ANDEAN ALLIANCE FOR SUSTAINABLE

DEVELOPMENT (AASD)
2014 ANNUAL REPORT

AASD Mission: Harnessing collective intelligence to support

community-led development in the highlands of Peru.

AASD Family
Aaron Ebner
Executive Director/Vice President of Board
Quick Bio: Aaron had no idea what he was getting himself into when he went to graduate
school in 2009 with the intention of bringing a few colleagues with him to build a
greenhouse. Five year later Aaron leads the AASD Agriculture Initiative and is our principal
community liason. He is passionate about working with our graduate students, learning
about local ways to harvest quinoa, and showing off his US inspired dance moves at local
weddings.

Adam Stieglitz
Director of Operations/President of Board
Quick Bio: Adam makes sure that the AASD functions at the highest level possible,
both programmatically and administratively. He leads our experiential learning program
and manages our communication with other local NGOs that are part of the NGO
Network. Youll find Adam flying a little bit below the radar, but you certainly wont miss
seeing him at one of the famous AASD barbecues.

Ruben Huaman Quispe

Lead Agriculture Technician and Community Representative
Quick Bio: Ruben is critical to the AASDs success, and it is safe to say we wouldnt be
able to do what we do without him. He leads workshops, creates strong relationships
with local schools and community members, and helps integrate our volunteers and
students into the communities where we work. If you ever find yourself in Peru dont
forget to buy one of his hand made alpaca sweatshirts!!

Chris Miller
Director of Organizational Development
Quick Bio: Chris has found a way to fill every gap that existed in our organization
when he arrived to Peru over one year ago. He makes sure that our agriculture projects
are evaluated, our volunteers are happy, and our social media is being seen. He even
makes it possible for us to watch sports on the weekend!

Genie Rogstad
Treasurer to the Board
Quick Bio: Besides making sure that everything goes smoothly with our US operations,
Genie also makes an annual trip to Peru. She is a huge supporter of the womens group
and also makes sure that our staff is eating healthy, and well, I guess just eating. Genie
may be our number one supporter and has really taken on her role as Pachamama
Rogstad.

Tina Novero
Secretary to the Board
Quick Bio: Tina is an original founder of Team Peru and the Andean Alliance for
Sustainable Development. She has since continued to focus on gender rights and
equality and just finished her Fulbright fellowship in the Philippines. Tina remains active in
helping shape the AASDs direction and continues to remain involved in the womens
group initiative.

Alfredo Ortiz
Advisor to the Board
Quick Bio: Alfredo has been instrumental in helping the AASD grow into the organization
that we are today. When we hit a bump in the road, it is usually Alfredo that helps us
smooth things out. Hes played many roles in our organization, but as much as anything
we appreciate the inevitable good laughs when our paths cross in person.

Leroy Rogers
Director of Morale
Quick Bio: Its possible that nobody does their job as well as this handsome fella right
here. Whether its hiking, barbecues, or even at times community projects, you can
expect to see Leroy Rogers by our side. He takes on his two major responsibilities
exceptionally well: 1) Making sure that weve all got smiles on our faces, and 2) keeping
those sheep at the farm in line.

