Plant With Purpose

We're moving!

2010-08-17T16:22:00.000-07:00

Well, just our blog :)

As we're launching a new, user-friendly phase of our Plant With Purpose website, we're also transferring and integrating our blog into the new website - which can be found at www.plantwithpurpose.org/blog. With our new blog, we are also updating the feedburner service for those who are receiving our blogs via email. For our email subscribers, you will soon be receiving a notification in your email inbox asking you to re-confirm your subscription to the new Plant With Purpose blog. To keep up to date on Plant With Purpose, news from the field, or our occasional ramblings please be sure to confirm your subscription!

Also, for those who have not subscribed to the email updates of our blog yet and would like to, you can do so at the box below or at the link here.

Did Someone Say Avocado?

2010-08-16T09:52:00.000-07:00

by Aly Lewis

I love avocados. I mean, what self-respecting Southern Californian doesn’t? From chips and guac to turkey-bacon-avocado sandwiches to even avocado shakes, my taste buds delight in the creamy green goodness of a fresh avocado.

Understandably, when I saw the term Avocado Consultation looming on the office Google Calendar a couple of months ago, my interest was piqued and my avocado alert in full effect. I soon learned that the cryptic Avocado Consultation entry referred to a scheduled meeting of the avocado minds in our Trans Border Project along the border between Haiti and the Dominican Republic.

Avocado is a major commodity in the mountainous border region, and many of the farmers Plant With Purpose partners with earn much of their income from selling avocados. Early in the year, many farmers complained of low yields and difficulty with their avocado crops. Our staff was worried that technical issues were preventing farmers from maximizing this valuable market. So what did we do? We called in the big guns, of course. We brought in an experienced avocado consultant, an avocado aficionado if you will, to meet with farmers, conduct soil studies, and identify and solve many of the technical issues. The consultation included our technical staff from Haiti and the Dominican Republic, the avocado specialist, and Plant With Purpose beneficiaries.

Avocado Specialist (how’s that for a job title!), Bill Hahlbohm, and three of our technical staff members examine an avocado leaf for signs of pests.

I learned from Armando, our Dominican Republic program officer who participated in the consultation, that it was incredibly inspiring to see Haitian and Dominican farmers join together to solve a common problem, offer their indigenous knowledge, and learn from and collaborate with technical experts. Farmers and staff were able to solve many of the problems and our staff was able to make a lot of technical advancements in this area.

Although the consultation did not solve all of the technical planting concerns, I was assured that it was an invaluable learning experience for all parties involved. I continue to be impressed by our staff’s commitment to growth, learning, and providing farmers with the most advanced and appropriate technical training as possible. I was also encouraged by this illustration of true empowerment and community development as staff, experts, and Haitian and Dominican beneficiaries alike joined together to share their knowledge and solve common problems. And what excites me most--in addition to the joy that an increase in the world’s supply of avocados gives me--is the effect that this will have on the quality of life of the farmers with whom we partner. An increased and improved avocado crop means that farmers can earn higher prices for their produce, which means they can better feed and support their families, can send their children to school, and can improve their health and living conditions!

A truck full of avocados makes its way to the local market.

This is just one of many examples of how Plant With Purpose empowers communities to use their talents and resources to meet their basic needs, generate stable income, and foster a community spirit that leads to restored relationships and lasting transformation.

Now my taste buds and my heart can delight in the production of this fair-weather fruit!

Starting Tuesday...

2010-08-13T16:54:00.000-07:00

Over the last few months, our Development Department has been working hard to update our Plant With Purpose website with new user-friendly features. Starting next Tuesday, when you go to www.plantwithpurpose.org you will see an informative new home page, a chance to sign up for our eSower, a tree counter that updates every couple minutes with how many trees are being planted worldwide, plus a snazzy new blog!

We are excited for this opportunity to provide you with more user-friendly features and more accessible news updates from the field. Stay tuned next week for more information!

Tending to Eden Now Available on Kindle!

2010-08-12T09:18:00.000-07:00

“I do not feed, clothe, and educate my children so I can share the gospel with them. I feed them, clothe them, educate them, and share the gospel with them because I love them.”

Scott's new book, Tending to Eden: Environmental Stewardship for God's People is now available on Kindle! Click here to download your copy for only $9.99.

To purchase a hard copy, visit our website to order through amazon.com. A portion of the proceeds will go to Plant With Purpose and help empower the lives of the rural poor.

Let us know what you think! And happy reading:)

Tanzanian Churches Plant Dignity

2010-08-11T14:21:00.000-07:00

This has been a year of exciting growth and new initiatives for our transformational program in Tanzania. We are excited to share with you about a new church partnership that is already producing abundant fruit.

Earlier in the year, the Seventh Day Adventist church in Tanzania invited us to facilitate Entrepreneurship and Stewardship seminars at four of their camp meetings. The Entrepreneurship and Stewardship program is designed to equip participants with entrepreneurship skills and knowledge on how to think creatively and become good stewards of God’s creation. Approximately 2,700 people participated in these seminars and learned about God’s love for His creation and the steps they can take to restore, replenish, and protect their land. Participants organized a follow up meeting to further plan and facilitate creation care activities, brainstorm innovative business ideas, and set goals to become better environmental stewards in their own lives. The program has spurred striking attitude changes especially in regard to the way farmers view their own role in caring for creation. As a result of the trainings, community groups joined together to plant a record number of trees, install hundreds of wood-saving stoves, and establish their own teams to monitor and protect local water sources. It has been inspiring to watch community members take greater initiative and ownership of Plant With Purpose's projects as they seek to serve God and take an active role in overcoming poverty.

We desire to help the rural poor discover their true identity as children of God and recover their true vocation as faithful and productive stewards of gifts from God for the well being of all. As a result of this new partnership, we have been encouraged to watch as men, women, and children begin to develop self-confidence, restore their identity and vocation, and work to create and sustain just and peaceful relationships. Individuals and communities are discovering and releasing their God-given talents, utilizing their unique gifts to take hold of their problems, develop their own solutions, and ultimately build a better future. We witnessed this transformation in the hearts and minds of those who participated in our Entrepreneurship and Stewardship program this year. Believing God has given them the talents and resources to work toward a better future, participants took the initiative to create their own committees to meet and address many of the spiritual, economic, and environmental issues plaguing their area. This restoration of people’s dignity has been one of the most encouraging and rewarding aspects of the project.

Our Wonderful Interns- Summer 2010

2010-08-10T09:08:00.000-07:00

We are halfway through summer (even though it doesn’t feel like it), and we have have a new group of interns and volunteers who are joining us in the office! Combined, these students are contributing more than 500 hours of their time over the course of three months to Plant With Purpose! Thanks so much to each of you for giving your time and talent to support Plant With Purpose this summer! Your work is invaluable and we are so grateful to have you here!

Plant With Purpose Summer Interns 2010

Annie Fikes- Public Relations and Events Intern My name is Annie Fikes. I’m nineteen and I will be a sophomore at Seattle University next year. I am considering majoring in Political Science or Public Affairs, and want to minor in French and Non-Profit Leadership. I’m interested public relations, community development and government structures. At Plant With Purpose, I hope learn about working in a non-profit and build a better understanding of public relations. I would like to work for non-profit in the future and am excited for the chance to gain experience working at one. I love spending my free time with friends, going to the beach, playing volleyball and soccer, eating Asian food, and teaching Sunday school.

James Ellet- Grant Writing Intern James is a first-year MBA student at Chapman University in Orange, CA, hoping to bring his business training into the nonprofit world. For his undergraduate work, he received his BS in Mathematics from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. In between Cal Poly and Chapman, he lived in the Sierra Nevada mountains near Yosemite managing the maintenance team at a Christian conference center. Over the past 2 years, James has felt a constant call to use his gifts to help the marginalized and oppressed of the world, and sees this internship with Plant With Purpose as a great way to start. He has been helping Aly Lewis research various foundations and apply to any and every grant that she can.

James is originally from Merced, CA, and thinks Southern California residents don't know real heat. Lately he's been listening to a lot of folk music and watching Parks and Recreation on Hulu. He has a dog, Casey, who has just come down with fleas. He hopes they go away soon.

Danielle Slomka- Volunteer My name is Danielle Slomka. I am sixteen years old and I will be a senior at the San Diego School of Creative and Performing Arts. I am blessed to spend time at Plant with Purpose this summer and get the feel for the non-profit work I hope to be part of in the future. In my free time I enjoy playing the guitar, singing, spending time with my friends and family, listening to music of every type, and watching movies.

Katy Dhanens- Community Advocacy and Awareness Volunteer Katy has been involved with Plant With Purpose through her family and church over the years and is spending time in our office learning about our programs and helping the development department raise awareness. Katy is studying diplomacy, world affairs and Spanish at Occidental College. Read Katy’s blog post about Oaxaca here http://bit.ly/9z1jVk

Nathan Lack- Volunteer Nathan is a veteran here at Plant With Purpose, this is his third summer to be involved as a volunteer here in the office. He entered community college last year not knowing what he wanted to study and over the last year he has decided that he wants to pursue studies related to what he has learned in his time here at Plant With Purpose. We are excited to see him pursuing an environmental science related degree at a UC school in Sacramento!

Keep your eye out on our blog for articles from each of these students over the summer! http://www.plantwithpurpose.blogspot.com

If you are interested in internships or volunteering please email corbyn@plantwithpurpose.org

Meet Claudette Zepeda

2010-08-09T14:21:00.000-07:00

Meet Claudette Zepeda, Plant With Purpose’s new Bookkeeper! Claudette first heard about Plant With Purpose when she met our HR Manager, Rachel Castillero, at the Flood Church. The two kept in touch, and in May she heard from Rachel that an Admin / Finance position was opening up in the new fiscal year. Claudette says she jumped at the chance!

While the majority of Claudette’s resume is predominantly administrative, she is also a trained pastry chef. Through school and her food career she says she always made it a point to learn about sustainability and to help the local farmers as much as she could.

Plant With Purpose’s work struck a chord with Claudette after she read how we help empower the people and farmers to regain control of their land.

“I realized that I’m not only responsible for doing my part locally, but within other countries that need it,” said Claudette. “Having two young kids myself I know it’s my responsibility to teach them to be conscious of the world we live in, and inform them that the children of the villages we help will one day run the family farm.”

At Plant With Purpose, Claudette is responsible for recording the donations and allocating funds to ensure the appropriate countries receive monetary support.

Claudette says, “I’m excited to grow and be a part of the Plant With Purpose team!”

We’re excited to have you here, Claudette. Welcome to the team! :)

August Prayer Letter

2010-08-06T08:50:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends and Prayer Partners:

Today is Plant With Purpose's International day of prayer and fasting. If you would like to subscribe to receive the prayer letter please email corbyn@plantwithpurpose.org Please join us in praying for our programs around the world:

Haiti

Praise for:

Our Technical Director Bob's safe travel in Haiti in July.

Good results from the Haiti relief project financed by the United Nations.

Safe distribution of seeds and tools in the communities with Plant With Purpose members and non-members in partnership with Food and Agriculture Organization.

Pray for:

Serge, our technician in Haiti, who lost his wife and child in the earthquake as he lives with this difficult loss.

The many thousands who are still living in tents or under plastic tarps and may be there for years to come.

The Episcopal parish in Grand Colline as they tear down the old church, school and guesthouse and begin rebuilding.

Better crops for the summer agriculture season.

Delcius, a member of the staff, who has his son suffering with meningitis.

Continuity in the relationship between Haitian farmers and Plant With Purpose staff. The

staff received a large number of tree seedlings from the Dominicans to be used for reforestation on the Haitian side of the border.

Tanzania

Praise for:

The first crop of beans that the Miwaleni farmers group from the low land have started harvesting as part of the USAID funded project.

The Rural and Agricultural Finance and Food Security Learning Program which is finally coming together and is ready for use.

Good health for all the staff.

Prayer for:

Tanzanian Technical Director, Mama Banzi's father's health and recovery.

A safe and successful trip to India for Richard and Samson which will take place during second week of August.

Ideal weather conditions, motivation and determination for the coming harvest for farmers under the Plant With Purpose / USAID project.

A stable political situation for the International meeting since this is an election year in Tanzania.

Thailand

Prayer for:

A favorable outcome for the hill tribe communities as the forestry authorities decide whether or not to move forward on establishing a national park in the region.

The recently established network of churches to respond to the needs of the communities.

Churches to respond to the growing drug abuse problem in the communities.

Wisdom in moving forward on a joint program with Mercy Ministries Foundation, Micro Economic Development Foundation, Compassion International, and our partner organization, UHDP.

Plant With Purpose staff as they seek God's wisdom in improving their work.

Mexico

Praise for:

The Solana Beach Presbyterian Church visit to Oaxaca, which was a great blessing to the community of Nuxiño.

The progress made in the construction of the Community Center (CECIC) in Nuxiño.

Prayer for:

The reforestation activities that are being carried out in the different communities where we work.

Our sister Claudia Camacho, the Plant With Purpose Mexico assistant, who is taking an exam to begin her MBA studies.

A healthy pregnancy and birth without complications for Claudia's sister Veronica.

Dominican Republic

Prayer for:

Wisdom in working with the new savings and loans groups in the central border region.

Increased awareness for farmers from the border about protecting the soil and caring for their seedlings so that they can see an improvement.

Farmer associations to remain united and obtain financing for their agriculture plots from various sources.

Wisdom for the new spiritual development promoters from the central and border regions who have just begun their work.

Churches to be more involved with the groups that Plant With Purpose partners with.

More discipline in credit repayment from farmers and small business owners.

The savings and loan groups to be a success.

Burundi

Praise for:

The positive recognition Plant With Purpose Burundi is receiving from local authorities and other Non-governmental organizations.

