Groundbreaking Pilot Works To Strengthen Indigenous Communities to Address Climate Crisis in the Amazon
May 01 2024 - 12:14PM
AidKit, in partnership with Cool Earth, an international NGO,
supported two female-led indigenous organizations, National
Organization of Indigenous Women of the Andes and the Amazon of
Peru (ONAMIAP), and Organization of Indigenous Women of Asháninka
People of the Central Jungle (OMIAASEC), in launching their first
Universal Basic Income Pilot, a pioneering initiative that today
reaches three communities in the Peruvian Amazon.
The Pilot was designed by, and for, the
communities in order to contribute with flexible income generation
and resources. In this way, it seeks to strengthen their capacity
to respond to the impacts of the climate crisis and the increase of
unlawful economies in the region that endanger invaluable natural
resources and ancestral territories.
By providing an income for two years to each
member of these Indigenous communities, they can now have tools to
decide their futures and access to basic human rights such as food,
health, and livelihoods.
“Indigenous Peoples are the most affected by the
climate crisis,” says Ketty Marcelo, president of ONAMIAP. “This
context is having a strong impact on our human rights. Therefore,
it is important to develop initiatives that provide a priority
response, and that starts from the recognition of the needs and
reality of each community. This small retribution is very important
for them, and we trust that it will be well used to build
resilience in the face of the climate crisis, to keep water,
rainforests, and communal life alive.”
Acknowledging the unique challenges in collecting
personal identification and payment information from intended
recipients in places without internet access, AidKit developed and
launched new functionality in their technical platform. This
offline mode enables program administrators and community workers
to be fully mobile, leveraging a tablet or iPad to collect
information from potential program participants in real time. Using
best-in-class asymmetric encryption, sensitive information -
including banking details - is able to be recorded to a physical
device, uploaded, and processed once the device is brought back to
an internet connection.
“The collaboration with AidKit has been vital,”
says Patricia Quiñones, Manager of Unconditional Cash Transfers at
Cool Earth. “Both organizations agree on the necessity to put at
the forefront the needs of community members where the Pilot is
being carried out and the specific requirements of the local team
in this very challenging context. In that sense, collaboration has
been key for various points, among them: the secure management of
sensitive information and reducing operational errors to schedule
monetary transfers. In addition, as it is an accessible and simple
platform, it has made it possible for indigenous leaders to apply
surveys in the community. In this way, we contribute to reducing
the gap in access, and return of information to indigenous
organizations.”
For more information on how AidKit can help you
design an end-to-end offline distribution platform, please visit
AidKit’s website, and for more information about this initiative,
please visit Cool Earth’s website.
High-resolution visual resources, and
additional information are available upon request.
About AidKit
AidKit is an advanced technology platform for
delivering cash assistance and guaranteed income to those who need
it most. It works with nonprofits and government organizations to
serve diverse populations, including the unhoused, the
undocumented, and the unbanked. Applicants can register for aid on
their mobile devices and receive payments via bank transfer, debit
card, or virtual card. AidKit balances convenience with security,
protecting against fraud while ensuring the highest degree of data
protection. AidKit powers some of the nation’s largest direct cash
and guaranteed income pilots with tools that reduce administrative
burden, increase impact and protect participants’ personal
information. Learn more here: https://www.aidkit.com/
About Cool Earth
Cool Earth is a charitable organization working
alongside rainforest communities to halt deforestation and its
impact on climate change. With a locally-led approach, Cool Earth
develops local solutions to global environmental challenges. Cool
Earth champions the relationship between people, rainforest and
climate. Cool Earth exists to give cash and resources directly to
rainforest communities, to fund projects that create choice, tackle
the root causes of deforestation and protect vital carbon sinks.
This is their mission. To back people, to protect the rainforest
and fight the climate crisis. Learn more here:
https://www.coolearth.org/
Media Contact: Charlene Strain
Job Title and Company: Senior Marketing Manager at
AidKit Media Contact Email:
charlene@aidkit.cloud