A MESSAGE FROM THE BOARD

As we watch the mountains here in beautiful Calca, Peru, we have the pleasure of reflecting back on
2014 and sharing what has no doubt been a transformative year for the AASD. For the last four years,
we have focused on building an organization that is truly collaborative. Our agriculture projects
function from local committee leadership and require significant commitments from local governments
creating a culture of ownership and empowerment. In 2014, professional graduate students and
professors dedicated around 8,000 hours to strengthening the organization and projects. Our 2014
successes reflect our mission: to harness the power of collective intelligence to support community
led development in the highlands of Peru.
Wouldnt it be great if your local school had a garden program to teach kids about nutrition
and sustainability while also providing fresh veggies for school lunches? The AASDs flagship
school garden and greenhouse project garnered the recognition of the Food and Agriculture
Organization (FAO) of the United Nations. The AASD has been to Lima twice consulting the FAO and
the national school lunch program Qali Warma on scaling up the implementation of school garden
projects to add fresh veggies to school lunches. Qali Warma provides school meals to 47,000
institutions nationwide. The AASD looks forward to collaborating with these two institutions to continue
improving school lunches for students.
We do not solve malnutrition problems in Andean Communities - only they can do that. We
offer support and expertise while respecting the pace and leadership of the communities. The
process of local leadership committees designing and implementing family greenhouse projects leads
to a sustainable path for providing nutritious vegetables. The community actually tells the AASD what
they want from us. We play a crucial role in helping organize and facilitate the project, but the work of
designing and building greenhouses is all community-led. For every $1 the AASD spends on a family
greenhouse project, local governments and communities invest $3. Family greenhouse projects are
becoming more sustainable and efficient. In the next two to three years we will witness hundreds of
indigenous families managing their own greenhouses.
We think professional graduate students abilities are underutilized in addressing the worlds
most pressing problems. The AASD and Middlebury Institute of International Studies (MIIS) have
collaborated for nearly six years to offer a research design and implementation course. In 2014, we
inaugurated the course and collaborated with 30 graduate students to explore the relationship
between access, connectivity and poverty in the Andes. The professionalism of the students work,
which was praised by the provincial government, led to a formal partnership between MIIS, the local
government and the AASD. We look forward to facilitating next years research group who will explore
the plight of small-scale farmers in the region.
Our finances demonstrate our efficiency. The stories you read in this report will open your eyes to
successes and values that go far beyond greenhouses. The AASD is a close knit family and we thank
each and every one of you for supporting our meaningful work.
Sincerely,
Adam Stieglitz and Aaron Ebner
Board Members and Co-Founders
Andean Alliance for Sustainable Development

Family Greenhouse Project

Five years ago, Alfredo Quispe was attending middle school when the AASD began working in his community
(Pampacorral) to help their school build a greenhouse. According to AASDs lead agriculture technician Ruben
Quispe, Alfredo was always a leader in the greenhouse and fascinated by learning new farming techniques. Alfredos
passion for greenhouse farming led to his own family participating in the Pampacorral Family Greenhouse initiative in
2014.
This year, fourteen families partnered with the AASD to build their own greenhouses, grow vegetables, and provide a
healthy diet for their families. He has helped his own familys greenhouse flourish (theyre growing tomatoes and
strawberries!) and has become a local leader for the project as well. He has been exceptionally involved in organizing
community members and has attended every meeting and workshop. He also took a lead role in the roofing process.
It is people like Alfredo that make these projects community led and sustainable. We are excited to monitor the
success of all family greenhouses in Pampacorral and continue to work closely with community leaders like Alfredo.

Alfredo leads the way as his neighbor gets

ready to roof his greenhouse.

Carla showing off her greenhouse to Ruben.

BY THE NUMBERS
PROOF you dont need to throw money at development projects to make them successful:
Distribution of Costs

Percentage of Time
Contributed

In 2013, there was not a single family growing vegetables

inside a greenhouse in Pampacorral, but in 2014 that changed.
Community members dedicated over 3,000 hours of their

$321

$592

9% 3%

time to help 14 families build their own greenhouse. On top

of that, the local government dedicated an additional
hours and over

82

$3,000 to support them in this process.

That in itself is a success for the AASD, who only had to spend
89%

$3,070

about $25 per greenhouse. Our contribution comes mostly

in facilitating the process and trainings. Now

208

community members are eating vegetables three times a day.

AASD

Government

Community

That number last year: ZERO

School Greenhouse Project

The first AASD project was school greenhouses because the community told us that is what they needed.
Five years later, we have helped schools in five different communities build a total of nine greenhouses.
L a s t y e a r, w e r e p o r t e d t h a t a l l o f t h e s e g r e e n h o u s e s w e r e p r o d u c i n g v e g e t a b l e s a n d w e a r e h a p p y t o r e p o r t
the same for this year. We could go on about how important that is (its really, very important), but instead
wed like to fill you in on a new kind of success the AASD has achieved9 in 2014.
Pe rh a p s w h e n mo st o f yo u p i ctu re w h a t w e d o h e re , i t i n cl u d e s fa rmi n g , p i tch fo rks a n d g e tti n g d i rt u n d e r
our fingernails. While this may be true, when we are not working in the communities we are active in
p r o m o t i n g o u r o r g a n i z a t i o n s m i s s i o n . T h i s y e a r, t h e A A S D a t t e n d e d t h e Wo r l d M o u n t a i n C o n f e r e n c e i n
C u z c o a n d m e t t h e P r e s i d e n t o f t h e Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) i n Pe ru . Th e FAO i s a n a g e n cy
o f t h e U n i t e d N a t i o n s ( U N ) t h a t l e a d s i n t e r n a t i o n a l e ff o r t s t o d e f e a t h u n g e r.
In Peru, the FAO supports the national school lunch program Qali Warma a n d i s cu rre n tl y tryi n g to fi g u re
o u t h o w to b ri n g l o ca l p ro d u ce to sch o o l l u n c h e s. We e xp l a i n e d to th e m th a t o u r sch o o l g re e n h o u se p ro g ra m
d o e s e x a c t l y t h a t a n d t h e y w e r e i n t e r e s t e d i n h e a r i n g m o r e . We f l e w t o L i m a a n d p r e s e n t e d o n t h e A A S D
greenhouse model. They were thrilled and wanted to collaborate with us. Th next step is that they will send
a re p re se n ta ti ve to C u zco to to u r o u r p ro j e cts a n d b e g i n d i scu ssi o n s o n a p i l o t p ro j e ct to h e l p 2 0 sch o o l s
build greenhouses in 2015.

