Tumul K’in Center of Learning is a Maya non-governmental organization located in the Punta Gorda Town, Toledo District. It is governed by a voluntary Board of Directors, which is comprised of representatives of the Maya organizations, Tumul Kin teachers, parents, students, the Broader Education Community and the Business Community. The TKCL has various areas of work such as intercultural education, community development, agricultural products, tourism and food processing, being some of the unities community businesses initiatives. These community based enterprises represent an alternative for the community members to generate incomes through sustainable activities, but still need support to improve their operation and management. The TKCL has a unity in charge of honey business; the members of TKCL are the producers/suppliers of the honey, while the NGO is in charge of the collection, industrial process and commercialization.

Sarteneja Tour Guides Association (STGA) and Sustainable Alliance for Conservation and Development (SACD) & Homestay Group

Located in the Sarteneja Village, Corozal District, STGA was founded in 2008 and provides services for the tour guides – training opportunities, and equipment hire, as well as the opportunity to operate under the umbrella of the Sarteneja Adventure Tours Limited (SAT), which was created in 2009 by the STGA with funding from COMPACT, to assist fishermen in reducing their dependence on fishing and the marine resources of the Belize Barrier Reef. The SAT provides efficient tours that meet the expectations of visitors coming to Sarteneja, focusing on the need for environmentally aware tourism, with implementation of best practices policies in each of the tours provided.

SACD was founded in 2008 and is an alliance of the three registered community-based organizations of Sarteneja. SACD, as part of its activities associated with facilitating a shift to an alternative economic base for Sarteneja, is providing institutional support to the Women’s Homestay Group, a registered community-based organization of 20 families that provide a Homestay option for visitors to Sarteneja. The Group is currently going through the room licensing process under the Hotels and Tourist Accommodation Act, through BTB (Belize Tourism Board), and has developed a working partnership with Blue Ventures, (conservation NGO), to provide rooms on an ongoing basis for Blue Ventures volunteers.

Toledo Cacao Growers Association (TCGA)

TCGA is a non­profit company located in the Punta Gorda Town, Toledo District,  owned by its members. The Association was incorporated in 1986. It is composed of over 1100 members from 55 villages and is governed by a 9 member Board of Directors, all of whom are members of the Association. TCGA membership is over ninety percent indigenous Maya farmers and approximately sixty percent of its business dealings are with women. The entire production of organic cacao is purchased at a premium price and exported to a buyer from the United Kingdom for processing (5 year rolling contract). TCGA makes a special effort to provide viable, long term, sustainable opportunities to individuals who are interested and committed to organic cocoa production and its related management of the natural resources.

Placencia Producers Cooperative Society Limited (PPCSL)

Founded in 1962, the PPCSL is owned by its 150 members, 30 of them completely active. It is managed by an elected committee of seven. Located in Placencia Village, Stann Creek District , PPCSL initiated a project for producing seaweed farming; one time wild harvest to create 10-20 seaweed farms (grown on ropes). The seaweed is harvested every three-six months with the seed stock left on the ropes to continue growing for the next harvest. Euchema isoformQ and Gracelaria spp. are the species used; they have a high nutritional value and are used in beverages and food products as a natural thickener agent. The product will be sold two ways: dried and vacuum sealed and also boiled and packaged into small plastic containers as a ready-to-use product.

Fiharatsi

Fiharatsi is a fishermen association located in the Manombo Sud at The Mikea National Park protected area registered in 2001 and formed by 2 rural townships. Located south of the river Manombe, the two villages cover 420 kilometers of coastline. Fiharatsi has 120 members and received several funds to identify sustainable revenues streams. Fiharatsi signed a transfer agreement with the Madagascar government for mangrove management. Fisheries, crabs, shrimp and beekeeping are among the association’s primary revenue generating activities. 95% of collected products are sold by fishermen’s wives in Tulear, the nearest city. Fiharatsi posts on its website fishing data. The organization lacks technical capacity and sufficient means to develop fisheries activities in a sustainable and profitable way.

Fimihara

Founded in 2006, Fimihira (FIambanana MIarosy Hanasoany Ranomasina which means Association for the Protection and Conservation of the Ocean) is a fishermen’s association of 13 villages located in Belalanda, Mikea National Park protected area. The association first mission is to protect the environment especially marine and coastal areas and to increase its member’s revenues from fisheries through training and use of adapted equipment. The members’ income largely depends on fishing activities: crabs, fish, lobster and squid. The association does not currently keep records of fishing activities. On the other hand, fishermen are facing increasing competition from Chinese companies due to the deregulation of the fishing market in Madagascar. For several years, the business side of the association has been ignored and poverty alleviation issues have not been addressed by the association, leaving fishermen without tools to compete with new players.

Mazava

Mazava is a nongovernmental organization located in Manombo sud and  founded in 1997 specializing in growing organic cotton and cap peas. It provides training to the farmer’s association called Fikanambezu and facilitates market access to the association. Mazava recently trained farmers in the use of organic fertilizer for cotton and pea cap production. It started a pilot farm of cap peas on 0.4 ha in 2010, where the objective is to reach 100 ha of pea cap and an average yield of 1.2 metric tons/ha. The extension of the pilot project relies on an adequate irrigation system, either from rainfall or a well. The region has experienced unusually long period of drought which could compromise yield objectives. Local and international buyers secured contracts with the organization for its organic cotton and pea cap. Mazava also assists residents to grow vegetables (onions) and Artemisia, a chemical used in treating malaria.

Mikamba

Mikamba is a fishermen association located in Manombo Sud and founded in 2001. Located in the north side of Manombe river, Mikamba signed a contract with the government to manage mangrove swamp in the area. Thanks to the agreement, the association is seeking to create new income streamlines based on mangrove swamp management. Fisheries, crabs, shrimp and beekeeping are among the association’s revenue generating activities. Those activities were not the main focus of the association during its first years and were not run as profit oriented activities. Its efforts to restore ecosystem landscape and reinforce ecosystem services would provide long term benefit to both the community and biodiversity. The future co-op would bring more efficiency to operations and would provide greater income to its members.