God's grace that took people through the difficult election situation. After weeks of political tension around elections, situation is settling down. All elections (Local, Presidential, Legislative and Senatorial) are complete. The new government is likely to be formed in near future.

Prayer for:

Continued growth of the communities where we work and the organization as a whole.

The electoral process in Burundi, which has thus far been tumultuous. Please pray for God's intervention, and that the elections would be free, fair, and peaceful.

The nomination of the new government to be peaceful.

The right person to be recruited to join the staff as the new accountant.

USA

Praise for:

Jimmy, our new Development Department Assistant, and Claudette, our new Bookkeeper.

Our wonderful summer interns who generously donated their time and talents.

A great trip for Solana Beach Presbyterian Church to our program in Oaxaca, Mexico.

A strong beginning to the new fiscal year.

Prayer for:

Our annual Planting Hope Gala on October 9th to have a high attendance, raise much needed funds for Haiti and the other countries we partner with, and for God's spirit to be present as people learn about Plant With Purpose's vital mission.

Preparations for the upcoming trip to Haiti for St. Clement's Episcopal Church and La Jolla Presbyterian Church.

Orientation and training of new staff.

The right person to fill the open Program Officer position.

A smooth audit process.

Increased exposure for Plant With Purpose.

Thank you so much for your prayers and support! We are deeply grateful for your partnership.

Toughest Job in the World?

2010-08-05T09:39:00.000-07:00

Haitian Presidential Race Update

By Annie Fikes

Last week I blogged about the possibility of hip-hop star Wyclef Jean running for President in Haiti. I’m sure that everyone is on the edge of their seats, waiting to find out if this rapping philanthropist will make a bid for the presidency.

Wyclef Jean confirmed today that he will be running for president.

Jean is running as a candidate from the party Ansanm Nou Fo, a reformist party. Ansanm Nou Fo is a Creole name that comes from the French phrase “ensemble nous faut”, which means “we must (do it) together”. His campaign slogan is “Face à Face” (Face to Face), expressing his goal to create a more transparent system for Haiti’s government. Jean challenges the deep-seated corruption that plagues Port-au-Prince, claiming that “the old school will have to fall in line with the new model” and that government will be “conducted out in the open”. This will probably make him unpopular with existing Haitian leadership, but may help his credibility with the Haitian people, many of whom are disenchanted with the government.

Last week I couldn’t fathom what kind of political platform Jean would present. I wondered if he would rely on vague, idealist promises of rebuilding and reforming. However, Jean seems to have a more specific plan than I expected. He claims to draw much of his political philosophy from Bill Clinton. He wants to encourage cooperation between businesses, government, and civil society, an alliance that was beginning to see success before the earthquake. He wants to break up the power as well as the huge residential population in Port-au-Prince and spread it across the country. Jean also has mentioned a desire to rejuvenate rural communities and the agricultural sector through schools, clinics, and business.

Even before the earthquake ravaged the nation, Haitian presidencies were volatile at best. Haitian governments are habitually corrupted, inept, illegitimate, and unstable. Out of the past 53 Haitian leaders, only 9 completed their full term. 4 of those that did acted under U.S. occupation. 23 of the 53 were overthrown, 7 died in office, 7 only lasted a year or two, 2 were assassinated, 1 was executed, and 1 committed suicide. None of those presidents had to face a nation ravaged by an earthquake that killed a government estimated 300,000 people.

I wouldn’t expect people to be lining up for the job, but Jean faces dozens of competitors including his uncle, Raymond Joseph, the Haitian ambassador in Washington, and fellow Haitian musician Michel “Sweet Mickey” Martelly. Current president René Garcia Préval has not announced his endorsement yet, but it is unlikely to be Jean. All candidates must announce their bid to run by August 7th, and the election will take place on November 28th.

To read more about Jean’s presidency, follow this link: http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/08/05/1762628/its-official-wyclef-jean-to-run.html

Sustained Success in Haiti

2010-08-04T10:04:00.000-07:00

by Aly Lewis

Since the terrible earthquake shook Haiti over six months ago, we’ve written a lot about Plant With Purpose’s relief and recovery efforts. We’ve been grateful to provide thousands of earthquake victims with jobs, food, tools, and seeds. As I look back over our accomplishments in Haiti over the last year, I am impressed with our tremendous relief efforts and achievements—employing over 2,100 people to plant over 170,000 trees and construct over 150 miles of soil erosion barriers—but I’m also struck by the success and achievements of our ongoing development efforts. In spite of the earthquake and the ensuing challenges, we were able to accomplish—and even surpass—most of our projected goals for the year alongside our relief program

For example, we have had an influx of farmers and community members who want to join in our reforestation efforts. New participants are asking to join our community groups because they have seen their friends and neighbors benefit from tree planting and soil conservation activities. Planting trees is one of the best ways for Haitian farmers to restore and replenish the degraded hillsides on which they live and farm. Between July 2009 and June 2010 we planned to plant 50,000 trees on deforested hillsides. Greatly exceeding our goal, we planted 88,196 trees, in addition to the 170,000 trees planted as a part of our “Cash for Work” emergency relief project!

Iloma Jean Baptiste, a member of our Cheridant group since 1998, said he has seen lots of benefits from planting trees in his own community. He said, “Trees we planted, for example these trees you see behind you, we now use to build our houses and make charcoal, and have made a good profit. We have done soil conservation to control erosion. The soil conservation work gives us a guarantee that we will not lose too much soil.”

I love baseball.

2010-08-03T10:17:00.000-07:00

posted by James Ellett

I realize that it’s not for everyone, but I think that it is a fascinating game. Most people I talk to say “I like going to baseball games, but watching it on TV is just too boring.”

False.

Ok, it doesn’t have the flash and finesse of basketball, the brute strength and strategy of football, or the daily brawls of hockey. Yes, I realize that the players are standing around 99.9% of the time, chewing various things and scratching various body parts. True, it has been officially dropped from the Olympic Games, while sports like badminton, handball, and table tennis remain.

But baseball has numbers. Lots of them.

BA, SLG, WHIP, BABIP, ERA, OPS, OBP, and a host of other acronyms make up the mathematical heart of America’s pastime. The statistics range from simple, such as batting average (hits divided by at bats), to borderline ridiculous, like fielding independent pitching (FIP = (HR*13+(BB+HBP-IBB)*3-K*2)/IP, plus a league-specific factor around 3.2).

As offensive as this plethora of numbers is to many people, it really is incredible the knowledge that can be attained after an examination of the relevant numbers. Statistics, while at times arduous and confusing, serve as important indicators of what is going on, what will likely happen, and what actions need to be taken.

An interesting statistic (not baseball-related) that I have stumbled upon recently is the East Africa Bribery Index. Basically, the EABI measures the percentage of citizens that are expected to pay bribes when dealing with public institutions. In the most recent publication of the numbers, Rwanda was ranked the least corrupt country, with 6.6% of citizens expected to pay bribes. Just south of Rwanda, however, 36.7% of citizens in Burundi are expected to bribe public officials.

Burundi is no stranger to hardships. Since gaining independence in 1961, the nation has been plagued by ethnic tensions between the Hutu majority and Tutsi minority. It is just now seeing the rewards of a peace process following a 12-year civil war based on these tensions. Half of the population of Burundi lives below the poverty line, with an average annual income of $140, according to the World Bank.

While there has been considerable international effort to help Burundi rebuild their war-torn country and reestablish some sense of national unity, much remains to be accomplished. Standing in the way of these accomplishments is, among other things, the most corrupt government in East Africa. According to the East Africa Bribery Index, a citizen of Burundi is expected to pay a bribe nearly 4 times out of 10 visits to a public institution. How is a country to fix its obvious problems (poverty, illness, hunger), when under the surface is this poison of corruption, crippling the people who so desperately need to be healed?

Hope, however, springs eternal.

Plant With Purpose has seen incredible transformations take place in Burundi in the past year. The work that we do in rural communities empowers people to help themselves and to help their neighbors. The knowledge that we give to communities spreads throughout the country like yeast spreads through dough--to borrow an image from our Lord. We believe that through the healing of small communities, much greater transformation takes place. Plant With Purpose as a non-profit organization has a blanket policy of never paying bribes to accomplish our work, and we have been able to build relationships with local municipalities and leaders, which has allowed us to steer clear of payoffs and kickbacks.

The issue of government corruption in Burundi is indeed daunting, and the statistics are intimidating, but the power of loving, compassionate, and educated citizens shall overcome.

Dreaming Together on the Border

2010-08-02T13:50:00.000-07:00

by Aly Lewis

"When we are dreaming alone it is only a dream. When we are dreaming with others, it is the beginning of reality." ~Dom Helder Camara

Last week, Annie Fikes, our PR and Marketing Intern, blogged about the renewed hope and reconciliation that is taking place between Haitians and Dominicans as a result of Plant With Purpose's program on the border between Haiti and the Dominican Republic. This week I'd like to share a story about a Dominican farmer from the border region who is working--and dreaming--with Plant With Purpose to overcome poverty and build a better future for his family.

Antonio Guarionex Soto, a farmer from the village of Angel Feliz, is quite the innovator. With Plant With Purpose's encouragement, he continues to add new components to his agroforestry farm. He currently grows bananas, two types of avocados, zapote, oranges and beans. As a result of his agroforestry efforts, he has seen his soil quality and his crop yields improve. Avocado is by far his most successful crop because of the high demand for avocados in the region, and his farm is lush with the valuable fruit.

Antonio and his son, Jendis, show off one of their avocado trees.

Building on his success, Antonio would like to acquire more land in order to plant more fruit trees and see his business grow and thrive. His greatest dream is to provide better opportunities for his son so that he will not have to migrate to another region. As Antonio continues to improve and invest in his land, enabling him to enhance the quality of life of his entire family, we believe that he is well on his way to turning his dream into a reality.

Our innovative Trans Border Project has given hundreds of dedicated, hardworking farmers like Antonio the skills and resources needed to improve their farms, provide for their families, and realize their dreams for themselves and their children. Through Plant With Purpose's Sponsor A Village program, you too can dream together with rural farmers from around the globe and partner with them as they work to turn their dreams into a reality. To learn more, Click Here.

Above: a truck full of avocados makes its way to the local market. An abundant crop means farmers like Antonio can feed their families, improve their living conditions, and send their children to school.

A Taste of Tending to Eden

2010-07-30T10:01:00.001-07:00

The following excerpt is from pages 112 to 115 in Tending to Eden: Environmental Stewardship for God's People by our Executive Director, Scott Sabin.

This book connects the dots between poverty and the environment, and makes the biblical case for how as Christians it is our job to care for the earth. Tending to Eden also comes with a creation care Bible study, so you and your congregation or Bible study can more deeply explore and apply this concept.

You can purchase the book through our website here: http://www.plantwithpurpose.org/page/64/tending-to-eden.html.

For every purchase that is made through our website, amazon.com will donate a portion of the proceeds to Plant With Purpose, which will go toward directly benefiting the rural poor. Thank you, faithful readers, for your support! And stay tuned for more "tastes" of Tending to Eden.

“Daddy, when I grow up, I want to help you save the rainforest.” My daughter, Amanda, then five, looked at me with an expression that made me melt. For a fraction of a second I thought we were completely in tune. Then she added, “I could be a butterfly or a fairy and fly around pollinating the trees.”

It wasn’t quite the kind of help I was looking for, but it does serve to underline

an important problem. Once we understand the state of the world and our call to be stewards, what can we do? Where do we start? The problems are vast and often seem so far away.

As each of us considers how to respond to the groaning of creation, there is much that can be learned from Plant With Purpose’s story. The entire world faces vicious cycles similar to the one we recognized involving deforestation and poverty. And the

re are undoubtedly other virtuous cycles that can address two problems with one solution. Each vicious cycle we confront presents an opportunity for a corresponding virtuous cycle.

Two of the biggest problems in the world are environmental degradation and widespread poverty. There are 3.14 billion people living on less than $2.50 a day. If the poor are recognized as a resource rather than an obstacle, can a virtuous cycle be discovered

in the midst of this? Is it possible that the poor could become leaders in solving the enormous environmental problems the planet faces?

Van Jones, in his book The Green Collar Economy: How One Solution Can Fix Our Two Biggest Problems, makes the case that this is possible in the United States. He advocates putting the unemployed and underemployed to work to create a healthier, more sustainable country. Jobs can be created weatherizing homes, installing solar panels, and improving energy efficiency. As Jo

nes says, we need to do everything we can to aid and encourage business and eco-entrepreneurs to develop market-based solutions to solve environmental problems. This is similar to what Plant With Purpose is doing internationally.

We must also look for opportunities to create

smaller virtuous cycles in our environmental and economic solutions. Nature is designed to function as a series of virtuous cycles. But most often, our attempts to address the problems are linear and finite. Recycling is one step toward closing the loop to sustainability—but it is only the beginning.

Solutions must be empowering. Everyone, from the church member in Michigan to the farmer in Haiti, has a role to play. The rural poor must have a role in the stewardship and restoration of the land, and the urban poor must have a role in greening and redeeming their neighborhoods and cities.

Any real solution must take into account both environmental and economic considerations. I once walked miles into a protected national park in Indonesia that was filled with illegal cinnamon plantations and crisscrossed by paths used by illegal loggers to get deeper into the park. The national park was set aside with the best of intentions. But without corresponding changes in the incentives for the people who rely on the land, nothing will change.

The same applies to solutions in the United States. Economic incentives must be aligned with environmental outcomes. At a national level this means changing the way farm subsidies are applied. It means incentives and standards for improved fuel efficiency for cars. It means investment in alternative energies. It also means finding creative ways for local communities to participate in and benefit economically from the health of their surrounding environment.