Our first greenhouse in Pampacorral is still pumping out vegetables

thanks to the dedication of Profesora Luz and her students.

More about our partners

By the numbers
Locally grown AND cost-effective?? How
about that for a concept!
Efficiency in school garden
programs

YEAR
Amount spent on school lunch
program
Number of students eating fresh
vegetables on a daily basis

School directors in Lima getting the low-down on the success

of our school greenhouse project.

Q a l i Wa r m a i s a q u e c h u a p h r a s e t h a t m e a n s

AASD

Qali Warma

2014

2014

$203.45

$183,316

720

The AASD school greenhouse program is not only impactful

but also efficient. Students who eat a well-balanced diet have
a higher level of attention and are more likely to excel at
school. We look forward to partnering with Qali Warma to
help m ore s tudents e at f resh v egetables i n 2 015.

strong child. This program has partnered

with over 47,000 schools and provides lunches
for approximately 2.7 million students. Qali
Wa r m a e x i s t s t o m a k e s u r e t h a t s t u d e n t s a r e
e a t i n g h e a l t h y, b r i n g i n g e n e r g y t o t h e
classroom and succeeding in school. They are
investing in todays youth to ensure a brighter
future for generations to come.
T h e FA O i m p l e m e n t s p r o g r a m s i n 1 9 4 n a t i o n s
across the globe. In Peru, they work with the
same rural populations as the AASD, aiming to
increase their representation in local policy by
supporting various agriculture initiatives. Their
projects support food security and nutrition,
family farming and sustainable management of
renewable natural resources.

Experiential Learning
Since our inception, the AASD has worked closely with graduate students from the Middlebury
Institute of International Studies (MIIS). We see value in being a live case study for students to
b r i n g t h e i r i n n o v a t i v e i d e a s t o P e r u a n d c o n t r i b u t e t o t h e A A S D a p p r o a c h . E a c h y e a r, t h i s m o d e l f o r
experiential learning becomes more powerful as we strengthen our relationship with faculty
members, attract dedicated students, and partner with local communities and the government on
projects.
This year s practicum was the most impactful yet. In the past, we worked with small groups of
students here in Peru, but this year we went BIG. We wanted to get to the bottom of a pressing
i s s u e a n d f i n d o u t h o w p e o p l e s g e o g r a p h i c l o c a t i o n r e l a t e s t o t h e i r l e v e l o f p o v e r t y. I n J a n u a r y, w e
collaborated with five professors, 25 students and various community and government partners to
carry out this meaningful research.
S t u d e n t s a n d p r o f e s s o r s w o r k e d d i l i g e n t l y t h r o u g h o u t t h e y e a r t o p l a n f o r t h i s e n d e a v o r. S t u d e n t s
conducted interviews and surveys across four different communities. They culminated their
practicum with a presentation to the local government and community leaders on their initial
f i n d i n g s . A v e r y s p e c i a l t h a n k s i s d u e t o D r. J e f f r e y D a y t o n - J o h n s o n w h o l e d t h e t e a m i n P e r u a n d
has been a huge advocate for our program at MIIS. We look forward to the next group of students
who will return in January of 2015 to research another important issue: how to connect small-scale
farmers and their products to markets.

Ruben
andand
Carla
are
super-pumped
about all
veggies!!
Students
Prof.
Dayton-Johnson
preparing
forthose
a presentation
to the local government on their findings.

By the numbers
The Power of Collective Intelligence: 35 Graduate Students, 5
Professors, 3 courses and the AASD:
228 also happens to be
the number of families
whose voice is now
being heard by the local
government. While it is
important that our
students have a
powerful learning
experience, our goal is
that their research
informs policy and leads
to improvements in
peoples lives.

