tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37084855618494809842024-03-13T11:17:33.216-07:00Plant With PurposePlant With Purposehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08264810586050663488noreply@blogger.comBlogger364125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3708485561849480984.post-31586157342469593832010-08-17T16:22:00.000-07:002010-08-17T16:34:00.307-07:00We're moving!Well, just our blog :)
<p>
<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqWTjpGESGgUsDyH_gHgcYDJAdYB8UJQ_rSiiERBwnsQILdI94fzd2FI1Jmg6mQ5kd3ukcibp9_X9iPHM42sY8zCVI9rf9IYha_kn-zny-7SmFh-LdTxnvxjyLZYYKQZORKZL6FBdKTEY/s1600/blog.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 243px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqWTjpGESGgUsDyH_gHgcYDJAdYB8UJQ_rSiiERBwnsQILdI94fzd2FI1Jmg6mQ5kd3ukcibp9_X9iPHM42sY8zCVI9rf9IYha_kn-zny-7SmFh-LdTxnvxjyLZYYKQZORKZL6FBdKTEY/s320/blog.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506524760323421826" border="0" /></a>
<p>
As we're launching a new, user-friendly phase of our <a href="http://plantwithpurpose.org/">Plant With Purpose website</a>, we're also transferring and integrating our blog into the new website - which can be found at <a href="http://www.plantwithpurpose.org/blog">www.plantwithpurpose.org/blog</a>. 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!
<p>
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 <a href="http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify?uri=tumblr/ZggD&loc=en_US">here</a>.
<p>
<form style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 3px; text-align: center;" action="http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify" method="post" target="popupwindow" onsubmit="window.open('http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify?uri=tumblr/ZggD', 'popupwindow', 'scrollbars=yes,width=550,height=520');return true"><p>Enter your email address:</p><p><input style="width: 140px;" name="email" type="text"></p><input value="tumblr/ZggD" name="uri" type="hidden"><input name="loc" value="en_US" type="hidden"><input value="Subscribe" type="submit"><p>Delivered by <a href="http://feedburner.google.com/" target="_blank">FeedBurner</a></p></form>Plant With Purposehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08264810586050663488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3708485561849480984.post-1550630319460625032010-08-16T09:52:00.000-07:002010-08-16T11:05:13.604-07:00Did Someone Say Avocado?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqsuEQuZYaxtZ2HKGHdBfdhehCQRNx8xpVycTEi1CZcenLT_f2CgEn04F3a32egwX86dMyyUUSFnmuT8Or93YYiVr8Z-TTOzm9CqPs9hN_ujSwjMBFgEfIvFSNfC0pB8qDpDMjO5ZFLcc/s1600/4787570745_9231ab6ce8_z.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqsuEQuZYaxtZ2HKGHdBfdhehCQRNx8xpVycTEi1CZcenLT_f2CgEn04F3a32egwX86dMyyUUSFnmuT8Or93YYiVr8Z-TTOzm9CqPs9hN_ujSwjMBFgEfIvFSNfC0pB8qDpDMjO5ZFLcc/s320/4787570745_9231ab6ce8_z.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506070258992956626" /></a><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">by Aly Lewis</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">
</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">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.</span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; "></span></span></span><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">
</span></span></div><span style="font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"></span></span></span><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">
</span></span></div><span style="font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; "><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">
</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Understandably, when I saw the term </span></span></span><span style="font-style: italic; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Avocado Consultation</span></span></span><span style="font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> 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.</span></span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"></span></span></span></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">
</span></span></div><span style="font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; "><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">
</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">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.</span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"></span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">
</span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">
</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyToPXYbDBnIAwQSaHYbou5qc3doNNfK97j0ktxo76PD0hHin73Vm7-ic5wM08aqDJzcCgqbUl9PasxKlLePwY-MnMf0adXG_QlTDIci4KIpvSbg5cS8a7h5HJ-kUzi1-kS76OUboZtN8/s320/Examining+leaves.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506068531189351986" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px; " /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p style="text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" id="internal-source-marker_0.921542672834541"><span style="text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; "><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">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.</span></span></i></span></p><p style="text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; "><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></i></span></p></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">
</span></span></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">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. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">
</span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; "></span></span></span></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">
</span></span></div><span style="font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; "><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">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!</span></span></div></span></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">
</span></span></div><span style="font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"></span></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">
