Fontana Foundation supported the installation of 46 solar tents (greenhouses) for 46 families in Achacachi in the Bolivian Andes. The goal of this project was to enable and train these families to grow their own vegetables year round and thus give them food security. 

The climate in that area of Bolivia, at 3860 meters above sea, is harsh, temperatures are low and rain is scarce. 6 out of 10 people living in the village of Achacachi suffer from hunger and malnutrition. The farmers so far had been using traditional methods to grow their crops, only few had access to water for irrigation, the seeds were of poor quality, hence overall productivity was very low. 

Climate change and, lately, the Covid19 pandemic had worsened the situation.

The solar tents are designed to withstand these harsh conditions. They harvest the sun, while protecting the crops from wind and drought. 

Fontana Foundation was working with the local organisation “SIAB” (Bolivian Agricultural Integral Service), which managed the building of the solar tents and water tanks for irrigation with the help of the community, offered technical assistance and trained the farmers in the proper use of the tents, of water and soil.