Finally, any viable solution must have a spiritual dimension, because ultimately the problem is a spiritual one. The church must lead the way, offering the hope we have and setting an example with our own stewardship. We must forsake the wanton consumerism that has overwhelmed our culture and which is ultimately suicidal. And we must offer a healthy alternative based on biblical values of worship, contentment, community, and Sabbath.

How then should we respond as individuals? First, we as evangelicals need to get over our suspicion of science and learn what we can from it. Unless we understand our environment and how it works, how can we protect it? And we must learn not only from the scientists but also from our brothers and sisters on the front lines: the farmer in Tanzania who can no longer count on the rain, the Gabra elder who can no longer graze his animals, the Haitian family who has seen firsthand the devastation that comes when life-support systems are wiped out.

Second, we in the church should realize how much we have in common with the wider environmental community. They value creation, in part, because they hunger for the Creator. We should engage in dialogue with them, but we must begin with an attitude of humility. We have been absent from the conversation for too long to be brash.

Nonetheless, we have something important to offer: hope in a place where there is a dearth of good news. A former colleague at Plant With Purpose told me he became a Christian partly because of the despair he felt as an environmental-studies major. The problems were too vast. The solutions proposed by science and government were draconian or came up short. As far as he could see, there was no hope for the world, except in Christ. Of course, that is what we believe: that Jesus is the hope for the world.

Wyclef for President?

2010-07-29T09:40:00.000-07:00

By Annie Fikes

Yesterday, while searching the Internet for news about Haiti, I discovered that singer Wyclef Jean is seriously considering running for President of Haiti in the November election. He has not officially placed a bid, but he recently filed the necessary paperwork to run when the time comes.

At first, this struck me as a little ridiculous. As a native Californian, I’m no stranger to celebrity politicians, but the presidency? He’s a college drop-out, Grammy-winning, multi-platinum recording artist, and former Fugees member. He had a hit single my senior year of high school about a prostitute who used to be the “Sweetest Girl”. I’m guessing I’m not the only one who found the idea of Wyclef Jean the rap star running for the President of Haiti a little ridiculous.

However, there is more to Jean than his music career. He is the founder of the Yéle Haiti Foundation, which spreads global awareness about Haitian struggles, employs adults, sends children to school, and raises awareness about HIV/AIDS. Jean has remained committed to helping Haiti post-earthquake and serves as an ambassador-at-large under the current government. Wyclef Jean is passionate about the well-being of his country and optimistic about its potential for progress.

I have to confess.

I’m a total nerd when it comes to governments and politics.

I’m going to try to restrain myself and give you a bite-sized rundown of the Haitian government and presidency. The Haitian government has suffered from serious corruption and instability in the past, often greatly harming its people. Being the president in Haiti is similar to being the president in the United States, but not exactly the same. Haiti is a semi-presidential system, like France. This means that there is an elected president who shares executive power with a prime minister from the majority party in Parliament.

Haitian presidents are required to have lived in Haiti for five consecutive years, own property in Haiti, and have only ever been a citizen of Haiti. Wyclef Jean was born in Haiti and raised in the United States. I am unsure about Jean’s citizenship status; I have read that he remained a Haitian citizen his entire life, and that he is understood to be a U.S. citizen. He spends a lot of time in Haiti, and probably owns property there, but it is going to be difficult for him to prove five consecutive years of residency.

The implications of Jean’s presidential bid are vast. He is already famous and rich, so voters will trust that he is not running for personal gain. His fame and activist-image could bring higher voter participation than in past elections, particularly among young people. A celebrity president could keep media attention and foreign aid coming into Haiti long after it would have otherwise dwindled. His political inexperience could mean that he is outside the corruption that characterizes Haitian politics. However, It could also mean that he has no idea what he is doing and is unequipped to handle the slew of problems that face the future Haitian president.

I’m curious to see what will happen in Haiti. August 7th is the deadline to place a bid for the presidency, and other potential candidates have been reluctant to declare their intent to run. Jean may decide not to run, may not meet the necessary qualifications, or may turn out to be exactly what Haiti needs in a president. Whether or not that person is Wyclef Jean, electing the right president for Haiti will be an important step in continuing earthquake recovery efforts and stabilizing the nation.

Don't Forget About your Hometown

2010-07-27T12:05:00.000-07:00

by Corbyn

Tequios (tech-key-os), 'is a form of communal work which is unpaid and done by community members for the public benefit.' Tequios, I learned today, is a rural indigenous custom that is still practiced in the Mexican state of Oaxaca where Plant With Purpose has worked for over 11 years. It is because this piece of cultural history is still in existence that Plant With Purpose has adapted its programs in Oaxaca to conform with the local tradition.

Every Tuesday at our office here in San Diego we have staff training. Today our training was led by Milmer Martinez Vergara, our Mexico and Haiti program officer. I was captivated as I sat and listened to the strategic thought process that our 16 Oaxacan staff go through to develop longterm relationships with the rural indigenous Mixteco people in 52 communities throughout Oaxaca.

It is always interesting to think about how I can take the stories and testimonies we receive from the field and translate them (figuratively) into dialogue that will be relevant and engaging here in the US. One thing that has become increasingly popular in conversation here in the United States is sustainability. Are we driving cars that emit less emissions, using energy more efficiently, looking for cleaner ways to power our cities, reusing everyday items like plastic bags and water bottles etc.? Well, sustainability is something that has been around since the beginning of time, and when we look at the situation in Oaxaca where families are being forced to migrate because they can no longer provide for their basic needs, we have to enter into a relationship that allows each party (Plant With Purpose and the farmers) to learn from each other and adapt.

Oaxaca has one of the highest migration rates of any Mexican state. Families are leaving the land they have grown up on for generations to try to find some other sort of opportunity. Take a look at this picture of a sign on the way out of one of the communities where we have started to work. It is a sobering reality of the situation in Oaxaca. Translated, the sign says, 'Thank you for your visit- if you emigrate, don't forget about your town.' Plant With Purpose is committed to being a part of the long term development in Oaxaca, and it is so encouraging

to see families benefitting and growing stronger in their communities as they partner with our organization. Whether it be greenhouses, family gardens, chicken and rabbit coops, ecological latrines, cisterns, business training, savings groups, tree nurseries, goat and sheep pins, or any other of the many programs that help families to have the ability to live sustainably and provide for the needs of their loved ones, there is a lot of good work that is being done in Oaxaca.

The programs have been developed specifically with the long term in mind, and they have used the cultural history of community (Tequios) that already exists in Oaxaca as the foundation to build upon. We have to thank those of you who are supporting the work in Oaxaca; without your commitment, the exciting advancements would not be possible.

We would love to have you join the transformation that is taking place. Through our Sponsor a Village program, for as little as $30 a month you can commit to supporting the work of an individual village in Oaxaca. You will receive updates and testimonies from families like Godofredo's (pictured here with his Wife Luisa and their three children) about the progress being made and the barriers being

overcome.

When you sign up to sponsor a village your recurring donation will be matched for an entire year, doubling your donation! Please take a look at the villages that are available for your partnership here.

People With Purpose: Jimmy Lee

2010-07-26T11:57:00.000-07:00

The Plant With Purpose Development Department welcomed Jimmy Lee last week as the new Development Department Assistant. Jimmy will be helping to further develop our Sponsor a Village program, and he will be assisting the Development Department with coordinating upcoming events such as the San Diego Film Festival and our annual gala.

A former Plant With Purpose volunteer and intern, Jimmy initially heard about our organization a couple years ago when our Executive Director spoke at an Intervarsity Fellowship large group meeting at UCSD. As an International Studies major, Jimmy took classes on poverty and wanted to find a way to make a difference. After hearing Scott’s talk, he became interested in volunteering at Plant With Purpose.

“In college, helping the poor seemed so idealistic,” Jimmy said. “But it was neat to find Plant With Purpose because they have the most holistic approach of helping people in need out of all the other organizations I’ve seen.”

During his internship, Jimmy helped with Plant With Purpose’s re-branding efforts. Using his creativity and sharp research skills, Jimmy helped to create various Plant With Purpose collateral including banners, stickers and gift cards. He also helped design our blog, Facebook, and Twitter pages.

After his internship, Jimmy went on to work with the San Diego Asian Film Festival and the San Diego Jewish Film Festival before coming back to Plant With Purpose. He says that he's excited to be working at this amazing organization and that he's looking forward to contributing to the mission of Plant With Purpose.

Welcome to the team, Jimmy!

Trans-border Tensions Between the DR and Haiti

2010-07-23T10:08:00.000-07:00

By Annie Fikes

The relationship between Haiti and the Dominican Republic has been wrought with tension for hundreds of years. Haiti and the Dominican Republic, or the DR, as it is frequently called at Plant With Purpose, share the island of Hispaniola in the Caribbean. The French colonized Haiti and the Spanish colonized the Dominican Republic. At one point, after winning freedom from the French, Haiti occupied the entire island, forcing the Dominican Republic to fight for its freedom from Haiti.

Hope for a better future between the two countries has grown since the January earthquake in Haiti. The Dominican Republic responded better to the earthquake than anyone expected, providing swift, critical aid and efficient disaster relief to Haiti, greatly aiding in recovery.

However, as the DR is providing vital aid to earthquake victims, it made a constitutional change that prevents any DR-born child of undocumented workers from becoming citizens. The Dominican Republic is a wealthier nation than Haiti and many Haitians go there attempting to find work; almost all of them are undocumented. This change takes away citizenship from any child of immigrants who had it before the law passed, preventing them from acquiring a much-needed national I.D. This makes it difficult, if not impossible, for children of undocumented workers to get a college education, certain jobs, and passports.

Tensions between Haitians and Dominicans go beyond those caused by the recent constitutional change. Haitian immigrants in the DR have suffered lynching, murders, burned homes, and rampant racism, especially in the countryside along the border. This tension is the result of the struggle between Dominican farmers and Haitian immigrants who compete with them for land and economic space. Charcoal production, chopping trees and using a furnace to turn them into more efficient fuel, has long been a way for poor Haitians and Dominicans to make money. Charcoal production is extremely environmentally detrimental and is a huge cause of deforestation on Hispaniola. The DR banned the production of charcoal to protect its trees, but as forests in Haiti disappear, more desperate Haitians cross the border to participate in illegal charcoal trade in the DR. This damages the environment of the Dominican Republic and the relationship between the two nations.

Many Haitians cross into the Dominican Republic and become sharecroppers. Haitian work is cheap, so Dominican farmers hire them, but Haitian sharecroppers frequently return to their forest-clearing habits for charcoal production, extending Haiti’s ecological problem into the DR.

While the DR’s response to the earthquake may help the countries’ relationship, the disaster itself will further impoverish Haiti, driving even more undocumented workers who cannot become citizens into the DR, further damaging the environment.

Plant With Purpose is active in both Haiti and the Dominican Republic, often in conflict-heavy areas. Plant With Purpose attempts to ease the tensions between Haitians and Dominicans through our trans-border project by finding alternative employment for Haitians so they don’t become sharecroppers or participate in the charcoal trade. Plant With Purpose reforests areas that have been cleared by the charcoal trade and teaches sustainable agriculture to farmers on both sides of the border, helping them to heal their environment. By emphasizing God’s love for His people and the planet, Plant With Purpose hopes to foster a mutual respect between Haitians and Dominicans and a care for the environment. Creating jobs for Haitians, helping plant trees, and encouraging environmentally friendly land use will help eliminate many of the causes of violence and tension between Haiti and the Dominican Republic.

For more on the relationship between the Dominican Republic and Haiti, see this article: http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/07/16/1734536_p3/six-months-after-the-earthquake.html or read Scott’s book Tending to Eden!

Preparing for Oaxaca

2010-07-22T10:24:00.000-07:00

PWP supporter Katy Dhanens will be traveling to visit our programs in Mexico on a Oaxaca Vision Trip next week. Plant With Purpose Vision Trips are designed to educate donors on the intricacies of our programs and offer a hands-on experience. Here are her thoughts as she prepares for her trip.

By Katy Dhanens

The proverb, “It takes a village” takes on literal meaning in regards to Plant With Purpose's projects in the villages in Oaxaca, Mexico.

In pouring through Plant With Purpose reports and resources, I have learned that each ‘success,’ be it a new tomato greenhouse or a successful educational program in an elementary school is the result of many people coming together to pool their God given talents and resources. This coming together essentially creates an integrated network of (economically, environmentally, spiritually based) relationships that transcends political borders and cultural or linguistic challenges. I have found this cooperation and collaboration to be clearly evident in the relationship between Plant With Purpose and its complementary, but independent Mexican counterpart, Misión Integral. Misión Integral, in turn works alongside local churches and schools to impact the lives of individuals and families living in various villages in Oaxaca.

For example, in a Plant With Purpose initiative called “Church, Community, and Change,” local churches are equipped and empowered to become an “agent of positive change” in its surrounding community. I think that to create economic, spiritual, and environmental progress that is sustainable, any sort of initiative or project must be grounded in the local community. Plant With Purpose roots its projects in long-lasting relationships and trust, which then sets the stage for future cooperative action.

This week, I have been inspired by the cooperation and friendship communicated through the blog, the Sower newsletter, and various reports and testimonies. However, I am very excited to see firsthand what I have been reading about. I am so blessed to have the opportunity to travel to Oaxaca at the end of this month with Doug Satre and a few members from Solana Beach Presbyterian Church. Although this summer did not turn out as I originally planned, I have found myself in surprising and unexpected opportunities to learn and to serve. Because of this uncertainty, I set my own personal goals for my uncertain summer of 2010—to learn to be patient and to be a good listener. In Oaxaca, I am looking forward to practicing patience and listening as I get the chance to learn from and witness the work of the Misión Integral staff, as well as the individuals who experience change and progress in their daily lives.

