Whole Planet Foundation Newsletter

Whole Planet Foundation now funds microlending in Nepal

This shopkeeper lives in the Ilam tea growing region of Nepal where Whole Foods Market sources tea. Today in Nepal, over half the population has no access to the most basic financial services. In rural areas, farming families are trapped in cycles of debt and are often forced to sell their crops at below market rates, causing them to slip further into poverty.
Whole Planet Foundation has partnered with Mercy Corps and Nirdhan Utthan Bank, a Nepali-owned microfinance institution, to help farmers escape this vicious cycle by providing them with tailored financial products such as loans to help them climb out of poverty. With a grant from Whole Planet Foundation of $312,000, Nirdhan Utthan Bank will move into the unserved communities of the Eastern Highlands with plans to distribute $3.5 million worth of loans to 10,000 poor farmers in eastern Nepal over the next three years. This program will serve as a successful financial model for providing financial services to remote, rural populations in Nepal and around the world. Learn More

Give the gift of microcredit

More than 1 billion people live on less than $1 a day. Microcredit enables the poor to lift themselves out of poverty through their own hard work and dedication.
Give with confidence that 100% of your contribution will go to microlending programs as Whole Foods Market covers all operating costs for Whole Planet Foundation.

Pictured left is a product made by a Whole Planet Foundation funded microcredit client in Nicaragua.

Rosario rebuilds her life with the help of microcredit

Rosario runs a weaving business in Santa Catarina, a community in the Lake Atitlán region of Guatemala. Every weekend, she packs a bundle of her colorful huipiles (traditional Guatemalan shirts), tablecloths and bags and travels to Panajachel to sell them in the market. Rosario is a member of Banrural Grameen Guatemala, a Whole Planet Foundation partner that provides business loans to poor, working women. She credits these loans with the salvation of her business.
In 2005, Rosario’s house was destroyed by Hurricane Stan. She lost everything; her stove, pots, pans, mattress, loom and thread were carried away by floods or damaged beyond repair. With virtually no material, Rosario could make and sell only one huipil every 4 months. As a result, she and her six daughters and nephews often ate only twice a day. Rosario then became a member of Banrural Grameen Guatemala and took out a loan to buy more yarn and diversify her products. Now, three years and two subsequent loans later, Rosario has rebuilt a thriving business which allows her to support her family. She plans for the day when she can fully repair the damage to her home.
See More borrower stories

Whole Foods Market vendor donors visit microcredit clients in Costa Rica

Through the Whole Planet Foundation Supplier Alliance for Microcredit, several Whole Foods Market vendors are funding $1.05 million over 3 years to microlending projects in Costa Rica and Indonesia. Last month, representatives from six of these companies travelled to Costa Rica to meet the microcredit clients they are supporting. They attended a weekly borrower meeting and visited microcredit clients at their places of business including a bakery owner, a tailor and a small restaurant owner (pictured above with representatives from Seventh Generation, a donor partner).

Our Mission

To support microlending programs focused on the very poor in developing communities where Whole Foods Market sources products.

Previous Newsletters

JULY 2008

FEBRUARY 2008

Ornaments for the Planet

Hear the Story on NPR
Several Whole Foods Market stores are teaching children in their communities about microlending through a festive holiday activity- making ornaments!

read full article

Guatemalan Chicken Stew with Tomatillo Sauce, a borrower inspired recipe

This Guatemalan main course, also called pollo en jocón, was inspired by Whole Planet Foundation borrowers in the Lake Atitlán region of Guatemala. It is best served over rice with corn tortillas on the side for soaking up the rich and tangy tomatillo and green onion sauce. See Recipe

2009 Calendar

Buy the 2009 Calendar benefitting Whole Planet Foundation for $2 and receive over $20 in savings! On sale in all U.S. Whole Foods Market stores.

How do they do it?

Typical microcredit businesses include: neighborhood stores, weaving, sewing, raising chickens, pigs and cows, small-scale agriculture, pottery, artisan goods, prepared foods and many more.

Whole Story blog

Check out our latest posting on Whole Foods Market's blog, Whole Story.

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