The Uplift Project

The Uplift Project Building strong communities through small businesses. Join our movement and to help rural entrepreneurs in Guyana!

05/15/2026

The terrain around Wakapoa is a lot more than just jungle.
The grasslands or savanna that separate the islands from the main jungle, are a unique feature in this part of Guyana.
The water that floods this area is useful for boat transportation and makes for great fishing in the area.
Using the water for transport works great in the rainy season, but leaves people without a reliable way to get around when the rain doesn't fall during the summer months.




05/14/2026

Life out in the bush is never easy.
Heavily dependent on the weather, farmers plant in accordance with the rainy season to make sure their crops get sufficient water.
But as the climate changes, things get less predictable; resulting in crops withering in the field of the rain doesn't come in time.
While the issue of climate change is far too big for us to solve, the uplift project is working to get farmers like Ralph water pumps and lines for irrigation. Allowing them to water their crops when needed.

05/13/2026

This June, Forrest will be walking 100 miles through Guyana's dense rainforest. The journey starts in Wakapoa village, where the Uplift Project has been giving grants for the past year.
Why?
The people in Wakapoa do not always have access to clean water.
People here rely entirely on rainwater for drinking, during the rainy season they collect water off their roofs with gutters and funnel it into large, 500-gallon tanks that sit on concrete pads. These have always been essential for collecting and storing clean drinking water for the dry season when the rain doesn't come.
However, over the last decade, as the climate changes more rapidly, the seasons in Wakapoa have become less and less predictable. The rainy season brings more rain, while the dry season grows longer and drier than before.
Now, many people run out of water toward the end of the dry season and don't know when their tanks will be refilled.
This walk is to raise awareness, and most importantly money for the people of Wakappoa to get clean drinking water. To reach our goal of raising $7,000 for five new tanks and 15 gutter systems for the people of Wakapoa village, we are asking for a small per-mile donation during this walk

05/12/2026

In the Rainforest, agricultural is never easy.
Ralph is a farmer, who has to travel two hours from his home to where he farms.
This journey is long, but it is essential for him to find dry, fertile soil.
He loves to farm, even with the challenges it bring him here.
We are supporting him with a water pump, and PVC pipe.
And we need your support to help him in the future with a new roof for his camp.
Learn more at upliftproject.org

05/11/2026

Our director Forrest will be walking 100 miles through Guyana's dense rainforest. The journey starts in Wakapoa village, where the Uplift Project has been giving grants for the past year.

Why?

In the indigenous community of Wakapoa, Guyana, people rely entirely on rainwater for drinking. During the rainy season, they collect water off their roofs with gutters and funnel it into large, 500-gallon tanks that sit on concrete pads. These have always been essential for collecting and storing clean drinking water.

However, over the last decade, as the climate changes more rapidly, the seasons in Wakapoa have become less and less predictable. The rainy season brings more rain, while the dry season grows longer and drier than before.

Now, many people run out of water toward the end of the dry season and don't know when their tanks will be refilled.

This walk is to raise awareness, and most importantly money for the people of Wakappoa to get clean drinking water. To reach our goal of raising $7,000 for five new tanks and 15 gutter systems for the people of Wakapoa village, we are asking for a small per-mile donation during this walk

05/07/2026

Real growth starts from the bottom up.
Learn more about the uplift project. See how you can make an impact.

05/05/2026

Our support doesn't stop at small businesses.

Spending time in Wakapoa we've learned a lot about their way of life, and one thing we always hear about is the growing concern with the changing climate.
Mainly how it affects the once predictable rainy and dry seasons.
When the dry season lasts longer than usual, people run out of water storage. This forces them to drink from rivers and ponds that can give them Giardia and Typhoid.
While problem of a changing climate is much bigger than we will ever be able to solve, clean drinking water isn't.
Giving people more capacity to store water during the rainy season isn't difficult, and building water collection systems and storage tanks has been done for many years, proving its effectiveness.

Right now we're working to bring clean water storage to very family in Wakapoa who needs it. Starting with 3 family's that we have the budget to support.
If you want to get involved, or donate to make this project grow, check out our website at upliftproject.org


05/04/2026

In Wakapoa, clean drinking water isn't a guarantee.
The indigenous people have many ways to collect water, but as the rivers get more polluted from mining and boating, the traditional ways of drinking water are not viable anymore.
Drinking from pits or shallow wells is common, and while they are far from safe it is safer than drinking from the river.
Mario wants to build a shelter around his pit to keep runoff and animals from contaminating the well.

04/29/2026

At the Uplift project, we strive to be as transparent with you as possible, showing you every step of our journey and exactly how we spend your donations.
Today we are traveling to the interior to give grants to multiple small business owners.
Follow along to see how we make an impact

04/27/2026

Real solutions start from the bottom up.
Today, the Uplift Project travels back to Wakapoa to distribute 5 more grants to small business owners.
On this trip we will be documenting all of the support we give, and sharing it with you.
Follow along to support our mission

04/25/2026

More in depth on our grant giving process.

Next week I travel back to Wakapoa village to give grants to 5 new business owners.
These people will receive either cash or equipment designated to grow their business long term.

The average grant we give out is $500 and is spent within the first week of receiving it. On average 90 percent of the people we support spend the grant on the outlined purchases.
Follow along to hear more stories from the interior of Guyana, and see how you can make a difference there.

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Chesterfield, MA
01012

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+14135591904

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