Village Spotlight: Rio Comal, Mexico

2010-07-21T08:26:00.000-07:00

The “ranchita” of Rio Comal is a small community made up of small clusters of families who depend on the neighboring town of Ojo de Agua for services such as schools and churches. There is little rainfall, and during the dry season the steep, barren hills are dusted brown and desolate. The people of Rio Comal make a meager living by selling charcoal to city dwellers to use as fuel wood for cooking. Desperate to feed their families, farmers cut down more and more trees for charcoal, destroying the land and further entrenching themselves in a vicious cycle of poverty and environmental degradation.

Plant With Purpose’s community projects such as a building a cistern to store up rain water to use during the dry season can literally transform an entire community, helping farmers get back on their feet with sustainable long and short-term solutions. Give today, and you can be a part of the transformation that is taking place in the hearts and lives of the people of Rio Comal.

When you sign up to become a monthly donor, you'll help Plant With Purpose sustain community‑based efforts that improve the lives of rural farmers. And, if you sign up for a recurring donation, your gift will be matched for the first year! To learn more about Rio Comal or to sponsor this village, click here .

United Nations Tool Distribution in Haiti

2010-07-20T09:11:00.000-07:00

posted by Corbyn

We are continually encouraged by Plant With Purpose's cooperation and partnership with local authorities in Haiti as well as major relief and development agencies like the United Nations. This is a short re-post from Bob's blog (our Technical Director who is currently in Haiti) that demonstrates that collaboration:

"Today is distribution of tools courtesy of FAO, the agriculture branch of the UN. Plant With Purpose Haiti is the distributor on their behalf. As I type this I can hear the crowd outside the office waiting patiently, some since about 7 am to get a pick, a machete, and a hoe. I am guessing there are about 500 people. The distribution is being organized through the locally elected leadership, and these leaders met this morning early to coordinate with staff."

To read another of Bob's recent blogs about 'a model farm' and the illegal trespassing arrest that was made yesterday, click here. You will enjoy the insight as well as the humor of the situation.

The Vuvuzela: Echoes of Change in East Africa

2010-07-19T11:07:00.000-07:00

by James Ellett, Grant writing intern

If you watched or even were around someone watching the World Cup this year, you no doubt heard the incessant droning of what is best described as the sound of a cloud of angry killer bees.

The source of this sound, the vuvuzela, has become quite a controversial subject since the first (and seemingly only) note broke into the ear canals of soccer (sorry, football) fans across the globe. People have raised arguments that vuvuzelas cause the spread of germs and disease, cause serious hearing damage, and can even be used as weapons. Players have complained of the distraction that the constant din creates on the field. The controversy has caused this descendant of the kudu horn to be banned at various sporting venues around the world--from Wimbledon to Yankee Stadium.

And yet, the vuvuzela plays on.

Try as foreigners might to ban its monotone symphony, the horn remains very much a part of South African soccer. It refuses to silence itself in the face of oppression. It plays as a reminder of the unshakable resolve of the people of the African continent. The ubiquitous hum of the vuvuzela is an illustration of the culture, life, and indomitable spirit of the people who play them.

Nowhere is this spirit more evident than in two of the poorest African nations: Burundi and Tanzania. These two countries have seen everything from poverty and corruption to assassinations and genocide. The World Bank ranks Tanzania and Burundi numbers 192 and 213 in terms of average annual income, respectively. There were 213 countries ranked.

Dire as the situation in these places may seem, it is not hopeless. Plant With Purpose has been working in these poverty stricken countries to give the people there the tools that they need to pull themselves out of poverty and heal their environment. The farmers that we work with are shining examples of the hope that exists even in the poorest of areas.

An exciting development has been made in these countries that gives us further reason to hope. The East African Community (EAC)--made up of the Republics of Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, and the United Republic of Tanzania--have put into effect this month an East African common market. The goal of the common market is “to enable the free movement of people, capital and services and abolish import duties” according to BBC News. As of July 1, all barriers to trade among the member nations have been removed. The idea is that this will encourage trade and cooperation among the members of the East African Community, much as the adoption of the euro did in Europe.

While this is an exciting development, and it is encouraging to see these poor nations banding together to improve their situation, the market is not without risk. Some are concerned that Kenya will dominate the other, poorer, member countries. People are worried that jobs will leave countries such as Tanzania and Burundi, and go to the stronger Kenyan economy.

Please keep your prayers with the people of East Africa, and specifically with Plant With Purpose’s programs in Burundi and Tanzania. Pray that this common market creates unity and economic health in the EAC, and that Plant With Purpose will be able to work effectively in this new climate to bring about the healing that is so desperately needed.

To learn more about East Africa’s common market, visit http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/8769566.stm

To learn more about the East African Community, visit http://www.eac.int/

New Thailand Video

2010-07-16T10:02:00.000-07:00

We wanted to share with you a recent video that highlights our work in Thailand and our partner company, the Upland Holistic Development Project (UHDP). Click here to view this inspiring 6 minute video titled "Uncommon Environmentalists": http://vimeo.com/12994792.

Stay With: Child Slavery in Haiti

2010-07-15T09:35:00.000-07:00

By Annie Fikes, PR and Events Intern

In Haiti, children from impoverished families who are given by their parents to do housework for another family in exchange for food and housing are known as “restavek” children. Restavek is a Haitian word that combines the French verb rester (to stay) and the word avec, which means “with”. In English, the word means “stay with”, referring to the fact that these children are staying with another family.

Restavek children are not adopted or participating in some type of home-stay program. When sent away to live with a family, they are traded into domestic slavery. They are vulnerable to every manner of abuse and mistreatment by members of the household. According to Jean-Robert Cadet, author of a book on Haiti’s child slaves, 80% of restavek children are girls, who are often victims of sexual as well as other abuses.

The word restavek really resonates for me. A restavek. A “stay with”. When I say I am “staying” somewhere, such as a hotel or a friend’s house, it implies an impersonal impermanence. I am saying that place is not really where I belong, that I will eventually leave and return to my home. The name given to restavek children reflects the worthlessness that is placed on them as a domestic slave. They live and work in a house, but they are just staying there. They are not part of the household and this lack of belonging leaves them vulnerable to abuse. Unlike when I stay at a hotel, restavek children cannot leave the place where they are staying; they are trapped in their slavery, abused, and outsiders in their very name.

Before the January earthquake, approximately 300,000 children were in domestic slavery in Haiti. After the earthquake, Cadet estimates that the number will double. The poor in Haiti are more desperate, and more likely to offer their children as slaves. Almost an entire generation of Haitian children was orphaned in the earthquake; Cadet believes that these children will almost inevitably be absorbed into the restavek system. In the desperate times following the earthquake, restavek childrens’ situation has worsened. They receive less food and endure even harsher conditions than other Haitians.

The work that Plant With Purpose does in Haiti is important for eliminating child slavery in Haiti. Plant With Purpose provides an upstream solution to a downstream problem by working in ways that reduce the conditions that lead to child slavery. By working to reverse deforestation and poverty, supporting local churches, and strengthening communities in Haiti, Plant With Purpose is able to create a more stable, less impoverished country. Plant With Purpose is helping Haitians recover from the earthquake, use efficient and sustainable agriculture practices, and grow their communities. Stable communities and stable families are less likely to trade their children into slavery and are more able to care for orphans instead of forcing them to be restavek children.

Read this article for more information on restavek children: http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/americas/07/11/haiti.child.slavery/?fbid=SPAVjns-XZm

Preserving a Heritage

2010-07-14T11:16:00.000-07:00

by James Ellett, Grant writing intern

Everybody loves a good family heirloom.

When I was about 15 years old, I received from my father my very first heirloom: my grandfather’s old hunting knife. With a handle inlaid with beautiful wood and a mountain lion engraved on the 5 inch blade, it was truly a majestic tool. I was in awe that I was now in possession of this ancient relic that conjured up images of frontier beaver trappers and rugged cowboys. What I decided to do with my piece of family history truly helped to preserve the history and memories that it held.

I used it to practiced my knife-throwing skills.

As you can guess, my 15-year-old self--all 5 foot 10, 100 pounds of me--did not actually have any knife-throwing skills. After bludgeoning many a tree with the knife’s handle and chasing after hundreds of errant throws (they didn’t miss by much, I swear), I learned to treat the knife with the proper amount of respect it deserves. This object had been handed down through generations. It had first been my grandfather’s, then my father’s, and now it was mine. It had travelled the very road that led to my own creation. To be stripped of this heirloom would not just be losing a knife, it would be losing a story of my heritage--of where I, James Ellett, came from.

The people of the hill tribes of Northern Thailand are being stripped of an heirloom that provides much more than stories: their land. The lands occupied by these tribes have been handed down to them through generations, and are absolutely crucial to their way of life, as they are used for villages, medicine, food, and construction materials. Unfortunately, most governments don’t recognize ancestral ownership as legal, and the Thai government is no different. Just as I cannot prove that I own my grandfathers knife with a receipt or certificate of ownership, these people cannot prove that the land belongs to them.

In fact, according to the Thai government, the land of the tribespeople--who are not Thai citizens--is a forest reserve, and it is being occupied illegally. Authorities have begun prosecuting these rural farmers, claiming that their communities and agricultural practices are destroying these “forest reserves” and contributing to global warming. Some farmers are facing fines of up to $49,000 USD, and are even being charged criminally. In reality, the hill tribes do not destroy their native terrain. Their belief in the holiness of the land and of spirits occupying all of nature causes them to treat their environment with the utmost respect. Their rotational farming actually helps the soil by re-fertilizing it. They are an ally of their land, not a threat. Be these facts as they may, the oppression continues because they have historically had nobody to advocate for them. These rural farmers are being forced off of the land of their ancestors, leaving them with no place to go.

Since 2005, Plant With Purpose has been working with the hill tribe people of Northern Thailand, facilitating training on property and citizenship rights, as well as innovative agriculture and business training. We realize that all the agricultural and economic training in the world will do very little good if the people have no land on which to live. That is why, in 2009, Plant With Purpose assisted 134 hill tribe members in the process of receiving Thai citizenship as part of the ongoing battle against injustice in the northern highlands.

Please keep your prayers with the people of Northern Thailand and with the work that Plant With Purpose is doing there. The hill tribes are being stripped of an heirloom that tells the story of their very identity and supplies the resources that they need to live. Let us pray that God will keep the people and the land together, and proceed to heal them both.

Plant With Purpose's Work in Haiti Featured in the New York Times

2010-07-13T09:32:00.000-07:00

News about Haiti resurfaced in the media yesterday, July 12th, which marked the 6 month anniversary of the tragic earthquake. People blogged, reported, and Tweeted about what has been done to help Haiti since that fateful day. Our work in Haiti, including the progress we have made and the steps we are taking to protect Haitian farmers against potentially deadly hurricane storms, was featured yesterday in the New York Times. Here is a brief excerpt:

"Sabin's organization has so far hired some 2,200 workers to plant more than 170,000 trees to protect communities. The extra available labor has allowed him to scale up Plant With Purpose's operations, constructing more than 260 miles of soil erosion barriers to protect farmland from hurricanes and tropical storms."

Click here to read the full article "Devastated Haiti Braces for an Active Hurricane Season":

http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2010/07/12/12greenwire-devastated-haiti-braces-for-an-active-hurrican-11849.html?pagewanted=1

Haiti 6 Months Later: "Haiti is on its knees, but not down yet"

2010-07-12T10:21:00.000-07:00

Today marks 6 months since the devastating earthquake in Haiti. Although there is still much to be done, the communities Plant With Purpose works with have made significant progress by planting trees, constructing soil conservation barriers, and providing incomes to support their families through our “Cash for Work” program.

Below is a firsthand account about the situation in Haiti from Plant With Purpose Technical Director Bob Morikawa who spent a total of six weeks in Haiti over a four month period after the earthquake and is returning next week to continue to work with our local Haitian staff to continue their relief and development efforts.

“It has now been six months to the day since the earthquake in Haiti which triggered one of the worst humanitarian disasters in recent history and also one of the largest relief responses ever seen. I myself arrived in Haiti on January 24th, crossing overland through the border between the Dominican Republic and Haiti since the Port au Prince airport was closed to commercial flights at the time. I found a country devastated as we have all come to know through the extensive coverage on the news and in social media. I also found many people hard at work, throwing all their energy into the immense task of bringing relief and shelter to the hundreds of thousands affected by the quake. I was very encouraged to find, first of all that none of our local staff were lost (one of our technicians tragically lost his wife and child), and second that our local staff were hard at work as well, organizing work teams to clear debris from the local feeder road, and making initial efforts to distribute water and supplies. Over the days and months to come, we and many other organizations were able to rapidly scale up our efforts, to meet the needs of many victims. The scale of the need was mind boggling, and although even our small organization was able to provide seeds, food, tools and employment to thousands, it never seemed like enough. Fortunately, we have come through a successful cropping season which has stabilized the food security situation somewhat, and thanks to the efforts of many NGO's at least temporary shelter has been provided for many. There are still thousands who find themselves essentially homeless, or in very vulnerable quarters and we can only hope for a mild hurricane season which would buy us all more time to improve recovery efforts.

Speaking from our own experience in the communities where we directly work, we found that the initial quake created an extremely fluid situation where many people from urban areas fled to rural zones (where we work) to take shelter with their relatives. This put an immense burden on already poor rural families and boosted family size from 6 or 7 members up to 10 or 12 members. Meals per day dropped to just one or less in many cases. Now, according to surveys we have conducted, many of those additional family members have returned to the city, and most families are eating 2 or more meals per day. This is still not back to pre-quake levels, but at least the trend is in the right direction. Now our efforts as an organization, and those of many organizations are shifting focus from immediate relief and instead we are putting our efforts into helping families make the transition to a more stable situation where food supply is secure, and income is reliable. In rural areas, this will involve such interventions as tree planting and soil conservation to stabilize farm fields, and income generating projects such as poultry and goat production. We will also continue--as we did before the earthquake--to work with community groups to help strengthen local leadership, and improve a community's ability to mobilize savings, and deal with their own economic issues. In fact we found that this was a distinct advantage for us because those relationships and the leadership built up prior to January 12th enabled both our organization and communities to respond more rapidly and with greater order and precision than would have been possible otherwise.

