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Action for Change

Action for Change

We design and implement multi-faceted projects that result in meaningful, measurable, and sustainable change. Our projects are focused on human and labor rights, human trafficking, violence prevention, migration, women’s empowerment, and more.

Too many times, changes are imposed by those with power, either for their own benefit, or in the belief that these changes are in the best interest of others. Therefore, it is essential that rightsholders are consulted, as they are the true experts on the issues that they are facing, the root causes, and what needs to be done to combat these problems. REACH is highly experienced in interviewing and engaging vulnerable populations on sensitive subjects such as human trafficking, organized crime, and domestic and sexual violence, in order to inform the design of effective, sustainable projects.

REACH’s approach to improving labor conditions in the Guatemalan coffee sector

One example of REACH’s approach to designing and implementing integral projects is the Improving Supply Chain Transparency, Monitoring, and Accountability in Guatemala’s Coffee Sector project. REACH was the implementer of all activities in Guatemala for this Verité-led project, which was carried out from 2015-2018 with funding from the U.S. Department of State and Keurig Green Mountain. The project included the following elements:

  • Interviews with over 300 workers on labor violations in the coffee sector, as well as workers’ needs, technology access, literacy levels, priorities, and perspectives, in order to inform the development of a grievance mechanism.
  • Mapping of the coffee supply chain, from coffee importers to labor brokers, as well as the mapping of government and civil society service providers in workers’ communities of origin and coffee producing regions.
  • Trainings of over 500 workers, government officials, NGO representatives, and coffee company employees on labor risks identified by research and steps that they can take to reduce these risks.
  • The development and implementation of an innovative Grievance Reporting and Information Dissemination (GRID) system, available in Spanish, Quiché, Mam, and Tz’utujil, that provided over 1,000 workers with information about their labor rights, a channel to report violations of these rights, a remediation mechanism for those in the company supply chains, and referrals to government and NGO service providers.