Impact Spotlight
22kW installation outside of one of the largest garbage dumps in the world
Saving $6,300/year in utility expenses, a 90% reduction in bills
Reducing ~677 tons of CO2 per year
About
In the town surrounding the Guatemala City garbage dump, one of the largest in the world, a community of 40,000 people survive by scavenging for recyclable materials in the dump for resale – risking their lives for $3-$7 USD per day.
Creamos is a multi-service nonprofit organization that supports women and their families living and working within the communities surrounding the dump. Founded by 20 women who, at one point, were forced to work as scavengers and “recyclers,” Creamos envisions a world where “no woman is required to scavenge through the garbage dump for recyclable material to support her family.”
Creamos’s headquarters are located directly outside of the landfill. There, they provide 400 women with access to essential services, workforce development, accelerated education, emotional support, and income generation.
“All people are deserving of access to clean energy, especially those who’ve been forced to inhabit toxic lands due to stigma and discrimination. This project brings this community more than renewable energy - it brings them proof that their futures are worth
investing in.”
HF Partnership
The Honnold Foundation is funding a rooftop solar installation for Creamos’s headquarters, offsetting 90% of their energy costs in the process. The largest garbage dump in Central America may seem like an ironic place to implement environmental conservation initiatives to some, but supporting communities most heavily impacted by environmental toxicity is at the core of the Honnold Foundation’s work.
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