Take a moment to consider the resilience of Nelta Fils-Aime, who was displaced from Port-au-Prince where she worked and lived with her 5 siblings. She has since returned to the countryside with her siblings to live with her father. She is not a member of Plant With Purpose’s programs but her father is. Through the soil conservation work provided by Plant With Purpose she has been able to contribute to her household. She has no plans to return to Port-au-Prince for now but says she is grateful for the opportunity to make some money for her family. Everyone refers to her as very courageous, because the work she does, she does with only one hand. She is uncertain of what will happen next, but says she would like to start her little business and stay in the countryside.

The work is far from over. Haiti was one of the poorest countries in the world even before January 12th, and I had always thought that people were living on the edge. It turns out that now that 'edge' has been moved to a place I simply would never have imagined. It is surely a testament to the resilience of the people of Haiti, and as a locally popular song inspired by these events says "Haiti is on its knees, but not down yet."

~~~~~

Since the earthquake, Plant With Purpose has provided 125 tons of food to 15,000 Haitians, distributed nearly 80,000 pounds of bean seed to over 2,000 families, and employed over 2,000 farmers through our “Cash for Work” program. Additionally, farmers have constructed over 260 miles of soil conservation barriers and planted over 170,000 trees. The “Cash for Work” programs are allowing people like Nelta to stabilize and contribute income to support their families.

Plant With Purpose has raised nearly $1 million to support all of our Haiti relief efforts, and part of that support has been provided by partner companies of 1% for the Planet, a non-profit that blogged about our work in Haiti last February (click here to read that blog.) 1% for the Planet has blogged about our work in Haiti again today, which you can read here: http://onepercentfortheplanet.org/blog/

Plant With Purpose has responded to the immediate and interim needs in Haiti where we have built long-standing relationships over the last 13 years. Please consider partnering with us as we continue our long-term recovery efforts in Haiti. To make a donation, you can visit our website, www.plantwithpurpose.org. You can also subscribe to our blog to receive updates on our work in Haiti at www.plantwithpurpose.blogspot.com.

How Plant With Purpose Helps Farmers "Produce" through Empowerment

2010-07-09T11:34:00.000-07:00

By Annie Fikes, PR and Events Intern

I’m not “outdoorsy” by any stretch of the imagination. I love wandering around in forests, playing sports, taking nature walks, and going to the beach, but it would take a superhuman amount of persuading to get me into anywhere near a week-long backpacking trip or a mountain climbing harness. When I left my native San Diego for college in Seattle last September, I entered the land of Birkenstocks, Northface parkas, hiking, snowboarding, skiing, snowshoeing, kayaking, and weekend backpacking trips.

At least three of my friends keep full mountain climbing gear in their dorms and scurry off to scale cliffs every chance they get. I, on the other hand, am still physically and emotionally scarred from my first and last attempt at mountain biking.

I never expected to participate in any “Outdoor Adventure” and “Recreation Program” trips until I saw the flyer for a day trip to a local farm. Off I went to work on a biodynamic farm on the first truly gloriously sunny day of spring. It was blissfully un-extreme. I escaped from the city to a gorgeous valley where I got to sit barefoot in the dirt, planting broccoli and kohlrabi and learning about sustainable agriculture from a philosophy professor-turned farmer.

Biodynamic farming is based on the idea that soil and the farm are living organisms. Biodynamic farms attempt to be entirely self-sustainable and individual, striving to break free from the massive, environmentally detrimental farms that dominate American food markets. Biodynamic farms try to preserve soil quality for future generations, provide produce to their local area, make their own fertilizers and composts, and always avoid pesticides.

I left Jubilee Farms covered in dirt and sweat and enlightened by new ideas. I couldn’t help but think about what I learned there when I read about the GMO corn and tomato seeds that an American company, Monsanto, attempted to donate to farmers in Haiti. Monsanto’s seeds were treated with fungicides deemed so dangerous by the EPA that American agricultural workers must wear mandatory protective gear when handling them.

Haitians are extremely angry about the introduction of these foreign and dangerously treated seeds into their market. A group of Haitian farmers, the Peasant Movement of Papay, has been leading demonstrations against Monsanto and burning the donated seeds. Haitians, like biodynamic farmers in America, want to protect the integrity of their local markets, agriculture, small farmers, and environment. One farmer, Jonas Deronzil, said, “People in the U.S. need to help us produce, not give us food and seeds. They’re ruining our chance to support ourselves.”

Plant With Purpose strives to help people “produce” when it empowers local farmers in the countries that it works in to farm their own food in ways that will protect their local environment. When I work with Plant With Purpose I do it from a desk, but I feel like my opportunity to get out into nature at Jubilee Farms gives a little bit of an understanding of what Plant With Purpose is really about and the amazing relationship that people can have with the planet.

To read more about Monsanto seeds in Haiti, check out this article: http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2010/06/haitian-farmers-burn-monsanto-hybrid-seeds/

Children & Burundi

2010-07-08T11:06:00.000-07:00

By Annie Fikes, PR and Events Intern

Last week, I had the opportunity to work at Summer Blast, my church’s mini K-6th summer camp. I am the leader of the 3rd and 4th grade group, the Blue Dolphins. I couldn’t be more excited about Summer Blast. I am all about singing songs, doing dance moves, playing games, and chasing after 8 kids with my clipboard and team sign in tow.

It was lucky that I was stoked to be part of Summer Blast because the Blue Dolphins are loud, excited, energetic, competitive, and talkative. It was imperative to them that I knew that dolphins aren’t actually blue, and that even though sharks could eat dolphins (5th and 6th graders are in the White Sharks group), we would be okay because “dolphins have bigger brains than sharks.” After a talking-to because of some unfortunate behavior during their games session, the Blue Dolphins remained loud and energetic, but proved that they could listen and follow directions while having fun. I had a great time talking to them about God, the Bible movies, books, and World Cup Soccer. Being present while children learn about God never ceases to amaze and inspire me.

A few months ago, another intern, Stephanie Rudeen, blogged about Burundi’s civil war and path to recovery. Burundi was plagued by 40 years of ethnic conflict between the Hutu and the Tutsi people that live there. Hundreds of thousands of people died and even after peace was achieved in 2006, thousands of refugees remain impoverished and homeless as they attempted to return to their homeland.

Although the conflict is over, the 2009 United Nations report on Children and Armed Conflict states that the Parti pour la libération du peuple Hutu-Forces nationales de libération (Palipehutu-FNL) continues to recruit children, even after it declared an end to hostilities with the government in 2008. Sexual violence against children is frequent in Burundi, and is even committed by members of the National Police, National Defense Forces, and FNL members.

The U.N. report states that there is “no formal action plan” to stop the recruitment and abuse of children in Burundi, but attempts have been made, some of which were successful, to demobilize children and reunite them with their families. The FNL currently refuses to discontinue the recruitment and use of child combatants.

Stories like this break my heart, but are unfortunately common. I think about children in countries such as Burundi and how they are no different than the Blue Dolphins. Those children deserve to be safe, play games, do crafts, and learn about God just like children here. I’m very glad that Plant With Purpose is working in Burundi. As refugees learn to farm their new land in sustainable ways, discover God’s love for them, and become empowered through Plant With Purpose’s work, Burundi will become a more stable and peaceful country. Burundi can become transformed into a nation that is safe for children through such operations.

For more about Burundi, see Stephanie Rudeen’s blog from Thursday, April 8th, 2010 or this U.N. link: http://www.un.org/children/conflict/english/burundi.html.

Say Hello to James Ellett, our New Grant Writing Intern!

2010-07-07T12:01:00.000-07:00

by James Ellett

Allow me to let you in on a little secret.

It's hard to find a job right now.

It hasn't been publicized very well, I know. It hasn't been in the headlines for the past few years, but trust me when I say that places are not hiring. If I didn't know better, I would say the so-called "economy" is, what the experts call, "not doing very well."

"But James," you may say, "only a few years ago people could get houses for no money at all! Surely that's a sign of sustainable economic health if there ever was one."

I hear you, astute reader, but I am telling you, something is not right.

A bad economic situation naturally makes one think hard about one's future, and that's exactly what I, two years ago, ended up doing. I thought about how I, a Cal Poly graduate with a degree in mathematics, was supposed to pursue my new-found dream of working in the nonprofit international development world. Where was I supposed to look when nobody wanted to hire anybody? Well, the President of the United States told me to go back to school, and, like any good patriot, that's exactly what I did. I enrolled myself into the Masters of Business Administration program at Chapman University in Orange, CA. Once enrolled, I decided that it would be a great idea to get involved in some way with an awesome nonprofit--perhaps a Christian one that works in 6 different countries pursuing a holistic approach to sustainable development (or, you know, something like that). Well, God provided, as God always seems to, and through a long series of lucky (divinely ordained) events, dropped me right into this Grant Writing Internship at Plant With Purpose.

I feel truly blessed to be working with such a fantastic organization. I have been given a heart for the poor and oppressed in the world, and have a passion for using what I've been blessed with to restore this world to what it was intended to be: a world of peace, love, and perfect relationships between human and human, human and creation, and human and God. I am excited about the approach that Plant With Purpose takes to healing the land and its people, and I can't wait to see this amazing work carried out.

As the Grant Writing Intern, I will be helping grant writer extraordinaire, Aly Lewis, in her quest to raise funds for Plant With Purpose through researching and applying for various grants from various foundations. I will also be a regular contributor to this very blog, giving you, the faithful reader, all the updates and Plant With Purpose information you can handle.

Thanks for your continued interest in Plant With Purpose, and happy reading!

A Brief History Lesson

2010-07-06T08:00:00.000-07:00

by Corbyn Small

Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, everyone knows it because 90% of the time people mention Haiti's plight they insert that fact somewhere in their commentary. Did you know that the island of Haiti once contributed to 25% of France's wealth? It’s true.... Did you know that Haiti was the first slave nation to gain independence from an uprising against one of the world’s most powerful nations? Also, true... So what happened?

I have been preparing for my trip to the Dominican Republic for the last few weeks and in preparation I picked up a book called Collapse, by Jared Diamond. The book contrasts Haiti and the Dominican Republic's beginnings as nations. Diamond's book focuses on societies through history that either succeeded or failed, and why. I wanted to share a little bit of Dominican and Haitian history with you all (Keep in mind this is a brief summary and many details and events have been left out.)

Hispaniola, the island shared by Haiti and the Dominican Republic today, was originally inhabited by Taino Indians. In 1492 the famous Spaniard who sailed the ocean blue stumbled upon an incredible land which included gold, valuable timber, and fertile soils for sugarcane production--all of which could be mined and harvested for little or no cost to the Spanish just by conquering the indigenous Taino tribes. Tragically, the Taino's population dramatically declined in the early years of Spanish rule because of Eurpean diseases and poor treatment, so much so that the Spanish began importing slave labor from Africa to mine and farm the island's valuable resources. Spain set up colonies around the island that used indigenous labor and exported Hispaniola’s natural resources abroad.

Spain's interests and the interests of its conquerors were moving on however. Columbus found riches beyond his wildest dreams as he conquered lands on the Americas’ mainland like Mexico, Peru, and Bolivia. In the 1700’s, as Spain’s attention was elsewhere, France began conquering the Spanish colonies on the western end of Hispaniola and started importing African slave labor to work the land, creating a major export center to the rest of the world (in 1795 France had 700,000 slaves compared to Spain's 30,000 on the other side of the island). At one time, present day Haiti provided 25% of France's incredible wealth.

In 1795 Spain ceded its less than valuable land and small scale economy to France and the entire island was under French rule for a short time. The slave populations on the island far exceeded the number of French who operated the colonies (by 91%) and in 1791 and 1801 slave rebellions broke out. France’s armies suffered heavy losses trying to maintain control and as Diamond explains, "In 1804, having sold its North American holdings to the United States in the Louisiana Purchase, France gave up and abandoned Hispaniola. Not suprisingly, French Hispaniola’s former slaves, who renamed their country Haiti (the original Taino Indian name for the island), killed many of Haiti’s whites, destroyed the plantations and infrastructure in order to make it impossible to rebuild the plantation slave system, and divided the plantations into small family farms.”

From then on, there was a whole political history that severely affected the downward spiral that Haiti has faced and the forward progress that the Dominican Republic has seen in the 19th and 20th centuries. Haiti’s foreign policy has been one of seclusion, removing itself from the global economy and focusing on subsistence farming, in addition to making it illegal for immigrants to own land. On the other hand, the Spanish reacquired control of the eastern end of the island shortly after Haiti’s independence was declared and they immediately began allowing foreign investment and focusing on rebuilding the Spanish side of Hispaniola as an export economy. The environmental policies adopted by each of the countries' respective leaders also played a huge role in the direction that the landscapes took. (picture of Haiti DR Border) The Dominican

leaders started protecting forests from logging and slash and burn agriculture and eventually subsidized propane and natural gas to decrease the market for charcoal. Meanwhile, Haitians, with twice the population and half the amount of land as the Dominican Republic, continued deforesting the land as a way to provide for their families when subsistence farming was not enough.

‘One Island, Two Peoples, Two Histories’ makes for a most appropriate title for Diamond’s chapter on the island of Hispaniola, and I would highly recommend reading it if you are interested in learning more. I am so grateful to be working for an organization that is effectively addressing root causes of poverty in both

Haiti and the Dominican Republic, working with the land and its people towards transformation.

Sources: Jared Diamond, Collapse

~~~~~

Corbyn Small serves as Plant With Purpose’s Outreach Coordinator. He cultivates relationships with donors, churches, artists and musicians to generate interest and enthusiasm for Plant With Purpose’s life-changing programs. He is also responsible for the volunteer and intern opportunities in the Plant With Purpose office. corbyn@plantwithpurpose.org

It's Complicated

2010-07-02T12:08:00.000-07:00

by Aly Lewis

We’ve been seduced.

