Guatemalan deportees get fresh start as volcano guides

A social enterprise based out of Mumbai, India helps connect urban dwellers with rural communities by creating tourism job opportunities for rural individuals, inviting people who live in the city to stay with and learn from their country counterparts. The organization works to stimulate rural economy, provide additional income for struggling families, and act as a bridge between rural and urban life in India.

In many rural villages in Northern India and Nepal, long-standing cultural norms have relegated women to subordinate positions in marriage and minimal educational opportunities, stifling the social, agricultural and economic development of entire communities. But with the NGO World Neighbors' work to increase female literacy and help initiate locally-controlled savings and credit groups, these areas' female residents have become a more empowered component of local development and progressive change.

Local communities in Bhutan are developing ecotourism sites to create jobs, generate income, and protect endangered species and ecosystems. They’ve created ecolodges and campsites, host traditional dining experiences with food from local farmers, and host nature-based activities, all while leading conservation efforts on the land they use.

A number of new amenities and businesses in Boone County are the result of fundraising and community development. Local leaders have brought nearly two dozen new major projects to completion in the past ten years. Almost all of the money has been raised by local residents as a result of a “years-long effort to educate residents about the importance of keeping some of their money in their hometowns.”

A coast-to-coast hiking trail in Costa Rica is giving the rural economy a boost. Camino de Costa Rica is the brainchild of a cooperative effort between small businesses, nonprofits, and schools to support the rural tourism industry in Costa Rica. The trail has allowed small businesses to tap into an income stream which has created economic resilience and created opportunities.

An indigenous-led nonprofit group called Tonibung installed a micro-hydro electrical system for a village deep in Borneo’s rainforests. The project not only supplied much-needed energy for the villagers of Kampung Buayan, but it is also protecting the surrounding ecosystems, creating jobs for people, and encouraging youth to get involved. “We want to advocate for native rights to self-determination and empower indigenous groups to choose the kind of development that meets the aspirations of their people,” says the founder of the organization.

A Portland-based foundation has revitalized a small town in Maine with the establishment of an arts colony, reconstruction of old buildings in downtown, and a full health center - a rarity for small towns. A declining population and the shuttering of major businesses contributed to the decline of Monson. The Libra Foundation's philanthropic efforts have spurred enthusiasm within the town well known for being the last stop along the Appalachian Trail.

As the Mountain West transitions away from mining and other industrial economic drivers, rural cities find their way into successful economies by relying on local entrepreneurial spirit and the surrounding landscape. Businesses like SmartLam in rural Montana rely on local resources - in SmartLam's case, timber - and sustainable, future-oriented strategy to make a ripple in the economy of the rural West.

When the city of Hanston, Kansas had to shut down the local middle/high school, residents refused to let the school sit vacant; instead, the building now houses a town-owned business incubator called Elk Plaza. Uses of the transformed building include the town's only commercial kitchen and movie theatre, a flexible event space, and office space for local entrepreneurs.

Renewing distressed economies can be done through reinvesting in arts and culture. By building successful partnerships with rural Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) like the Woodlands Community Lenders (WCL), the town of Thomas, West Virginia, has found a new identity as a hub of arts and culture after the collapse of its coal-based economy.