Total number of
hours students
and faculty
dedicated to this
project
Value of
students work
according to
California law
Total number of
families
interviewed as
part of the study

7,784

$207,401

228

Liz and Gaelen have arisen as natural leaders as both

students and professionals.

Student Spotlight: Liz and Gaelen

Liz Martinis and Gaelen Hayes came to Peru in
January as part of the MIIS field research team.
They were particularly struck by the lack of financial
services that exists in the district of Lares. They
decided to take it upon themselves to explore
solutions to this challenge. Liz and Gaelen took an
AASD leadership position upon their return to MIIS
and spent the subsequent semester studying
financial exclusion. They have since created a
proposal to return to Peru and spend a semester
researching the best ways to help people in Lares
obtain access to credit and foster new economic
opportunities for the rural population.

NGO Network
N o w i n i t s f i f t h y e a r, t h e Sacred Valley NGO Network
continues to have an impact on local development
o r g a n i z a t i o n s . T h i s y e a r, t h e A A S D h o s t e d a n e v e n t o n
monitoring and evaluation of development projects.
R e p r e s e n t a t i v e s f r o m e i g h t d i ff e r e n t o r g a n i z a t i o n s c a m e
to hear AASDs Chris Miller present on the topic.
Afte r w a rd s w e sp l i t i n to g ro u p s to sh a re a n d l e a rn fro m
e a ch o th e r s su cce sse s a n d ch a l l e n g e s i n th e fi e l d . Th i s
presentation is an example of how the AASD has
established itself as a leader in the field of development.
We a r e e x c i t e d t o c o n t i n u e s h a r i n g o u r k n o w l e d g e w i t h
o t h e r N G O s i n t h e S a c r e d Va l l e y i n o r d e r t o p r o m o t e
responsible development.
Chris presenting to directors of local NGOs on monitoring
and evaluation

Geographic Information System (GIS)

Th e A ASD i s co n sta n tl y tryi n g to sta y a h e a d o f th e cu rve i n th e e ve r
e vo l vi n g fi e l d o f d e ve l o p me n t. On e w a y w e d i d th a t i n 2 0 1 4 w a s b y
exploring ways to use digital mapping to inform development needs and
l o c a l p o l i c y. J i m Va l e n z a , a G I S e x p e r t f r o m C o l o r a d o , h a s m a d e
n u me ro u s tr i p s to Pe r u to cre a te ma p s th a t h e l p u s te l l th e co mmu n i ti e s
story through visual da ta. Accor din g t o Jim , with continued sp a tial da ta
collection, da tabase creat ion, an d su bse qu en t spatial analysis the A ASD
GIS p ro j e ct h a s p o te n ti a l to b e co me a m a j o r co n tri b u to r i n th e e co n o mi c
and social development within the district of Lares and the surrounding
areas. In other words, this is a really cool project that has a lot of
positive potential. GIS is a growing field with the potential of providing
i n f o r m a t i o n t h a t c a n s h a p e a n d i n f l u e n c e p r o j e c t s f o r t h e b e t t e r. We a r e
continuously in search of ad ditional support through monetary a ssistance
or human resources in order to create maps of the rural and isolated
indigenous communities where we work.
GIS representatives marking the location of a
community for the AASD.

Wiay Warmi Womens Group

In 2014, the AASD continued growing our relationship with
the Wiay Warmi weaving association in Choquecancha.
Over the past few years, the AASD has been helping
Wi a y Wa rmi se l l th e i r te xti l e s i n th e U n i te d Sta te s. Th i s
year, we all wanted a little bit of a chang e. The women
wanted to produce their textiles more sustainably and
w e r e s u p p o r t e d b y D i n n y B o m b e r g f r o m t h e Becky Fund
who helped provide the women with sheep to make wool.
Besides m aking textiles, the group also cam e together to
cre a te a C u y fa rm w h e re th e y b re e d a n d se l l h i g h l y
d e m a n d e d g u i n n e a p i g s i n t h e i r c o m m u n i t y. T h i s g r o u p o f
women is always looking for ways to improve and the
AASD is happy to be their number one suppor ter.

The womens group is excited to start producing their

own wool to make textiles with.