</span></span></div><div><span style="font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpJyZ9sdQktoxX-22c8yQrr1x-8vAVlZq3IF5PdZqkq-dgGaa83SjKnHHLWlCKXWmm4BkanWv6E590CbyXoBqj65EywAD54eikOF-AF9pBibVS4dtCYUYyUy0_5f01rCNy5aKVRGL_Ip0/s320/truck+of+avos.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506068215234052114" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px; " /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; "></span></span></span></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; "><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">A truck full of avocados makes its way to the local market.</span></span></i></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">
</span></span></div><span style="font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; "><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">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.</span></span></div></span></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">
</span></span></div><span style="font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; "><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">
</span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; "></span></span></span><span style="font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Now my taste buds and my heart can delight in the production of this fair-weather fruit!</span></span></span></div></div></div></div>Plant With Purposehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08264810586050663488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3708485561849480984.post-64041058889445256822010-08-13T16:54:00.000-07:002010-08-13T17:06:25.611-07:00Starting Tuesday...<span style="font-family: times new roman;font-size:130%;" >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 <a href="http://www.plantwithpurpose.org/">www.plantwithpurpose.org</a> you will see an informative new home page, a chance to sign up for our eSower, a tree counter t</span><span style="font-family: times new roman;font-size:130%;" >hat updates every couple minutes with how many trees are being planted worldwide, plus a snazzy new blog!</span><p style="font-family: times new roman;font-family:times new roman;" ><span style="font-size:130%;">We are excited for this opportunity to provide you with more user-friendly features and more accessible news updates from the fiel</span><span style="font-size:130%;">d. Stay tuned next week for more information!</span></p><p style="font-family: times new roman;font-family:times new roman;" ><span style="font-size:130%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAbMs5SMERsBC4p43EPYRQX5GstB8qk01Ls8itWlD9kVCBr37-ahr9PxuZ7ngrGy8zmdQ0NflQsyvhNm7aTDbZPlLlUz2zoPaRmGFujWzvf27gi0qzl8FccLOTrnFbJ3OMBVm0Xoq2WYU/s1600/Screen+shot+2010-08-13+at+4.52.21+PM.png"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 260px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAbMs5SMERsBC4p43EPYRQX5GstB8qk01Ls8itWlD9kVCBr37-ahr9PxuZ7ngrGy8zmdQ0NflQsyvhNm7aTDbZPlLlUz2zoPaRmGFujWzvf27gi0qzl8FccLOTrnFbJ3OMBVm0Xoq2WYU/s320/Screen+shot+2010-08-13+at+4.52.21+PM.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505049909032308738" border="0" /></a></span></p>Plant With Purposehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08264810586050663488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3708485561849480984.post-22243116605173172242010-08-12T09:18:00.000-07:002010-08-12T09:38:23.467-07:00Tending to Eden Now Available on Kindle!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOauM3X5leM61p9NxCZyKZzCTELEbreRVl2-YTx4ePcXssTnb4kYeIQGOdP4xnteo4zvTbBZq9nk1wl_KlI0vmXKR8hC0OUqwBrAXsJXI9pcQ4wP1IoY7O_ab9EF9rGvm5Rc9M_rvbCAE/s1600/Tending+to+Eden+Image+Web.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 104px; height: 160px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOauM3X5leM61p9NxCZyKZzCTELEbreRVl2-YTx4ePcXssTnb4kYeIQGOdP4xnteo4zvTbBZq9nk1wl_KlI0vmXKR8hC0OUqwBrAXsJXI9pcQ4wP1IoY7O_ab9EF9rGvm5Rc9M_rvbCAE/s400/Tending+to+Eden+Image+Web.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5504563622922975010" border="0" /></a>
<span style="font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" >“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.”</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span><p style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Scott's new book, <span style="font-style: italic;">Tending to Eden: Environmental Stewardship for God's People</span> is now available on</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> Kindle! <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Tending-Eden-Environmental-Stewardship-ebook/dp/B003Y5IIH0/ref=kinw_dp_ke?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2">Click here</a> to download your copy for only $9.99.</span></p><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span><p style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;">To purchase a hard copy, <a href="http://www.plantwithpurpose.org/page/64/tending-to-eden.html">visit our website</a> to order through</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> amazon.com. </span><span style="font-size:130%;">A portion of the proceeds will go to Plant With Purpose and help empower the lives of the rural poor.</span></p><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span><p style="text-align: left;font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Let us know what you think! And happy reading:)</span></p><p face="times new roman">
</p><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span>Plant With Purposehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08264810586050663488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3708485561849480984.post-54020005672075745162010-08-11T14:21:00.000-07:002010-08-11T15:48:46.790-07:00Tanzanian Churches Plant Dignity<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh1rGnwEdmGD0NPUCauyWu1o8zgITGAu7RtGLkWuo_8odtwh4T8NzPim_bnPVHYrjzBFzv4lFTEiONV9NCW33d0cRlAy5IyE9mXefWVjSu1stTGvSuQ1wKjgUNmdcdkJxCTcAd4XgWQhw/s1600/Boys+boys+boys.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh1rGnwEdmGD0NPUCauyWu1o8zgITGAu7RtGLkWuo_8odtwh4T8NzPim_bnPVHYrjzBFzv4lFTEiONV9NCW33d0cRlAy5IyE9mXefWVjSu1stTGvSuQ1wKjgUNmdcdkJxCTcAd4XgWQhw/s320/Boys+boys+boys.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5504280087032905970" border="0" /></a><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Times New Roman',serif;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">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. </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">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.