According to development blog, Tales from the Hood, in the recent post, Cost, “we’ve become totally seduced by the belief that solving the basic problems of the world can be done cheaply and easily.”

And the seducer?

NGOs. Charities that flaunt such irresistible slogans as “ ‘98 cents of your dollar goes directly to beneficiaries’, ‘your $100 buys a poor family a cow and gets them out of poverty’, or ‘feel good about making a difference while on vacation.’ ”

Saving the world is just one click—and your credit card information—away.

Whether the starry-eyed romantic or the diehard cynic, we’ve fallen head over heels with programs that boast of tangible results, low overhead, and quick fixes to the world’s problems, but the truth is, it’s complicated.

As a staff member of an NGO that writes about the difference Plant With Purpose is making in the lives of the rural poor, I can’t figure out if I’m the seducer or the seducee (not to be confused with the Sadducees of the New Testament). When I report on the use of grant funds I want to tell funders that we’ve met all of our objectives, that lives are being transformed, that their money is already making a difference. I want to say X number of families no longer live in poverty and no longer have hardships.

But it’s just not true. Sometimes we don’t meet all of our objectives because of drought or economic downturn or political unrest. Sometimes responding to immediate needs or adapting to a rapidly changing environment is just more important. Sometimes we make mistakes, but we learn valuable lessons from our mistakes as well.

Don’t get me wrong, I believe Plant With Purpose’s programs are making a remarkable impact on the lives of those we work with—I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t. We do report real stories of progress and transformation. Families are improving their nutrition and increasing their income and sending their children to school. Your donations are making a difference.

It’s just that oftentimes reality isn’t some ride-off-into-the-sunset-happy-ending. That’s not reality in my life, or the lives of most people I know, and it’s not the reality of the people we serve.

While we may not be able to give you glorious results all tied up with a pretty bow, you can rest assured that Plant With Purpose is committed to working with rural communities to engage in the process of empowerment and transformation, no matter how messy or complicated that is. At Plant With Purpose we wholeheartedly believe in empowering the poor to take charge of their own lives and solve their own problems. Yes, we provide technical assistance and training. Yes, we plant trees and administer microloans, but the real, often intangible, result of our partnership is a restoration of people’s dignity as they gain the skills and confidence they need to work toward a better future.

And that is something I think we should all fall in love with.

***

Meet Annie Fikes, our New Public Relations and Events Intern

2010-06-30T15:32:00.000-07:00

By Annie Fikes

Today is my second day as Plant With Purpose's summer Public Relations and Events intern. I'm a little nervous but mostly am incredibly excited and feeling very blessed to work and learn here this summer! Last Memorial Day, Scott Sabin spoke at the Palomar Christian Conference Center about Plant With Purpose and their mission to empower people to solve problems facing humans and the environment simultaneously.

In the past, I’ve been involved in both human aid and environmental advocacy organizations. I have usually seen these two types of missions presented as separate goals with different ends. Sometimes I even felt as though a choice had to be made between the “people-loving” side of me and the “nature-loving” one. Plant With Purpose’s ideas about how human and environmental well-being interact and are mutually dependent seemed so obvious to me after Scott presented them! It makes so much sense to me to use God’s beautiful creation respectfully to empower His people. Upon my return home, I researched Plant With Purpose and read about their efforts and actions across the world and their summer internships. It didn’t take me very long to decide that that was what I wanted to do this summer.

I see public relations as important because communicating with media outlets and donors is what allows Plant With Purpose to continue to function, and because media attention in newspapers and blogs spreads around the ideas that attracted me here in the first place. I’m very excited to help Plant With Purpose show people how they are loving God, people, and the planet.

Plant With Purpose Villages are OK Despite a 6.5 Earthquake Near Oaxaca

2010-06-30T14:57:00.000-07:00

As you may have heard, there was a 6.5 magnitude earthquake that hit near Oaxaca this morning. We heard from our Oaxaca Program Director Luis Castellanos Lopez and thankfully he reported that the staff and their families are well with no property damages. Although we haven't heard directly from all of the communities we work with, the government reports no deaths or damages.

Luis also said that they have received heavy rains from tropical storm Alex. They have saturated the sewage systems and have led to flooding around the city. Our office was flooded for awhile, but the damages were minimal.

Please pray for protection for the communities we work with in Oaxaca against the downpours and that they would be spared from any after shocks from today’s earthquake. As always, thank you for your prayers and support!

To Dominican Republic and Beyond!

2010-06-29T16:19:00.000-07:00

By Corbyn Small

I am particularly excited and especially busy this week as I prepare to lead a group of individuals on a Vision Trip to see some of our programs first hand! In six days I will be heading to the Dominican Republic with a group from the Village Church in Rancho Santa Fe. They are going to learn more about how Plant With Purpose works and how they can return to the U.S. as stronger advocates to their friends and families about how Plant With Purpose's Dominican program is making a difference for so many.

I would appreciate your prayer and support, as we will be gone from July 5th-12th. It's going to be hot, sticky, and loaded with insects that love the sweet nectar of my blood, but I am so excited to meet my Dominican co-workers, learn so much more about our programs in the country where Plant With Purpose was founded, and hear wonderful testimonies from farmers who are providing better lives for their families. I wanted to share one of those testimonies with you now and I can't wait to share more upon my return!

~~~~~

Cristiana Polo Luis and her husband, Milciades Medina, have four growing children to support. Through the help of Plant With Purpose, Cristiana has seen her and her family’s lives transformed! Cristiana owns a small clothing business that has been greatly improved through Plant With Purpose. In 2005 Plant With Purpose first began helping Cristiana with a loan, and since then she has increased her income, finished building her home, and has seen her children’s lives improved immensely. Plant With Purpose also helps Basima (the community where Cristiana and Milciades live) as a whole, and has helped the community construct a new drinking water aqueduct and plant a variety of trees in reforestation efforts.

Cristiana and her family have received great benefits from Plant With Purpose materially as well as spiritually. Cristiana now prays that Plant With Purpose continues helping the community and that God strengthens her and her community spiritually. Plant With Purpose also has supplied her local church with much needed Bible study materials.

Cristiana says, “Thanks to Plant With Purpose my family is more fulfilled, I finished building my house, and my business is much larger!”

~~~~~

Some things we'd love you to join us in prayer for:

safe travels to Santo Domingo and north into Piedra Blanca
great group dynamic, open minds, flexibility and celebration of cultural differences
continued growth and blessings for each of the communities we will visit: Basima, El Café, La Represa, Los Arroyones
a growing understanding of God's grace, love, and the work He is doing in the hearts of the Dominican staff and farmers, as well as in our own hearts as we visit.

~~~~~

Corbyn Small serves as Plant With Purpose’s Outreach Coordinator. He cultivates relationships with donors, churches, artists and musicians to generate interest and enthusiasm for Plant With Purpose’s life-changing programs. He is also responsible for the volunteer and intern opportunities in the Plant With Purpose office. corbyn@plantwithpurpose.org

Plant With Purpose in Christianity Today

2010-06-28T15:44:00.000-07:00

Plant With Purpose is featured in the July issue of Christianity Today! In Executive Director Scott Sabin's article, "Whole Earth Evangelism", Scott explains how "Creation care is part and parcel of the Great Commission and the Great Commandment."

Click here to check out the article. Happy reading!

Midyear's Resolution

2010-06-25T10:23:00.000-07:00

by Corbyn Small

So, at the beginning of the year I told myself, 'this year I am going to ride my bike to work on a regular basis instead of driving.' After all, it's only ten miles to work and there is a pretty decent bike route. Well, about a week into the new year I 'biffed' it and went over my handlebars on a bad patch of road. Five months and a health insurance deductible later, we blogged about San Diego's Bike to Work Day on May 21st to encourage everyone to 'saddle up' and bike to work. We were really excited about a majority of our Plant With Purpose office getting on the saddle and saving some gas... Well, here's the bit that is actually really exciting, out of that Bike to Work Day, Aly Lewis (our grant writer) and I have made, and held to, commitments to riding our bikes to work 2-3 days a week. In the last month we have biked a combined 352 miles and saved over $50 at the pump.

As you might expect, the last month has been great! I have kicked my three-cups-a-day coffee addiction, I am feeling healthier, more active, and saving money. Aly has also been enjoying her scenic rides through Mission Bay Park and is excited to pedal her fitness routine into high gear. She has also committed to giving up sodas, which I'll be sure to hold her accountable to. Biking to work has been great so far, but I know the challenge is really going to come when the sun starts disappearing earlier and earlier. Summer is going to end and the days of sunshine till 8:30 pm are going to be gone... so I'll need you folks to hold me accountable. On many of my recent bikes to work I have calculated that if I succeed at riding three days a week I will be saving $504 a year in gas! I haven't had the time to calculate the cost savings associated with putting 3,000 miles less on my car per year, but I am confident I will come up with a solid number to keep my motivation up. $10 dollars a week in savings doesn't seem like that much in gas savings, but over the course of a year... it really racks up some pretty savings.

Thanks for letting me share!

Here's a couple of avid bike riders who use their means of transportation to do some serious hauling in Burundi.

~~~~~

Corbyn Small serves as Plant With Purpose’s Outreach Coordinator. He cultivates relationships with donors, churches, artists and musicians to generate interest and enthusiasm for Plant With Purpose’s life-changing programs. He is also responsible for the volunteer and intern opportunities in the Plant With Purpose office. corbyn@plantwithpurpose.org

Save the Date for the 2010 Planting Hope Gala

2010-06-24T14:18:00.000-07:00

Please save the date for Plant With Purpose’s biggest fundraising event of the year! Join us on Saturday, October 9th at 6:00 p.m. at the La Jolla Marriott for an inspiring evening at the 2010 Planting Hope Gala dinner and auction. The event will include exciting silent and live auctions, an IPAD raffle, an exceptional dinner, and an opportunity to help the rural poor and learn more about Plant With Purpose. This year will be particularly critical as we raise funds and awareness for our brothers and sisters in Haiti.

Please visit our gala web page to preview photos and descriptions of our impressive auction items: http://www.plantwithpurpose.org/page/73/gala.html.

Guests will have the opportunity to register online in early August.

Please contact Kate McElhinney at kate@plantwithpurpose.org if you are interested in donating an auction item or volunteering at the event.

We hope to see you there!

Here is a sneak peek at some of this year's items:

* Just the Two of Us A $100 gift certificate to Arterra Restaurant

*Fore! A complimentary round of golf for 4 people at La Costa Resort and Spa

*A Gardner's Paradise A beautiful succulent arrangement by Courtyard Pottery, along with gardening tools, a $25 gift certificate, and a book on succulents

*Cheers! 4 wine tasting coupons each good for 2 guests at Orfila Vineyards

*Fun on Wheels 2 gift certificates to free skating parties at Skateworld

*Bon Appétit! A chef's tasting for 4 at Market Restaurant & Bar

*Girl's Day Out Lunch for 4 at the Zodiac, makeovers, and 4 $50 gift certificates at Neiman Marcus

* Ensenada Getaway 4 days and 3 nights at a beautiful condo in Ensenada, Mexico

*Vancouver Getaway A one week stay at a 2-bedroom condo in Living Shangri-La, Vancouver, Canada

*Come Sail Away An afternoon sail on San Diego Bay for up to 5 guests with Plant With Purpose Executive Director, Scott Sabin

*Paella for your Pleasure A paella dinner with a cooking demo for 8 people with Chef Fri Reyes

Village Spotlight: Panasawan, Thailand

2010-06-23T10:08:00.000-07:00

Did you know that every reoccurring donation toward one of Plant With Purpose's programs will be matched? So, if you sponsor a village for $30 per month, that amount is instantly doubled to be $60 per month for an entire year! When you sign up to become a monthly donor, you'll help Plant With Purpose sustain community‑based efforts that improve the lives of rural farmers.

Want to make a world of difference with your monthly donation? Consider partnering with the village of Panasawan in Northern Thailand as they join with Plant With Purpose to overcome poverty and transform their lives.

The village of Panasawan is rich in vibrant colors and culture, yet it is plagued with extreme poverty, environmental destruction, and the despair of a displaced and disregarded people. Most of the villagers belong to the Lahu hill tribe. Many older members do not even speak Thai, while the younger generation is forced to seek work in neighboring cities just to keep the family afloat. Plant With Purpose’s innovative, integrated program in Panasawan provides the community with relevant and sustainable options that address issues of poverty, lack of citizenship and related rights, and the loss of access to and degradation of forests and fields. By sponsoring this village, you will empower the people of Panasawan to transform their lives and lands, restore their dignity, and learn to thrive. To learn more about Panasawan or to sponsor this village, click here.

Transformation in Tanzania!

2010-06-22T15:36:00.000-07:00

Plant With Purpose programs officer, Sarah Ferry, recently returned from a visit to our programs in Tanzania and Burundi. Those of us in the US office had the privilege of hearing about her trip today as she shared her beautiful photos and encouraging testimonies.

Here is one story of transformation from Sarah’s visit to the village of Komolyongoe in Tanzania:

Elli Masia joined the Plant With Purpose Village Community Banking (VICOBA) group in 2007. She is 57 years old and lives in the community of Komolyongoe. Elli has been involved with bio-intensive agriculture (double dug raised vegetable beds), which has increased her vegetable production and created surplus for her family to eat as well as sell.

