About:

Since 1974, Marmot has focused on the great mountain regions of the world: providing financial assistance, clothing and aid to preserve cultural populations and endangered animals in these remote areas. This effort has taken the company from wild river projects in California to a Canadian marmot preserve to establishing enforceable labor standards in contract sewing factories in China. However, no cause has received as much time and effort or is as important to the people of Marmot, as the dZi Foundation.

The dZi Foundation has recently refocused their efforts on Revitalize A Village (RAV). RAV encompasses the majority of their work in Nepal. Based on an innovative model of rural development — a model that excels in areas where no other governmental or international organizations have worked before — RAV encourages poor communities to discover their own abilities and skills to create permanent solutions for better educational opportunities and facilities, basic health and hygiene, and income generation.

All projects are community assessed, determined, and implemented — this ensures high levels of local contribution (occassionally exceeding eighty percent of total project costs) and local investment in long-term maintenance.

Sample projects include: building bridges, installing and repairing water taps, constructing toilets and clean drinking water taps, constructing primary and secondary education schools and community centers, organizing PTA trainings, and providing Tin Trunk Libraries.

To date, through RAV, dZi has helped:
Form 49 Parent Teacher Associations with 2,700 members active in the education of 8,400 students.
Build (or improve) 11 schools opening the door to educational opportunities for 2,000 children.
Construct 332 hygienic toilets (see Hygiene & Sanitation)
Repair 18 clean drinking water taps and 6 water tanks.
Construct 20 new clean drinking water taps.
Build 2 community centers.
Build multiple bridges.
RAV relies heavily on field staff that live and work directly in our target areas.

Marmot has been a proud sponsor of the dZi Foundation for many years, assisting in dZi projects by providing volunteers, funds, travel and gear to support its extraordinary humanitarian efforts. Contact dZi to learn more about their work, make a contribution, or to volunteer for a project in the Himalayas.

Blog: Read Ben Ayers' Blog here: http://marmotpro.com/blog/95.