CIELO’s Community Permaculture and Education Center (CEPC) Tolimán is a Maya Kaqchikel-led initiative blending ancestral agroecological knowledge with modern permaculture to promote sustainability and food sovereignty.In Cycle 1, the project hired a full-time Indigenous youth Operations Manager, installed an electrical energy system, planted 150 cacao trees, launched a native melipona bee-keeping project, and trained 70 participants in ecological agriculture.For Cycle 2, CIELO seeks to sustain key staff, hire technical expertise to guide site planning, and expand educational demonstration sites to deepen environmental awareness, biodiversity restoration, and Indigenous youth leadership in sustainable development.
Founded by and for indigenous people, CEPC Toliman is a community permaculture center in Guatemala run entirely by Maya Kaqchikel people. They empower their community by teaching ecologically sound agricultural practices that integrate indigenous wisdom with modern science.
