Letter from the President
Development in a Changing Climate
In 2016, Sub-Saharan Africa endured some of the most damaging weather in more than a century. Severe drought, preceded by destructive flooding, took the lives of many people, displaced hundreds of thousands from their homes, decimated food production, and created widespread hunger.
This terrible tragedy shows us that not only is climate change very real, but that it is impacting communities the most who have the very least. Planet Aid and its partners stand with the people of Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, South Africa and other affected countries and will work to regain lost momentum.
For nearly two decades, Planet Aid–supported programs have built and staffed schools and colleges, trained countless numbers of teachers, mobilized communities to stop the spread of epidemic diseases, fostered sustainable agriculture to strengthen food security, planted a multitude of trees, and much more. We have stayed true to our mission to inform, mobilize, and inspire individuals and communities to work together to bring about worldwide environmental and social change.
Our success would not be possible without the help of the many supporters and partners. In 2016, our hard-working staff collected nearly 95 million pounds of clothing and other items from our bins and at donation centers. This quantity helped save materials from disposal, relieved landfill burdens, and reduced greenhouse gas emissions by extending the life of these reusable items.
The funds generated from the sale of these collected items, in turn, not only helps to keep our collection work running, but supports all the vital development work that I mentioned above. You can read more about our work on the projects page of this annual report.
Thank you again for your support and we look forward to a productive year ahead.
Ester Neltrup, President