AASD Statement of Activities

November 1, 2012 - October 31, 2013

Unrestricted
REVENUE

TOTAL

Restricted

$ 21,727.77
$ 4,500.05
$ 44,085.00

$ 2,750.00
---

$ 24,477.77
$ 4,500.05
$ 44,085.00

$ 70,312.82

$ 2,750.00

$ 73,062.82

$
$
$
$

47,598.38
5,500.36
2,895.25
210.05

$ 1,147.00
----

$
$
$
$

TOTAL

$ 56,204.04

$ 1,147.00

$ 57,351.04

CHANGE IN NET ASSETS

$ 14,108.78
$ 13,444.18

$ 1,603.00
$ 789.08

$ 15,711.78
$ 14,233.26

$ 27,552.96

$ 2,392.08

$ 29,945.04

Contributions
Products and services
Program Fees

TOTAL
EXPENSES
Program expenses
Fundraising and Outreach
Administration
Losses

+ Net Assets - Beginning

= Total net assets - Ending

48,745.38
5,500.36
2,895.25
210.05

2013 Revenues
Contributions

Products & Services
Program Fees

TOTAL

$
$
$
$

24,477.77
4,500.05
44,085.00
73,062.82

34%

60%

2014 Expenses
Agriculture Initiative

Experiential Learning

Womens Group

Secondary Projects

Fundraising & Outreach
General & Administration
TOTAL

$
$
$
$
$
$
$

24,475.30
19,061.15
2,322.35
2,886.58
5,500.36
2,895.25
57,140.99

5%

43%

10%

5%

33%
4%

6%

Get involved and support the AASD!

2014 was another excellent year for the AASD. It has been a humbling experience watching the AASDs
identity take shape over the past three years and slowly but surely establish ourselves as leaders in the
field. We are proud of the challenges that we have hurdled while always staying true to our development
philosophy.
The AASD does not believe we can fix peoples problems; we help people help themselves. Unfortunately
this is not an approach that is typically shared across the mega-industry that is international development.
Most organizations think they - and only they - are the solution and often times donors unknowingly buy
into that.
We are proud to separate ourselves from the norm and we aspire to lead those that want to make a
difference responsibly. In the upcoming year, our goal is to continue raising awareness about responsible
community-led development. If you are interested in joining us, here are the best ways to do so:

Make a Contribution

Help spread the word

The Andean Alliance for Sustainable Development is a

501c3 tax exempt organization. By donating to the
AASD you should know that we will not buy things with
your money and give them out to communities. Take
our word for it, that does not solve anything. What we
will do, however, is ensure that the projects we are
involved with are being led responsibly and that
peoples lives are improving.

Not in a position to make a donation? Trust us, the

AASD staff understands! Luckily, there are still many
ways that you can get involved and support us.

Here is how you can contribute:

Subscribe to our Newsletter. Every three months we

send out a detailed update on how our projects have
advanced and what is coming up next. This is a great
way to stay connected with us.

1) Make a one-time donation by clicking here or

mailing a check to:
Andean Alliance for Sustainable Development
560 Orchard Road
Marshall, Michigan 49068
2) Become a Friend of the AASD and initiate a
monthly automatic withdrawal from your account.
You choose the amount and project you want to
support!

Like us on Facebook. This is the best way to stay up-todate on the work we are doing here. We have weekly
updates on our projects, demonstration farm and our
most popular post - Leroy Lunes.

Tell people about our School Garden Program. Come to

Peru, learn about sustainable agriculture, and give back
by helping out at our farm and school greenhouses.
Come visit us! We are located in the beautiful Sacred
Valley of Peru and would love to show you our projects.

Thanks to You
The AASD would like to thank our generous friends who have provided financial
support and substantial effort toward making it possible for the AASD to do more for
the rural indigenous peoples of Peru. We would like to recognize the following people
and organizations:

Alan giles

Jim Valenza

Alexandra Shaphren

Jonathan Rogstad

Alice Rogstad

Justin Vinci

Amy Sands

Kent Harrington

Beryl Levinger

Lucyna Jodlowska

Charlotte Miller

Margie Romani

Chris Sillari

Middlebury Institute of

Corinne Smith

International Studies

Cynthia Shapiro

Nate Cox

Deedric Bauer

Nexos Voluntarios

Ellen Gordon

Novero Foundation

Empty bowls

Ryan Borgeson

Eric and Allison Ebner

Sarah Konner

Ethan Ebner

Shaila Tenorio

Farah Abdallah
Gwen Yaeger
Jane Gurnick
Jeffrey Dayton-Johnson

The Shostak Foundation

Valerie Mallard
William Pierce