The questions we would ask, if we were reading this site for the first time.
Is my donation tax-deductible?
No, not at this time. Lhacienda Esperanza Foundation is a non-profit registered in Delaware and has obtained its EIN from the IRS, but the EIN is only a tax identification number — it is not tax-exempt status. We will file a complete Form 1023 to apply for recognition under section 501(c)(3). Until a determination letter is issued we cannot issue tax receipts, and a gift made today is not deductible. We would rather tell you before you give than after. See Transparency & governance.
What has the foundation actually achieved so far?
Nothing yet, and we are not going to dress that up. We were founded in 2026. Our first project is in its launch phase. If a track record matters to you before you give — and that is a reasonable position — follow what we publish and decide later.
Why cashew shells, of all things?
Because around Bondoukou they exist in quantity, nobody wants them, and burning them in the open harms the people working nearby. A project that uses a waste stream a place already has beats one designed elsewhere and flown in. The longer answer is here.
What is biochar?
A stable, carbon-rich solid left when biomass is heated with almost no oxygen — pyrolysis rather than burning. Worked into soil, it helps the ground hold water and nutrients, and the carbon stays locked up instead of returning to the air within days. More on the process.
Where exactly does the money go?
At launch stage, into three things: the pyrolysis equipment, training the local team who will run and repair it, and the first production cycles that let us measure real yields. From our first full financial year we will publish annual figures separating programme costs from running costs.
Who actually runs the programme on the ground?
The foundation does, directly. We do not grant funds to a third-party NGO and wait for a report — Lhacienda Terra is staffed and run by the foundation in the Gontougo region, and the foundation answers for the results, the money and the mistakes.
Who runs the foundation?
A board of three: Franck Arnaud Gbedieu Zago (President), Marta María Núñez Muñoz (Treasurer) and Maely Keren Gbedieu (Secretary). None of them receives compensation from the foundation.
What is Lhacienda Esperanza Foundation?
That is our full legal name, as registered in Delaware. We operate publicly as Lhacienda Foundation. It is one and the same organization.
Can I visit the project?
Ask us. We would rather be seen than described, and someone who has visited is a better advocate than any page we could write.
How can I help if I cannot give money?
Expertise in pyrolysis, agronomy or monitoring; an introduction to an organisation working in the Gontougo; or simply passing our work to someone in the field. See Get involved.
Will you tell us when something goes wrong?
Yes. That is the commitment this whole site is built on. A foundation that publishes only its successes is telling you very little.
