Community resilience
We recognize the capacity of communities to protect themselves, as long as they have the right tools and knowledge.
About us
Who we are
Who we are
Amigos de la Madre Tierra (AMT) is a non-profit organization that protects and strengthens communities and ecosystems through community-based, evidence-driven solutions to environmental, ecological and climate threats in Bolivia.
Born in Oakland, United States, we have now expanded our commitment with a new home base in Cochabamba, Bolivia.
How we work
We believe sustainable solutions are born from the communities themselves. That is why we work participatively, strengthening local knowledge and capacities, promoting community organization and supporting processes that let people identify their needs and develop solutions adapted to their reality.
Mission
To strengthen the capacities of rural and Indigenous communities in Bolivia to prevent, prepare for, respond to and recover from disasters and environmental threats, through training, innovation, cooperation and community participation, promoting Vivir Bien (Living Well) and sustainable development.
Vision
To be a leading organization in Bolivia and Latin America for its work in community resilience, risk management, environmental education and local capacity building — contributing to prepared communities, resilient territories and protected ecosystems.
Our values
Six principles we never negotiate
Cultural relevance
Everything we do adapts to the language, context and worldview of each territory where we work.
Vivir Bien — Living Well
We promote harmony with nature and collective well-being above individual gain.
Local action, global vision
We address concrete needs in each territory, aligning our work with international climate resilience frameworks.
Transparency and accountability
We act with institutional responsibility towards communities, partners and cooperating organizations.
Collaboration
No community grows strong alone; we build solid networks of cooperation, not relationships of dependency.
Our approach
Vivir Bien — Living Well
Harmony with nature
We recognize people as guardians of the territory.
Community at the center
We put collective well-being first.
Respect for cultural diversity
We work from Indigenous worldviews.
Ethics and responsibility
In the face of the climate crisis.
What we do
Five lines of work, one shared territory
Resilience and risk management
Preparedness and response to emergencies and disasters.
CERT — Community response
We train community leaders to provide a first response while specialized help arrives.
Sustainability and the environment
We promote sustainable, climate-resilient practices and solutions.
Education and training
We develop educational processes and trainings that build knowledge, skills and leadership.
Community leadership
We support leaders and organizations to strengthen coordination, participation and collective action.
The team
The people behind AMT
Board
Representative in Bolivia
Amigos de la Madre Tierra
Diego Fernando Vigabriel Vargas
MSc in Sustainable Development
Board
Vice President
Amigos de la Madre Tierra
Valeria Oporto Tapia
Socio-environmental project management and sustainable development
Board
Secretary General
Amigos de la Madre Tierra
Ramiro Ezequiel Ferrufino Rocha
GIS and territorial analysis specialist
Board
Treasurer
Amigos de la Madre Tierra
Gabriela Brenda Sainz Peñaranda
Biologist working in environmental education and biodiversity
The program
What is CERT?
CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) is a training program that prepares people, organizations and communities to act safely and in an organized way during emergencies and disasters, while professional help arrives. It does not replace firefighters or health services: it is the community’s own organized first response.
1985
Born in Los Angeles, California, after studying Japanese community preparedness and the citizen response to the Mexico City earthquake.
1993
Becomes a national program of the United States under FEMA.
Hoy
More than 600,000 people trained across all 50 states, with active programs in Chile, Honduras, Mexico and Peru.
2026
Bolivia joins the network with its first national cohort of CERT trainers, adapted to the rural and Indigenous reality of the country.
CERT brigade members with green helmets and goggles lower a basket stretcher