</span></span></p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Times,serif;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYDi5m_qcw2F3rPhIYKlWBhoMcHAxAZLrB55NmQW5LBvqsukjuXlnBvya2O6NRLNVZ1dckGFe3l9HEtELpddDyBUQKb5bhO430T10bxqjqFpPnvjibsewx05HZUVHe0D9z0F74McG6fCA/s320/Church+group.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5504279934295849586" style="float: left; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" border="0" /><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">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.</span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">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.</span></span></p></span><p></p></span></div><!--StartFragment--> <!--EndFragment-->Plant With Purposehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08264810586050663488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3708485561849480984.post-90962331441757886832010-08-10T09:08:00.000-07:002010-08-10T15:57:58.594-07:00Our Wonderful Interns- Summer 2010<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0iWZ9UIawMVvEZQS-pPZE6Z8XqbwFj_fdWzmrk2teMuAHix3j5ugUdiQhQ1v7EIYs33dqMST_jnhdg23YWhgAfdMTJG-Nt3ee7IKUuX4gkl4GYEi0rstTYkVKQt-gGspszpwEX0CXd_Pw/s1600/Nathan.jpg"></a><blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">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!</span></span></blockquote><blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">
</span></span><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">Plant With Purpose Summer Interns 2010</span></span></u></b></blockquote><blockquote><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">
</span></span></u></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">
</span></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" font-weight: normal; color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGXs1K5qCcPF4D4JVefFYX8FSS4Ozw8dj0wIlIoj02NqHKWpab9arrYP-gV0UIwh7Lm2RVJqLZ3rrjD0E5phOiovQTtpIfj5VrLPji-f77XGDsfz-BBnAoT45LM187VXHRk2vPEwA_xW5f/s320/annie.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5501959335527106498" style="float: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; cursor: pointer; width: 80px; height: 80px; " /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">Annie Fikes- Public Relations and Events Intern
</span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">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.</span></span></blockquote><blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">
</span></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRV3RzECS_4ffklD3Vw7Vxevwg3gTa5i_LJF9c5MRR32Bc26ZtXGOI-9FjJPhIah6mHbvnWzbOXGjexT7Z_j6IfJ9xdnOW1H2PPgUG0eUkXCD85LS6y9rqeBsIpSy54wfNPIjXEV74X1Qr/s320/james.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5501959680091885698" style="float: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; cursor: pointer; width: 80px; height: 80px; " /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">James Ellet- Grant Writing Intern
</span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">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.</span></span></blockquote><blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">
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.</span></span></blockquote><blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">
</span></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimQgXwOGrRhdgoc8yrIjF2RAEk74NdXO380cy6-fZSVecfdgFNrp56cUXxdIv8j7a_A4ay3Zr9iPvEUOFX1hSnJpuOQuZ7bHM6OvdlcJCLhnaNhAHQCIloeZk-G_soIm3reLvkMSFDxwE9/s320/Danielle.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5501959676009498818" style="float: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; cursor: pointer; width: 80px; height: 80px; " /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">Danielle Slomka- Volunteer
</span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">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</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman'; "> movies.</span></blockquote><blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman'; ">
</span></blockquote><blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">
</span></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKJbl-7XbdX6fAJgiWdYoLJNiD8SPtSucOxtNfJcZwMq2F9B2iY_Juk3BQEhiSn7ye0aROl7ujBR306Fs8E9Cia17sZHM5XnXQGhQ6P3Co1qrPHPyKHg6tnv45elJ46p8J-BVvkXprqCcT/s320/katy.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5501959684005998274" style="float: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; cursor: pointer; width: 80px; height: 80px; " /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">Katy Dhanens- Community Advocacy and Awareness Volunteer
</span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">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 </span></span><span style="color:#0000FF;"><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><a href="http://bit.ly/9z1jVk">http://bit.ly/9z1jVk</a></span></span></u></span></blockquote><blockquote><span style="color:#0000FF;"><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><a href="http://bit.ly/9z1jVk"></a></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">
</span></span></u></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">
</span></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0iWZ9UIawMVvEZQS-pPZE6Z8XqbwFj_fdWzmrk2teMuAHix3j5ugUdiQhQ1v7EIYs33dqMST_jnhdg23YWhgAfdMTJG-Nt3ee7IKUuX4gkl4GYEi0rstTYkVKQt-gGspszpwEX0CXd_Pw/s320/Nathan.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5501959688198578626" style="float: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; cursor: pointer; width: 80px; height: 80px; " /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">Nathan Lack- Volunteer
</span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">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!</span></span></blockquote><blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">
Keep your eye out on our blog for articles from each of these students over the summer! </span></span><span style="color:#0000FF;"><u><a href="http://www.plantwithpurpose.blogspot.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">http://www.plantwithpurpose.blogspot.com</span></span></a></u></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">
</span></span></blockquote><blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">