Through VICOBA Elli has received loans to send her children to school and loans to improve her business. She received a business loan of $38 and bought feed for her chickens. After their growth she was able to sell 12 chicks for approximately $8 each. After repaying her loan she had made a profit of $58. She then received a second loan for $115 that she used to purchase more chickens and a calf. When the calf grows into a bull she will be able to sell it for $380.

Elli says it is not only her income improving, but also her diet has improved greatly because she is now able to buy more diverse foods and is able to grow more at home. She has also reinvested the income from her vegetables into her livestock to keep her business growing.

She is grateful for the economic security she has experienced since joining the VICOBA group. With her savings, she is able to handle any problems that may arise. She no longer has to depend on neighbors or family for support, and never has a problem sending her children to school.

Vote for Plant With Purpose in the Humanity Calls Tournament!

2010-06-21T10:40:00.000-07:00

There are only two days left in the Humanity Calls Tournament, and we need your help! Please consider voting for our organization in the “Humanity Calls Tournament”, which is another fun and easy way for you to help us raise money for our programs.

We have 159 votes so far and our standing is 32 out of 145 nonprofits. At the tournament’s close, the top 30 voted nonprofits will share in the proceeds of the tournament cash pool, which is over $50,000. Help us bump up our ranking to be one of the top 30 nonprofits by voting for Plant With Purpose! Our goal is to have 200 votes by the end of the day on Tuesday.

Here is how it works:

1. Click here to enter the Humanity Calls website.

2. Click the yellow “New User Sign Up” button.

3. Create a free account.

4. Once your profile is set up, click the yellow “Browse” button and find Plant With Purpose.

You get one free vote just for signing up! Consider allocating 1 vote to Plant With Purpose, and then consider donating more, ($10 = 5 votes.)

Thank you to all of you who have already voted! Because of your support, Plant With Purpose has already raised $150 in direct donations which will go toward improving the lives of the rural poor through reforestation efforts, economic opportunities, and spiritual transformation.

If you have already voted for Plant With Purpose but still want to contribute, please consider donating directly to the tournament cash pool, which earns 10 votes for each $10 donated, or by referring friends via Twitter, Facebook, email, or the Humanity Calls widget, which earns 1 vote for each friend referred and registered.

Thank you for helping us spread the word about Plant With Purpose and partnering with us to heal lives and landscapes among the rural poor.

-The Plant With Purpose Staff

Give a Meaningful Gift this Father’s Day

2010-06-18T09:13:00.000-07:00

Looking for a last minute gift for Dad this Sunday? Instead of the traditional tie or watch present why not honor your father with a meaningful gift that will change the life of a community?

Plant With Purpose works with rural agricultural farmers in some of the poorest and most remote places that don't have access to savings and credit from banks. Through Plant With Purpose, men and women are able to get small loans to start new businesses or grow their current one. What this means for the poorest people is the ability to increase their income and provide better for their families.

This year, consider donating the $30 you would have spent on a tie rack to empowering the poor and helping them to build a better future for their families. Here is where what you can do. Make a donation at www.plantwithpurpose.org and then email Corbyn Small at corbyn@plantwithpurpose.org. We will send you a high resolution pdf that you can print off, fold up, jot a note on, and pass along to your dad to say thanks and “Happy Father's Day”. If you want to make a larger donation of $100 or more, you can click here and donate. Otherwise click here to give another amount, then email Corbyn and we will make sure that your donation goes toward micro credit loans from the general donation page.

Thanks, and Happy Father’s Day!

Tune in to KPRZ Tomorrow Morning to Hear Scott Speak!

2010-06-17T10:17:00.000-07:00

Calling all San Diegans! Plant With Purpose will be on the air waves tomorrow morning at 10:30 a.m. on KPRZ 1210 AM. Scott will be discussing Plant With Purpose’s holistic approach to community development, particularly emphasizing how we work with the rural poor to help them transform their lives spiritually.

You can tune in by turning to the 1210 AM dial on the radio, stream it live from www.KPRZ.com, or get the iPhone / Blackberry app. on the Marketplace Transformation website and listen in on your phone.

Marketplace Transformation, (www.MarketplaceTransformation.org) co-hosted by Mike Melacce, John Wheeler, and Tom Le Vine, is a radio program designed to challenge Christians in the workplace to embrace a “Kingdom Calling” approach to their work. The hosts work to encourage, equip, and empower the believer through the radio, the internet, and all other avenues so that the Holy Spirit can be unleashed in new and amazing ways in the marketplace through listeners.

Be sure to tune in tomorrow AM, and let us know what you think!

Scott Sabin with KPRZ co-host John Wheeler.

Oaxaca Wednesday: Churches Effect Change

2010-06-16T14:40:00.000-07:00

Equipping local churches to better serve and minister to their communities is an integral aspect of Plant With Purpose’s transformational work in Oaxaca, Mexico—and in all of our programs around the globe. By working together with rural churches and communities, Plant With Purpose has initiated programs designed to strengthen families and help individuals, especially children, grow in their faith and develop a strong sense of community. Part of this plan includes facilitating integrated Biblical teachings and Bible studies as well as creating community-wide events called “Festival of Values,” which offers an opportunity to share Biblical principles and the love of Christ with schools and communities.

Children participate in a “Festival of Values” event

Another way Plant With Purpose encourages communities to grow spiritually is through a new initiative called “Church, Community, and Change.” This curriculum focuses on empowering the local church to be an agent of positive change in the community. This integrative project utilizes servant leaders and equips the church to effectively minister to the surrounding community. The project was met with such enthusiasm in the first village where it was implemented that an additional village has asked to join the project!

We have been wonderfully surprised and greatly encouraged by the eagerness of church leaders to serve their communities. These indispensable and compassionate leaders have demonstrated an incredible hunger to lead and serve. Their sacrificial leadership has been a blessing to both the Plant With Purpose staff and the communities they serve. Additionally, we have been encouraged by the communities’ overwhelming response and desire to partner with Plant With Purpose. The role of the local church has been indispensable to our work, and we are encouraged by the diversity of denominations eager to partner with us to transform lives, hearts, and communities.

Community members of Loma Ardilla (above) put the roof on their new church building (below). The building project was initiated when their membership increased after joining with Plant With Purpose to reach their community.

Upcoming Event! Del Mar Fair!

2010-06-15T13:27:00.000-07:00

by Corbyn Small

This is just a quick blog to let you all know that for the first time ever Plant With Purpose is going to be represented at the Del Mar Fair! This Saturday, June 19th, Plant With Purpose is going to have a table at the Flower and Garden Show at the Del Mar Fairgrounds. We are looking forward to seeing lots of people and sharing the story of Plant With Purpose's work to a whole new crowd! There will be great interns and volunteers helping me to staff our table so please come by and say hi if you visit the fair on Saturday!

The Flower and Garden show has a tremendous focus on providing information and resources about living sustainably and being good stewards of our resources here in San Diego. The first 1,000 people through the O'brien Gates Saturday morning will receive a water conservation bag from Save Our Water. It is a beautiful setting where you can come, learn lots, and enjoy the company of like minded conservationists. It will be a perfect audience to share the Plant With Purpose's holistic mission as people consider how they can also make a difference in the lives of the rural farmers that we work with internationally. If you've never been to the Del Mar Fair, this is something you HAVE to check out! So please stop on by! Click here to visit the EnviroFair webpage

2010 San Diego County Fair admission

Adults, $13.00
Ages 62 and older, $7.00
Ages 6-12, $7.00 (free on Tuesdays)
Ages 5 and younger, free

Here is a look at the days schedule:

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Corbyn Small serves as Plant With Purpose’s Outreach Coordinator. He cultivates relationships with donors, churches, artists and musicians to generate interest and enthusiasm for Plant With Purpose’s life-changing programs.

Invite Friends to Our Facebook Cause for a Chance to Win a Tee!

2010-06-14T12:10:00.000-07:00

Are you looking for a way to support Plant With Purpose but can't necessarily make a donation? Here's your chance to help us grow our cause! We are having a contest to see who can invite the most friends on Facebook to join our Cause page.

As a reward, WE ARE GIVING AWAY FIVE NEW PLANT WITH PURPOSE T-SHIRTS to the top 5 people who invite the most friends. You can be one of the first to sport these new tees designed by our friends at Jedidiah. (Check out the tees here: http://plantwithpurpose.blogspot.com/2010/06/new-plant-with-purpose-shirt-is-here.html. We have men's and women's sizes.)

We just hit our goal of over 5,000 members and we know we can blow right past that and on to 6,000+! Here's how to take a shot at winning the newest Plant With Purpose tee:

1. Invite as many friends as you can to join Plant With Purpose's Cause page (75 per day) in the next 7 days. The contest ends Monday, June 21st. If you aren’t a part of our Cause page yet click here.

2. Tally how many friends you invited over the week and email your total tally to plantwithpurpose@gmail.com. Emails must be received by 3 p.m. on the 21st. (Any tie breakers will go to the person who got the most people to join our cause!)

3. If you invited the most friends we will email you telling you that you won and asking you to please give us your mailing address and shirt size!

Thanks to all of our current 5,007 members for following our cause and being a part of empowering rural farmers all around the world. We hope you participate in our contest and help us spread the word! We have raised over $12,000 dollars through our Facebook Cause page through generous donations and people making b-day wishes for Plant With Purpose. If you have a birthday coming up, consider setting a fundraising goal asking your friends and family to donate to Plant With Purpose instead of buying you presents.

Thanks!

-The Plant With Purpose staff

Our awesome new t-shirt designed by Jedidiah!

Students Play With Purpose—and Raise nearly $500!

2010-06-11T12:52:00.000-07:00

by Aly Lewis

If the thought of being blindsided by a math test leaves you quaking in your sneakers, imagine that same teacher running at you full force, not with a Scantron and #2 pencil, but with a flag and a football. Oh, and

did I mention the screaming?

That’s exactly what happened when Emily Small’s courageous students at Albert Einstein Academy Charter Middle School challenged their teachers to a flag football game last Wednesday night, all in the name of raising money and awareness for Plant With Purpose’s transformational programs worldwide.

Students suited up in war paint (Plant With Purpose temporary tattoos) and kicked off to their opponents. The teachers stepped up to the challenge, demonstrating their athletic prowess—and effective scare tactics—as they bobbed and weaved across the field.

For the halftime show, the students performed skits that illustrated Plant With Purpose’s work of empowering poor families to restore their land and improve their livelihoods, allowing families to stay together and giving them hope for the future. The students also held a raffle and sold food to benefit Plant With Purpose. And they really did their research: the menu included rice and beans, just as they serve in Oaxaca, Mexico, and grilled veggies like in Tanzania—and might I add they were delicious!

Ultimately, the teachers ended up winning the game, but the students were the real winners as they brought in a victory for Plant With Purpose by raising nearly $500 and spreading the word about our work! The initiative, creativity, and heart of these 6-8^th grade students certainly impressed me. Thank you to Mrs. Small and her Root (ed) students for supporting Plant With Purpose!

Here are some more photos from the event:

Our awesome announcer shows off his Plant With Purpose tattoos.

The students and teachers give it their all in the game.

The students and Mrs. Small call out the raffle winners.

Yum yum! Oaxacan rice and beans and Tanzanian veggies!

Dedicated Root (ed) students.

The students serving their delicious food. Man, that is a lot of beans!

You’re Invited!

2010-06-10T09:44:00.000-07:00

Are you interested in learning more about our recovery efforts in Haiti? If so, Plant With Purpose would like to invite you to attend a Haiti Recovery Update Conference Call hosted by Scott Sabin, Executive Director of Plant With Purpose, on Tuesday, June 15th, at Noon PST / 3:00 p.m. EST.

As we approach the 5 month anniversary of the tragic earthquake in Haiti, Plant With Purpose remains dedicated to helping the 67 villages where we work in long-term recovery efforts. As you know, though historically a sustainable development organization, we have expanded our post-earthquake role in Haiti to include aid efforts that promote long-term growth and prosperity, including our Cash for Work program and food and seed distribution. Since January 12th, we've raised nearly $1 million to help in these efforts thanks to your support!

This brief call will include:

• an overview of our long-term recovery programs

• an update on our progress

• our strategy for preparing for the hurricane season

• information on how you can get more involved

• a chance for you to ask questions during a Q & A

This call is a great way to remain in the loop and stay connected to our vital work in Haiti. Although this call is telephone based only, you can still view photos of our work in Haiti by becoming our fan on Facebook, finding the “Haiti Recovery Call” photo album, and following along during the presentation.

Please click here to register. You will then receive the dial in information via email.

The first 30 people to sign up for this call will receive a free copy of Scott's new book, Tending to Eden: Environmental Stewardship for God's People! Click here to learn more about this book.

We hope you can join us on this important call!

-The Plant With Purpose Staff

Burundi Update

2010-06-09T10:51:00.000-07:00

The polls are in: elections are upon us. People all over the country are boasting their “I voted” stickers and tuning in to the election results. But for many of our friends and partners in countries around the world, elections are a time of uncertainty and even fear—and not just fear that the opposing party will sweep the primaries.

Burundi is undergoing an election season that will have serious implications for the country’s future. 2005 signaled the end of a brutal civil war, and this year's elections are hoped to solidify the transition to democracy started by those peace agreements.

Thus far, the process has been tumultuous. Local elections took place on May 24th, which members of the opposition quickly rejected with fraud allegations. The opposition has also called for new polls as well as the resignation of the electoral independent commission before the presidential elections scheduled for June 28th. On May 31st five presidential candidates from the opposition officially withdrew from the race, and only one opposition candidate remains. There is a climate of fear over which road this process is going to take. We invite you to join us as we pray for God's intervention, and that the elections would be free, fair, and peaceful.

