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In September 2015, world leaders came together to adopt a new set of Sustainable Development Goals, setting a progressive development agenda for the next 15 years focused on ending poverty, creating greater equity and justice, and protecting the planet. These goals will build on the momentum created by the Millennium Development Goals, which had been signed by 189 countries in 2000. The MDGs focused on achieving eight goals by 2015, which ranged from halving extreme poverty and hunger to promoting gender equality and reducing child mortality. Approximately one billion people had been lifted out of poverty by the 2015 deadline.
Planet Aid will continue to be a part of the global effort to steer the planet onto a better path. For nearly two decades, our model of making clothing recycling convenient for the public has successfully diverted over 1 billion pounds of textiles from wasteful disposal. This has reduced landfill burdens, lowered greenhouse gas emissions, saved water, and slashed municipal disposal costs, while also providing good jobs for our employees.
In pursuing our dual mission (for the environment and for people), we will continue to donate the net proceeds from our recycling operations to support projects in the developing world. These projects are aligned with many of the Sustainable Development Goals.
For example, Planet Aid’s Food for Knowledge project in Mozambique is providing a nutritious school lunch to nearly 70,000 children and creating local sources of sustainable food production. This project is helping to fulfill SDG Goal 2, which is focused on ending hunger, achieving food security and improved nutrition, and promoting sustainable agriculture.
In the education sector, Planet Aid is helping train thousands of new primary school teachers every year across sub-Saharan Africa and in India, where there has been a significant deficit of available teachers. This work is helping achieve SDG Goal 4, which seeks to ensure inclusive, equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.
A third example is Planet Aid’s support of community development initiatives that are making clean water and latrine facilities environment available to villages in many underdeveloped areas. This is congruent with SDG Goal 6, which is aimed at making clean water and improved sanitation available to all.
We are proud to be a part of the global effort to attain the Sustainable Development Goals, and look toward the next 15 years with renewed optimism and commitment. We know that our success in the future will rely, as it has in the past, on the gracious support of so many people. Without them none of what we do would be possible. A heartfelt thank you to you all.
Yours in development,
Ester Neltrup, President
Read more about our recycling efforts.
Since 1997, Planet Aid has been supporting dozens of development projects across the globe. Through Humana People to People Federation, as well as numerous other partnerships, we are able to provide life-changing, sustainable assistance. Below is an overview of the projects we supported in 2015.
| Angola | Democratic Republic of the Congo | Malawi |
| Belize | Ecuador | Mozambique |
| Botswana | Guinea-Bissau | South Africa |
| Brazil | India | Zimbabwe |
| Laos |
We present the projects we support under five main categories below.
(Jump to each by clicking on the title.)
Community Development • Health • Food and Nutrition
Education • Sustainable Agriculture
Countries: Zimbabwe, South Africa, Malawi, Laos, Ecuador, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Botswana, Belize
Child Aid is Planet Aid’s most established and widely used community development model. In 2015, Planet Aid–supported Child Aid projects reached more than 90,000 families.
Broadly based, Child Aid builds capacity in families and their communities in an all-inclusive program. It recognizes that in order to nurture children successfully, the entire community must be strengthened. Families are organized into community action groups that address such issues as health and sanitation, income generation, education, and more.
Child Aid’s extensive community outreach provides training and information on health, nutrition, hygiene, environment, and other issues and mobilizes action to improve conditions as needed. Project activities are guided by a set of ten "development lines" that create a working framework for determining how to best allocate community resources and effort to achieve impact.
For example, the Child Aid project in Laos placed special emphasis on providing polio vaccinations for rural villagers after a small outbreak, and the project in Ecuador helped families establish vegetable gardens with irrigation systems and introduced earthworm compost techniques to create a rich form of organic humus.
Countries: South Africa, Malawi, India
Countries: South Africa, Botswana
Countries: Angola
The CHA project has been training locally recruited CHAs in three municipalities of the province of Kunene. The CHAs then, in turn, provide vital information to local communities about diseases such as malaria, tuberculosis, HIV, diarrhea, reproductive health, antenatal health, and family planning.
In 2015, CHA workers visited more than 10,000 families. In addition, more than 450,000 condoms were distributed.
Countries: Malawi
In 2015, the project reached over 200,000 individuals through door-to-door counseling visits, which provided essential nutrition information. It also helped establish approximately 3,000 vegetable gardens to grow leafy greens. Sanitation training focused on the construction of latrines, handwashing facilities, and other facilities. This led to the construction of nearly 3,000 pit latrines and 3,500 handwashing facilities.
Countries: Mozambique
In 2015, Food for Knowledge provided a daily school lunch to approximately 70,000 children. In addition to the daily meals, the project is training primary school teachers, establishing schools gardens and after-school learning clubs, building literacy skills, providing nutrition education, and constructing or refurbishing school kitchens and latrines.
The success of the Food for Knowledge Project led to it being extended through 2020. The extension was granted in mid 2015.
Read more about the Food for Knowledge Project.
Countries: Mozambique, Malawi, India, Guinea-Bissau, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Angola
Read more about Teacher Training.
Countries: Mozambique
The Pedagogy course is designed to train educators who, in turn, train primary school teachers at teacher training colleges.
In 2015, more than 200 students were in training at the OWU campus in Mozambique, and an additional 350 students were completing their studies through the university’s distance learning program.