</span></span></blockquote><blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">If you are interested in internships or volunteering please email corbyn@plantwithpurpose.org</span></span></blockquote> <!--EndFragment-->Plant With Purposehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08264810586050663488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3708485561849480984.post-76348319021115591792010-08-09T14:21:00.000-07:002010-08-09T14:26:21.699-07:00Meet Claudette Zepeda<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOYuq9ntC9WH5CYYrOpOffh7vd0GNv49-MbVZLkvBTYxpyH65k2obymG7NZctqhasM_MDtfCgLOeIirfERHRhRuAccehgMBBGdSBw18pTR4djo70gyrjkdZCSRY0cacNfd2G2t1Dy6NI8/s1600/Claudette.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 263px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOYuq9ntC9WH5CYYrOpOffh7vd0GNv49-MbVZLkvBTYxpyH65k2obymG7NZctqhasM_MDtfCgLOeIirfERHRhRuAccehgMBBGdSBw18pTR4djo70gyrjkdZCSRY0cacNfd2G2t1Dy6NI8/s320/Claudette.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503523943181215298" /></a>
<p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">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!</span></span></p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">
</span></span><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">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.</span></span></p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">
</span></span><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">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.</span></span></p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">
</span></span><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">“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.”</span></span></p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">
</span></span><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">At Plant With Purpose, Claudette is responsible for recording the donations and allocating funds to ensure the appropriate countries receive monetary support. </span></span></p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">
</span></span><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Claudette says, “I’m excited to grow and be a part of the Plant With Purpose team!”</span></span></p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">
</span></span><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">We’re excited to have you here, Claudette. Welcome to the team! :)</span></span></p>Plant With Purposehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08264810586050663488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3708485561849480984.post-72914970632730783822010-08-06T08:50:00.000-07:002010-08-06T13:29:11.670-07:00August Prayer Letter<!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Dear Friends and Prayer Partners:</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Today is Plant With Purpose's International day of prayer and fasting.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman'; "> If you would like to subscribe to receive the prayer letter please email corbyn@plantwithpurpose.org</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman'; "> Please join us in praying for our programs around the world:</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Haiti</span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Praise for:</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Our Technical Director Bob's safe travel in Haiti in July.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Good results from the Haiti relief project financed by the United Nations.</span></span></p><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 235px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjez-0BQQjCwgQjnqdDFotadNCasXHDugsF9mz_fjfnB4lhKw64lmiJ4CiEghDzDpzHfY6B-a1ZOTo07oDRdfvOhB6-q4wJAxrvlV40TimXmhjWQlvEQ4HpENDgxbrhkCzVH8HrP2yOixE/s320/Haiti+Prayer.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5502328381758917554" /> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Safe distribution of seeds and tools in the communities with Plant With Purpose members and non-members in partnership with Food and Agriculture Organization.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Pray for:</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Serge, our technician in Haiti, who lost his wife and child in the earthquake as he lives with this difficult loss.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">The many thousands who are still living in tents or under plastic tarps and may be there for years to come.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">The Episcopal parish in Grand Colline as they tear down the old church, school and guesthouse and begin rebuilding.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Better crops for the summer agriculture season.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Delcius, a member of the staff, who has his son suffering with meningitis.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Continuity in the relationship between Haitian farmers and Plant With Purpose staff. The</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> staff received a large number of tree seedlings from the Dominicans to be used for reforestation on the Haitian side of the border.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Tanzania</span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Praise for:</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">The first crop of beans that the Miwaleni farmers group from the low land have started harvesting as part of the USAID funded project.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 180px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyi0Gk1gmBz8H8xPewQviz0CnVqVum0YBmISvjO-Sxl3VQRsvb7-nb_Vq7lXgRKFcH3jPqCy1IIExlVzVhhqZO-vBv4N-ZK6lGzl-OIpq8wFRP8q7j46nLl_XqtjkcHGvBN0yaNqBd6pw/s320/TZ+prayer.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5502328166172568770" /> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">The Rural and Agricultural Finance and Food Security Learning Program which is finally coming together and is ready for use.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Good health for all the staff.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Prayer for:</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Tanzanian Technical Director, Mama Banzi's father's health and recovery.