As Burundi seeks to recover from a history of violent ethnic conflict, we are encouraged by the restoration and reconciliation that is taking place in the communities where we work. Community projects, such as planting cassava fields, bring together people who were on both sides of the conflict to achieve project goals.

The governor of the Rutana province, Madame Marceline, is very excited by Plant With Purpose’s practical approach to reconciliation. She said, “Cassava has no color, it has no ethnicity. But as the people work together side by side in the fields, they learn to care about one another. This has done more for reconciliation than many of the official government programs.”

Madame Marceline (standing), greeting the farmers.

Addicted to Plastic

2010-06-08T13:16:00.000-07:00

This last Saturday, June 5th, was World Environment Day. World Environment Day is a day to celebrate and advocate for positive, environmental action. Here at Plant With Purpose, we like to think that every day is environment day.

Not only do we work with rural farmers in developing countries to restore and replenish the local environments that they depend on, we do our best to adopt as many eco-friendly lifestyle choices as we can here in the United States. In honor of World Environment Day, we’d like to share a post by guest blogger and former intern, Jimmy Lee, on his journey to decrease his environmental impact by limiting his use of plastic water bottles.

Addicted to Plastic by Jimmy Lee

I have a confession to make: I’m a serial water bottle user. And I’m talking about those 20oz bottles, which my family loves to purchase. It’s wasteful I know, and I’m embarrassed to admit our addiction. Did you know that in 2007, plastic bottle contributed to over 12% of landfill waste generated in the US1, and almost 70% of recyclable plastic water bottles are never recycled2? I’m embarrassed to say, we’ve become part of the statistics and not the solution. So why the serial water bottle use? Convenience. Habit. Which are probably the same reasons that many other serial water bottle users give. However, I’m proud to say, I’ve recently begun a process of change for a more sustainable and environmental friendly method of water consumption for my family. First of all, I’ve began using a reusable water bottle which I fill up with water whenever I can (water fountain at the gym, water cooler at the office...) thus decreasing my water bottle usage at home. I take my trusty water bottle everywhere I go now, which has not only decreased my water bottle usage but has also allowed me to have a healthier lifestyle by avoiding sugary sodas and juices during lunch. Second, I’ve begun boiling tap water for drinking purposes at home. To get rid of the tap water taste, I sometimes add a bit of barley tea before cooling it, which is perfect for the San Diego summer. Third, by not only purchasing less water from stores, our family now prefers to buy water sold in bigger containers. Although I don’t think my family will ever be able to phase out the habit of purchasing water, we can definitely try our best to decrease the consumption of plastic bottles as much as possible.

For fun (well, my definition of fun), I’ve gone ahead and calculated the amount of plastic bottles I would be saving if I could go completely bottle-less: Let’s say that I would consume an average of ten 20oz plastic bottles each week, and each 20oz plastic bottle is about 24 grams in weight3. That would mean that I would generate about 240g of plastic per week and about 87.6kg of plastic per year, which is about 1.2 more than my weight. If I don’t change my ways, I would be consuming more than my body-weight in plastic bottles each year!

Statistics aside, I’m thankful for being in a part of the world where safe and fresh water is readily available to my family. And also thankful that Plant With Purpose works in many countries where people may not have readily available access to fresh water like we do. If you want to find out more about the various water sanitation and water management projects that Plant With Purpose has been involved with in other countries, please check out our Outreach Coordinator’s blog post from International World Water Day this past March: http://plantwithpurpose.blogspot.com/2010/03/today-is-world-water-day.html 1 Container Recycling Institute 2 State of CA - Department of Conservation 3 Reduce. Reuse. Recycle.

Football Fundraising Fun

2010-06-07T10:17:00.000-07:00

by Corbyn

Get your pom-poms and your megaphones out, it's time for the first ever Plant With Purpose Flag Football Fundraiser! Albert Einstein Academy Charter Middle School is hosting a teachers versus students football game to raise money for Plant With Purpose. This Wednesday the 9th, at 5:30pm, come support the class's hard work and creativity!

You may remember 'Florestaval' last December where students from Emily Small's 6th grade class at AEACMS put on an amazing show and raised over $680 dollars for Plant With Purpose's programs. Well, a semester later there is a whole new batch of enthusiastic students

who have been learning all semester about each of the countries Plant With Purpose works in and what it looks like to treat root causes rather than symptoms when it comes to alleviating poverty. They are ready to throw a Football Fundraiser like you wouldn't believe! There will be a raffle, food and drinks donated by generous local businesses, and even some skits and a video at halftime to get the audience even more pumped up about seeing these students' passion to make a difference!

After the Florestaval event last year, Emily shared her own eagerness for Plant With Purpose, and why she teaches this specific curriculum to two of her 6th-8th grade classes, "My students are learning about deforestation and soil degradation, as well as looking into the solutions that Plant With Purpose has been doing to help the rural poor for so long now. Plant With Purpose is helping them become global citizens, aware of the world around them and passionate about making a positive impact." These classes are aptly titled Root(ed).

Join me, other Plant With Purpose staff, and San Diego parents and teachers as we cheer on and support the students of Albert Einstein Academy, and please forgive me when I say that I most definitely will be 'root'ing for the students to pull out a win against their teachers!

Albert Einstein Academy

3035 Ash Street

San Diego, CA 92102-1718 (619) 795-1190

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The new Plant With Purpose shirt is here!

2010-06-04T13:58:00.000-07:00

Available only at our office or events where Plant With Purpose is represented! Pug not included.

Improved Livelihoods in Tanzania through Organic Agriculture

2010-06-04T10:32:00.000-07:00

by Kate McElhinney

Plant With Purpose is excited to announce that we have been awarded a grant for $500,000 from the United States Agency of International Development (USAID) for our programs in Northern Tanzania!

The goal of this project is to see improved livelihoods through organic agriculture over a three-year time period. Initially, 300 households will participate. The main objectives will be to build the capacity of farmers by enhancing organic vegetable farming techniques and entrepreneurial and business skills, as well as develop the market capacity and create long-term strategies for getting organic vegetables products to markets.

Educating farmers about the benefits of organic farming, organic agriculture marketing principles, and the identification of the crops that have the highest potential for newly identified markets such as tomatoes, baby vegetables, mushrooms, and carrots will be key in helping them to improve their livelihoods. Households, especially women-headed, will become empowered by being able to provide a sustainable means to improve their livelihood. Additionally, this project will help farmers in Tanzania to plan long-term strategies for expanding the marketing of their crops.

With the help of this grant, over time we hope to see a 20% increase in the percentage of participating households that can afford 3 meals a day throughout the year, and a 40% increase in the percentage of households with income from organic agriculture coming at least 9 months of the year.

This will make a huge difference in the lives of the rural poor in Tanzania, and we are grateful for our partnership with USAID and the opportunities this grant will bring. We will be sure to keep you posted on the progress of this exciting program!

To learn more about the communities we work with in Tanzania, click here.

Kate McElhinney serves as the Marketing Coordinator for Plant With Purpose. She plays an integral role in executing the company’s marketing campaigns and PR efforts. Kate also coordinates the annual gala and oversees the production of the company newsletter, The Sower.

Shop Kellogg Garden Products!

2010-06-03T12:55:00.000-07:00

by Corbyn

Over the last year of blogging we have shared a lot of exciting things that are happening internationally in our programs as well as here locally in our San Diego office and across the US. We are excited to say that we have posted over 300 blogs on topics ranging from reports on the relief aid provided by our staff in Haiti, to the 'Mighty Mamas' in our programs for International Women's Day, or even our own San Diego office's participation in Bike to Work Day and ongoing discussions about hot topics like 'bad aid.'

The bottom line is, we have enjoyed bringing these blogs to you and this is a great way for us to keep you up to date with what is going on at Plant With Purpose! Consider it your daily snippet about international development, environmental stewardship, current events both locally and abroad, and just a friendly

ongoing conversation with the development department at Plant With Purpose. If you haven't subscribed to the blog via email yet, we'd like to encourage you to do so! The email will come daily to your inbox and we promise to keep making the effort to bring you high quality and thought provoking material. Just pop your email into the 'subscribe via email' section on the far right side of the blog.

Today we are excited to announce that our partnership with Kellogg Garden Products is off to a great start! As a part of their Earth Rich Initiative, Kellogg has committed to supporting Plant With Purpose's mission to teach sustainable agriculture, micro-enterprise, and leadership training. Recently Kellogg added a section to their brand new website that has a great highlight of Plant With Purpose. This is a big deal for Plant With Purpose because Kellogg has such a great reputation all across the West as a great family-owned provider of garden products. Their customers understand the connection between the environment and poverty, nutrition, and health. Check out their new site here. We are looking forward to our partnership growing even more in the future as both Kellogg and Plant With Purpose continue to flourish!

Thanks to all of our blog followers! We appreciate your feedback and hope that you continue to share the blog with your friends and family. What do you all think about possibly adding a gardening tip of the week to our blog?

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The Development Department (from left to right) Doug Satre- Director of Development and Outreach, Corbyn Small- Outreach Coordinator, Courtney Pate- temporary Development Assistant, Aly Lewis- Grant Writer, Kate Nare (previously McElhinney... congrats Kate!)- Marketing Coordinator

Let's Make a Deal

2010-06-02T15:51:00.000-07:00

by Aly Lewis

When I was little, my younger brother, who would begrudgingly clear his dinner plate and haphazardly splash water on a few greasy pans when asked to do the dishes, would miraculously transform into a busy beaver when given the chance to earn some dough. Always looking to make a deal, my brother would do any chore, no matter how difficult or disgusting, as long as it was in his economic best interest. He would weed eat through blackberry bramble in the mid-summer heat or rid the backyard of dog poop if it meant he could buy more chocolate milks, Snickers, or Pokemon cards.

As my parents quickly discovered, money is a powerful motivator. Why should it be any different in the developing world?

Plant With Purpose understands how effective, and necessary, economic incentives can be. In working with communities to reforest watersheds and restore their environments, Plant With Purpose recognizes the need for “environmental” activities such as reforestation or switching to eco-friendly latrines to be economically profitable. And, unlike my brother, these families aren’t just trying to stock up on junk food or buy the latest Heely’s roller shoes; for hundreds of thousands of rural poor around the world, finding ways to make money is a matter of life and death.

That’s why Plant With Purpose’s integrated program empowers rural farmers to restore productivity to their land in order to create economic opportunity out of environmental restoration.

One exciting illustration of how Plant With Purpose makes environmental restoration an economically profitable endeavor can be seen in our Tanzania program. Plant With Purpose has trained over 1,000 Tanzanian farmers in sustainable agriculture techniques. As a result, farmers have experienced improved soil quality and increased crop yields. In fact, 76% of farmers working with Plant With Purpose have witnessed improved soil quality on their land. The improvement in soil quality has also led to increased yields ranging between 50% to 200% more production, and enables farmers to extend their growing season, creating greater economic stability.

Building on the program’s success, Plant With Purpose is collaborating with USAID to implement a three-year program that will help farmers maximize local markets to receive more money for the crops they grow, improving their livelihoods and fostering long-term growth and prosperity. As farmers, especially women, build their financial and agricultural skills as well as their confidence, they are able to contribute to family income and well-being in significant ways, such as providing their families with quality fruits and vegetables to consume or sending their children to school with the extra income they are able to earn from increased yields.

This is just one example of how Plant With Purpose empowers farmers to create economic opportunity out of environmental restoration. By combining personal transformation, economic renewal, and environmental restoration, Plant With Purpose is bringing hope and dignity to the rural poor.

Now that’s a deal my brother would be proud of!

***

Aly Lewis is Plant With Purpose’s Grant Writer. She researches funding opportunities, writes proposals, and submits progress reports on funding received. She also writes the content for Plant With Purpose's Sponsor A Village program. Pictured to the left is Aly (the tiger) and her two brothers on Halloween of 1990-something. Her deal maker brother is the little dragon.

Plant With Purpose Helps Haitians Prepare for Hurricane Season

2010-06-01T16:17:00.000-07:00

by Kate McElhinney

Today marks the official start of hurricane season in the Caribbean. Unfortunately, this season is predicted to be one of the wettest on record according to the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which estimates that as many as 23 tropical storms will hit the Caribbean this year. Tropical Storm Agatha already ravaged parts of Central America last weekend, and more storms are predicted to be brewing.

For the hundreds of thousands of Haitian earthquake victims, hurricane season looms as another treacherous obstacle. Many only have tarps or fraying tents to protect them in a major storm, and eroded hillsides threaten to become deadly mudslides when provoked by heavy rains.

Despite this grim prediction, Plant With Purpose remains dedicated to helping rural farmers to prepare for the rainy season. Our Haitian staff were on the ground in Haiti at the time of the earthquake and were able to respond immediately to the crisis. Though historically a sustainable development organization, we have expanded our post-earthquake role in Haiti to include aid efforts that promote long-term growth and prosperity, including our “Cash for Work” program and food and seed distribution. Since January 12th, we've raised nearly $1 million to help in these efforts.

Here are some quick statistics of our progress since January 12th:

-136,868 trees planted

-2,120 people employed through our “Cash for Work” program

-nearly 80,000 lbs. of bean seed distributed

-nearly 250,000 lbs. of rice distributed

-over 4 miles of road repaired

By employing local farmers, distributing food, and planting trees Plant With Purpose is supplying farmers with the tools and the knowledge they need to get back on their feet and replant and reforest their land before the hurricane season gets under way. Some farmers have already harvested bean crops, which provide nutritious food for their families as well as a valuable product to sell at the market.

Stay tuned for more updates on Haiti, and if you would like to help or learn more please visit: www.plantwithpurpose.org.