santos |
Pedro Geronimo |
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26 |
El Rincon |
all |
Source for small map:
http://www.deguate.com/infocentros/guatemala/Geografia/images/chimaltenango.gif
Source for large map:
http://www.cepredenac.org/04_temas/mitch/map/guatemala/chimal.htm
(Also see the Activities page.)
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