Our History

Aldeas de Paz concept

In the 1990’s, Manfred Mönnighoff, a German entrepreneur developed what he called the Aldeas de Paz Concept, the first known Non-Profit Franchise Concept. Mönnighoff who left his successful business career behind to become a social activist with the intention of helping to create and promote a "Culture of Peace" by putting his professional skills to work as a volunteer for small grassroots NGO's in Asia, Central and South America.

In 1995 he started his first humanitarian project in Merida, Venezuela. The work in Merida focused on children rights. Efforts were made to integrate street children and at risk youth into a more stable environment, and at times, into foster families. Thanks to significant fundraising and donor support as well as the collocation of his own life savings, Mönnighoff succeeded in 2001 in forming the constitution for a volunteer-based NGO group in Caracas, Venezuela called Fundación Aldeas de Paz.

Service is putting your skills and qualities to work to help others become empowered. This leads to self-sufficiency — sometimes even prosperity — in the individual.
∼ Manfred Mönnighoff / Founder Aldeas de Paz

Roots in Caracas

Through the initiative of a group of professionals and community leaders, Aldeas de Paz responded to economic, social and cultural problems in the impoverished and violent neighborhoods which form part of the huge "Barrios Unidos de Petare" sector, located on the north-western hills surrounding Caracas. His development und humanitarian projects focused on the plied of young people in very often extremely challenging situations like street children, pregnant young adolescents, children who do not go to school and unemployed at risk youth in general. The focus was on empowering young people through direct assistants, education and job training.

The move to Santa Elena

Successful work was done for more than a year, but due to drastically increased violence and decreased public security after the coup of 2002, a decision was made to leave the programs in the hand of local church communities and relocate Aldeas de Paz to Santa Elena de Uairén, a gold and diamonds mining town located in the heart of the remote and beautiful La Gran Sabana National Park on the border with Brazil and Guyana.

Manfred — You have an amazing vision in this foundation. I have immense amounts of respect for you and the countless hours of work you have out into building and molding Peace Villages into what it has become.
∼ Galen Baynes / Port Jefferson, New York

For over seven years now, Aldeas de Paz has been based in Santa Elena, focusing its energy on cultural and social programs in the Gran Sabana region. ADP works to empower young people by offering them alternative educational opportunities and training as well as supporting and educating parents. Thanks to the efforts of long and short-term volunteers, Aldeas de Paz has made a very positive impact on the wider Santa Elena community!

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