Our Mission
Our goals
Supporting community driven projects
Our work is centered on supporting community-driven projects that are developed and led by local people themselves. Rather than imposing outside solutions, we listen to community members, identify their ideas and priorities, and provide the resources, guidance, and encouragement they need to turn those ideas into sustainable initiatives. By placing decision-making in the hands of local people, we help strengthen ownership, confidence, skills, and long-term independence. Our support may include small grants, materials, training, mentoring, and connections to potential markets or partners. The goal is not simply to fund individual projects, but to help communities build their own capacity to create opportunities, generate income, preserve local knowledge, and improve their collective well-being.
Empowering youth
Empowering San youth is at the heart of our work, with a focus on helping young people develop the skills, confidence, and opportunities they need to build their own futures. We support youth-led initiatives that respond to local needs and build on the knowledge, creativity, and strengths already present within the community. Through small grants, practical training, mentoring, and access to resources, young people can develop income-generating activities, strengthen their entrepreneurial skills, explore creative talents, and take an active role in their communities. We believe that sustainable change comes from within the community, and that empowering San youth to develop and lead their own projects strengthens both individual independence and the future of the community as a whole.
Making connections
We seek to bridge and connect projects led by different NGOs and community organizations so that their efforts can complement one another rather than operate in isolation. By identifying shared goals, resources, skills, and areas of expertise, we can create opportunities for organizations to collaborate, exchange knowledge, and strengthen the impact of their work. This approach helps reduce duplication, connect communities with additional resources, and create pathways for successful local initiatives to grow. We believe that collaboration among NGOs, community groups, and local leaders can create a stronger and more coordinated network of support, ensuring that projects build upon one another and contribute to sustainable, community-led development.
How it all started
Cultur.ed Planet began with a visit to Tsumkwe, Namibia, that changed the way its founder, Alex Parrs, thought about community development. Having spent many years working with Indigenous and marginalized communities, Alex arrived in Tsumkwe with an interest in learning about the lives, challenges, and aspirations of the Ju/’hoansi people. What stood out was not only the economic hardship faced by many families, but also the creativity, determination, and ideas of local people—particularly young adults and women who wanted to create opportunities for themselves and their communities.
During conversations with community members, Alex began to see that even relatively small amounts of support could make a meaningful difference when placed directly in the hands of motivated individuals. A sewing machine could become the beginning of a small tailoring business; basic cooking equipment could allow women to develop a catering service; art supplies could give young people a space to develop their creativity and skills. The key was not to create projects from outside, but to support ideas that originated within the community.
What began as individual acts of support gradually developed into a broader vision: a charity that would invest in people rather than simply provide short-term assistance. Cultur.ed Planet was created to support community members who have ideas, skills, and the determination to build something of their own. The organization provides small grants, materials, training, mentoring, and ongoing encouragement while allowing local people to remain at the center of decision-making.
Today, Cultur.ed Planet continues to grow from that original experience in Tsumkwe. Its approach is simple: listen first, support local ideas, build skills, and help create sustainable opportunities. By working alongside community members and maintaining long-term relationships, Cultur.ed Planet hopes to contribute to a future in which San youth, women, and other community members have greater opportunities to develop their talents, generate income, and shape the future of their own communities.