Philippe Lazaro
Philippe shares the stories of people living at the forefront of the climate crisis, who are working to transform their ecosystems and communities. He loves emphasizing the human experience, and keeping conversations about the environment centered on the communities most affected by it. Philippe has led storytelling trips to Mexico, Thailand, Colombia, Tanzania, South Africa, Haiti, and a number of other countries. He has previously served in similar roles at Liberty in North Korea and Mobility International.
Philippe obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Communications, as well as a Bachelor of Arts in Global Studies at UC Santa Barbara. He furthered his studies by earning a Master of Arts in International Studies as well as a Master of Arts in Nonprofit Management at University of Oregon. Philippe is also an illustrator, podcaster, and digital artist. Outside of work, Philippe loves spending time with his wife and their three kids.
Tanzania
Nafika, Tanzania: "I see a future well educated woman thriving in life"
Nafika is a 32-year-old single mother living in the Shengena West watershed. She is raising a 15-year-old daughter while working as a Tanzania farmer and entrepreneur and being an active member of a Purpose Group. As a farmer she is involved in poultry and fish farming, caring for chickens and managing a fish pond. Nafika […]
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Environmental Restoration, Why
Causes Effects and Solutions to Environmental Degradation- Part II
Eight Ways to Invest in People and Planet for the Next Generation In Environmental Degradation Part One we explored the causes and effects of environmental damage and the interconnected problem of global poverty. In this article we focus more on the interventions and environmental solutions that are helping to lift families and communities in the […]
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Mexico
Shining a Light of Opportunity: The Indigenous Women’s Struggle for Education in Rural Mexico
In Southern Mexico, rural Indigenous women remain at the bottom of the educational ladder. While progress has been made in recent years with education in rural Mexico, a gap persists, casting long shadows over their lives and perpetuating a cycle of poverty that ripples through generations. The roots of this educational disparity run deep, intertwined […]
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Climate Solutions, Our Response
Monitoring, Evaluation, and Navigating Complexity: Why the easy way isn’t always the best way
One of the most important parts of Plant With Purpose’s work is measuring its efficacy. This is also one of the most difficult parts. As we apply our model of Community Designed Restoration© (CDR) to rural watersheds across the globe, we want to ensure that our work is having its intended impact. As trees are […]
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DR Congo, Updates
Revisiting the Congo: A year after opening for oil drilling
With significant climate implications. The Congo Basin Rainforest is the second largest rainforest in the world and hosts about 70% of Africa’s tree cover. With a large portion of the rainforest made of peatlands, it serves as a powerful carbon sink. Disrupting it would be a significant loss in our efforts to maintain a livable […]
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About Our Work, Mexico, Resources, Thailand
Unpacking the Top Causes of Global Poverty
Poverty is a global problem that affects billions of people. The ways that different organizations, countries, and institutions define poverty may vary, but in 2023, an estimated 689 million people live on less than $1.90 per day. Most people have some basic consciousness around the challenges of poverty, even though public perception is often tainted […]
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About Our Work
Causes, Effects and Solutions to Environmental Degradation
Environmental degradation is an increasingly pressing issue that affects us all. It is caused by a variety of factors, ranging from human activities to natural disasters, and its effects can be devastating. Many of these effects can cause further degradation, which means that this impact works as a downward cycle. Fortunately, there are solutions, and […]
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Environmental Restoration, Thailand
Seeding Change
Planting trees and helping farmers grow more crops is part of Plant With Purpose’s core work, but these activities depend on the health and availability of seeds. Right now, the global seed supply faces a number of problems. There is currently a lack of access to diverse and locally adapted seed varieties. This is due […]
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Burundi, Photo Essays
Things you'll see on a visit to Burundi
Burundi isn't a frequently visited country. For starters, it is rather small, comparable in size to Rwanda, Lesotho, or Eswatini. It is also a very rural country with 85% of its residents living in remote areas that have limited infrastructure. While it boasts compelling landscapes and rich traditions, conflict has also inhibited tourism in Burundi. […]
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About Our Work, blog, Burundi, Dominican Republic, DR Congo, Ethiopia, Haiti, Mexico, Tanzania, Thailand
LET THE LOCALS LEAD
While having country-based leadership in all of our programs is important, we take it a step further and the advantage of local leadership is undeniable. The importance of having local ownership over our mission and program activities has been emphasized at Plant With Purpose from the very beginning. Back in 1984, Plant With Purpose was […]
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About Our Work, Environmental Restoration, Resources, Sustainability
Top 10 World-Changing Solutions to Poverty
The challenge of extreme poverty around the world isn’t new to most people. The images of suffering due to an inadequate access to resources and opportunity are familiar to most people. What gets significantly less attention, however, are all the numerous proven solutions to poverty available at our disposal. These solutions are interventions that have […]
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About Our Work, Academic, Sustainability
People are more than their problems
“Poverty is a condition,” our Mexico Country Director reminds us. “Not a characteristic.” For Luis, these words are not just a theory. They are a call to action, a cause to which he dedicated his life. His team’s efforts to help communities in three of Mexico’s poorest states happen alongside workshops focused on identity and […]
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About Our Work, Burundi, Climate Change, Haiti
Amazing Ways to Help Protect the Natural World
Create abundance for both people and planet It isn’t rare to hear stories of environmental loss and damage. From wildfires to drought to mass deforestation and pollution, so many of our beloved places on Earth are under constant threat. How can we help protect the natural world? These threats are real and urgent, but what […]
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Climate Solutions, Tanzania
Can a climate vulnerable community become 6x more sustainable?
Note: A draft of this blog was posted in error. Please disregard it entirely and review this corrected post, updated August 16, 2022. Plant With Purpose values sharing accurate and factual information, and we will promptly notify readers when that has not been the case. Thank you for your trust and understanding. Climate change is […]
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Climate Change
Hope for compassion fatigue
When everything is crisis, look for where things connect To say the past few years have been overwhelming is an understatement. From large-scale reckonings with racial injustice, to the impact of the pandemic, to the flare up of war and conflict in different parts of the world, there have been no shortage of urgent and […]
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