What we have achieved so far
we could achieve only with the help of committed people who support the project and like-minded neighbors.
we could achieve only with the help of committed people who support the project and like-minded neighbors.
Here you will find information on the status of our projects, details of our team and strategic partners. In addition, all documents relating to the Foundation's legal status and land purchases can be found in the Legal Notice.
Save The Paradise was founded by Chrissy van der Linden (Dutch) and Stefano Bajak (Ecuadorian), both passionate about animals and nature. They come from the fast-paced and demanding world of audiovisual production. Their initial idea was to find a peaceful escape from city life between jobs, and they found it in Mompiche, a small coastal town in the Esmeraldas province of northern Ecuador. Here, lush jungle merges seamlessly with the sea, and the local people are known for their warm and uncomplicated nature. However, their serenity was disrupted when they realized that the forest was rapidly disappearing. It was at this point that they decided to take action, leading to the creation of the Save the Paradise Foundation, with a mission to make a difference and protect as much of this precious forest as possible.
Shayne McCreadie was born and raised in Amsterdam and currently works as a cultural programmer and organisational coach. She has founded De Cultuurshifters, which focuses on supporting companies to incorporate diversity and inclusion into their workplace. She enjoys working with teams and team leaders, teaching them the foundations of Deep Democracy. She also teaches creative workshops and curates special programs for the International Queer & Migrant Film Festival.
Is the director and initiator of Stichting Art. 1 Foundation and the International Queer & Migrant Film Festival. He founded Stichting art.1 in 2011 with the aim of making films and documentaries about taboo subjects. His current projects focus on training and workshops for human rights activists, journalists and LGBT / gender equality activists and on strengthening artivism in various countries in and around the EU. Chris Belloni has also been nominated as Amsterdammer of the year 2020. In 2022 he founded Supernova Cinema, the alternative cinema space in the centre of Amsterdam.
Since 2017 Harry had been visiting Ecuador almost every year. He was one of our early donators and has followed our projects and supported the Foundation in every way possible ever since.
Harry enjoys his retirement after 30 years of working as director of a multinational.
Chrissy van der Linden is a Dutch executive producer. Separately, as co-founder of Save The Paradise Foundation, she works to protect Ecuador’s rainforest and promote sustainable development. Through her activism, she creates a lasting environmental impact.
After a broad education in film, media and visual culture, Martha has worked for the last 14 year as a project manager, concept developer and creative producer for diverse institutions, from cultural enterprises, to municipalities to working with individual artists helping them develop their ideas or a specific production.
Her professional and personal interests go towards engaging arts and culture, harvesting their potential to widen social perspectives and work on a diverse society grounded on dialogue and connection.
Teo joined the Foundation in 2019. He fell in love with Ecuador when he visited his daughter, who was doing a volunteer year in the country. Since then, he has come to Ecuador almost every year to support the project. He specialises in scientific information about the exploitation of nature in Ecuador and post-colonialism. Teo runs a digital agency.
Check here for the current status of our four projects. To get more Information about the projects follow the more-link.
The foundation currently safeguards approximately 47 hectares of land, which is roughly equivalent to 57 soccer fields. Out of this, the foundation directly owns 27 hectares, while an additional 20 hectares are under our management and owned by our strategic partners
The Conservation Network of Mompiche (CoNeMo) proudly safeguards approximately 300 hectares of rainforest. The easternmost parcel of our land lies just 4.5 kilometers, as the crow flies, from the national reserve Mache Chindul Reserve.
We're thrilled to share that we've established an exciting experimental chocolate laboratory, where we craft exquisite chocolate bars in limited quantities. Looking ahead to 2024, our exciting goal is to develop a comprehensive business plan to secure the funding needed for our chocolate venture.
In the reports, there are some figures that are difficult to understand without context. For better transparency, here are a few values about the foundation cumulates over the years
We bought 32,29 hectare since 2019 with a total value of XY USD. The average price for one hectare is XYZ USD.
We collected XY USD of donations.
We spent XYZ USD on other things than buying land. That includes Taxes, Layers, Fees. So far xy% of the money that gets to us is used for purchasing land. In 2022, the rate has improved to XY%.
Right now we have XYZ USD in our bank account.
Save the Paradise Foundation is recognized as a non-profit organization in the Netherlands, bearing the ANBI status. This recognition not only allows our Dutch supporters to contribute effortlessly and receive tax refunds but also signifies our commitment to making giving accessible worldwide. While the Netherlands was our initial success story, we're excited to extend our reach. We're actively planning to establish foundations or equivalent entities in Ecuador, Germany, and the United States, ensuring that supporters from around the globe can join our mission. If you're a Dutch citizen, visit the Belastingdienst website for detailed information on deducting your generous gifts from your tax returns.
The Prefetura is supporting us generously with tree seedlings.
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A grass root organization created in 2017 to conserve the biodiversity of the Ecuadorian coastal Chocó region.
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Save The Paradise is part of the Conservation Network of Mompiche (CoNeMo). The network includes private, institutional or corporate landowners of Mompiche. They are committed to the protection and conservation of the rainforests of Mompiche, Ecuador. They take action and responsibility by protecting the forest and the species that depend on it on the land they own.