Read more about One World University.
Countries: Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Guinea-Bissau, Angola
Similarly, in Guinea-Bissau, the ADPP Vocational School graduated 99 students from courses in solar energy technology, construction, commerce and administration, basic electricity, plumbing, and agriculture.
Along with learning trade skills, students are equipped with essential life skills that inspire resilience and perseverance in places where everyday existence is often very difficult.
Read more about Vocational Training.
Countries: Mozambique, South Africa
Read more about Early Education Initiatives.
Countries: Mozambique
In 2015, the project trained 80 mentors to counsel over 1,500 girls. The project also conducted door-to-door visits, organized intra-school competitions to motivate students, and distributed thousands of books.
Read more about Girls Stay in School.
Countries: India
Step-Up Centers provide classes six days a week to students ages 6-14. This offers marginalized youth a chance to "catch up" and, with the support of the centers, enroll in government schooling at the appropriate age and grade level. In addition to assisting in this transition, Step-Up Centers provide community support through village development meetings and health check-up camps.
Planet Aid supports Step-Up Centers in Haryana and Madhya Pradesh. In 2015, more than 2,300 children were enrolled at the centers.
Read more about Step-Up Centers.
Countries: Zimbabwe
In 2015, the school cared for 60 children whose ages ranged from 2 to 18. Ten of the children in its care are HIV positive and are on anti-retroviral therapy. It is the school’s objective to make sure that children do not default treatment and regularly visit the nearby Madziwa Hospital for their medical reviews.
Countries: Zimbabwe, South Africa, Malawi, India
Planet Aid also supported training at Frontline Institutes in Malawi and Zimbabwe. These institutions train key Humana People to People staff to acquire the skills and understanding necessary to become development leaders. Planet Aid also hosts promising young people from developing regions and trains them in the United States for periods of time.
Countries: South Africa, India, Ecuador, Brazil, Zimbabwe, Angola
In 2015, Farmers’ Clubs supported by Planet Aid reached more than 12,000 farmers in 6 countries.
Read more about Farmers' Clubs.
Countries: India
In 2015, the Neemrana project continued its work of providing water-saving solutions, while also expanding activities to include the promotion of sustainable agricultural practices in 70 rural villages. These activities included crop and seed demonstrations and the construction of biogas plants.
Countries: Zimbabwe
In 2015, the center grew staple crops such as maize, soy, and beans, while also cultivating vegetable gardens and fruit trees. The center also offered immunizations and other health services, and provided preschool education.
The U.S. State Department brought a "Zero-Waste" delegation from Russia to Planet Aid’s headquarters in Elkridge, Maryland to learn about best practices in textile recycling. The delegation was visiting the United States under the International Visitor Leadership Program, and the group was comprised of current and emerging leaders in waste and recycling management. Planet Aid was the first facility stop on the group's cross-country tour... read more
The Planet Aid Thrift Center opened for business in early October. The Thrift Center is the first large Planet Aid retail store, providing the local community with a new source of affordable, stylish clothing. The store sells men's, women’s, and children's clothing and shoes, as well as jewelry, accessories, home decor, toys, movies, books, and games... read more
Planet Aid donated winter coats and other cold-weather gear to the less fortunate as the temperatures dropped throughout the country. The cold-weather gear went to numerous charitable organizations... read more
Local residents, Planet Aid staff, and members of the Newport County Chamber of Commerce attended a ribbon-cutting ceremony on July 22 in celebration of the new Planet Aid Donation Center. The Donation Center provides locals a 24/7 drop-off point for their unwanted clothes, shoes, accessories, household textiles, appliances, glassware, books, and sports equipment... read more
"Having the platform to share and involve others with Planet Aid's work is an incredibly rewarding position," Gena Says. "I enjoy orchestrating recycle opportunities which give directly back to the environment, while at the same time, make a real difference in people's lives who need it the most." In 2015, she helped Planet Aid make a strong impact locally by working with veterans groups, shelters, community resource centers, food banks, literacy organizations, schools, and more.
"I like knowing that what I am doing is truly helping someone somewhere," says Frank. "It’s my mission to do the best that I can for others."
Luana says her job is never dull and there are always new challenges." What I like best about working here is the family like environment, and everyone is treated with respect."
Robert generally gets on the road by 6 a.m., and visits 25 to 35 sites during his shift. "I like the driving," he says, "and not to sound cliché, but I like the people that I work with." He credits his supervisors for creating a great work environment.
"I just enjoy doing what I do, and the people I work with have always been a pleasure," Robert says.
She stayed on after completing her training and has been a versatile member of the Planet Aid team ever since. Her job now is Operation’s Analyst, which has her overseeing the company's auto insurance, submitting payroll, handling invoices and receipts, and performing other tasks for the transportation department. "I have had the opportunity to watch the organization grow from something small to something much larger that can make a greater impact on the world," says Michele, "and the one thing that has never changed over the years is that everyone—from the employees in the warehouse to the president of the organization—works as a team."
"I am proud to be a part of this great organization," says Tom. "Planet Aid offers people a hand up in getting on their feet and in developing their communities. I have seen the work being carried out first hand in Africa, and I continue to be very impressed."
| Task | Internal Program Support |
|---|---|
| Program Services | 84 |
| General and Administrative | 7 |
| Fundraising and Development | 9 |