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">A safe and successful trip to India for Richard and Samson which will take place during second week of August.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Ideal weather conditions, motivation and determination for the coming harvest for farmers under the Plant With Purpose / USAID project.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">A stable political situation for the International meeting since this is an election year in Tanzania.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Thailand</span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Prayer for:</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">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.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 180px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgRtkwOre_CtbyxiA1GiXts-gT7yyJPsA45CkssCFJHdIkNhwrBzl-CnNhTVnqSDa5mfkW9Ia8GNnlQU1Kox-s9z2IzffJneLJsZ7nKjReytCO-tF6gtyfPvMrs7t5F1_HcijI5Vs_ixU/s320/Thailand+prayer.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5502327083741790818" /> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">The recently established network of churches to respond to the needs of the communities.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Churches to respond to the growing drug abuse problem in the communities.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Wisdom in moving forward on a joint program with Mercy Ministries Foundation, Micro Economic Development Foundation, Compassion International, and our partner organization, UHDP.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Plant With Purpose staff as they seek God's wisdom in improving their work.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Mexico</span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Praise for:</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">The Solana Beach Presbyterian Church visit to Oaxaca, which was a great blessing to the community of Nuxiño.</span></span></p><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 180px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicJS5KMcpGyLvVvV77BG8DTEnAiSiAf9T7Q-X1xQmWvf4Labmiddni6fDnDmL4jyZCPK-lYprAbYQF1WJ-6iuJj1K-mW5y6zejHpRUCRUj4GbOSeDlCmbbLLHC9TLanGIP8UrnYcuaspg/s320/Mexico+Prayer.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5502327079730915970" /><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">The progress made in the construction of the Community Center (CECIC) in Nuxiño.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Prayer for:</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">The reforestation activities that are being carried out in the different communities where we work.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Our sister Claudia Camacho, the Plant With Purpose Mexico assistant, who is taking an exam to begin her MBA studies.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">A healthy pregnancy and birth without complications for Claudia's sister Veronica.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Dominican Republic</span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Prayer for:</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 160px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhmLEXGipoWq73ehHEB7HSMoWt5Ri1GO6c3Hqvfwc3evSwSJnVdjaq2HphgUaaVdgzCF86wttICWS_QDHr6RpKPH6GYC62w0RZvUmDcsb6XR13eOW3iS5CsfvkSreFjZy0EJwzSqFt_0Q/s320/DR+prayer.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5502325681458767938" /> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Wisdom in working with the new savings and loans groups in the central border region.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Increased awareness for farmers from the border about protecting the soil and caring for their seedlings so that they can see an improvement.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Farmer associations to remain united and obtain financing for their agriculture plots from various sources.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Wisdom for the new spiritual development promoters from the central and border regions who have just begun their work.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Churches to be more involved with the groups that Plant With Purpose partners with.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">More discipline in credit repayment from farmers and small business owners.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">The savings and loan groups to be a success.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Burundi</span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Praise for:</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">The positive recognition Plant With Purpose Burundi is receiving from local authorities and other Non-governmental organizations.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">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.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Prayer for:</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Continued growth of the communities where we work and the organization as a whole.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 159px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5k2ZY8QZ-6tHAAdodN1wWYRPmltJR50I8GbpLPHmlbnrkL6FxRHndcSbDpymsk3fdJuzRCK7L0iHfyKG4SiryEJ39THv-g4TwdTIZC5llTZE1vTYlE91-QISfufY1fvAfesZfOKzEOhE/s320/Burundi+Prayer.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5502327074224856386" /> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">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.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">The nomination of the new government to be peaceful.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">The right person to be recruited to join the staff as the new accountant.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">USA</span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Praise for:</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Jimmy, our new Development Department Assistant, and Claudette, our new Bookkeeper.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Our wonderful summer interns who generously donated their time and talents.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">A great trip for Solana Beach Presbyterian Church to our program in Oaxaca, Mexico.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">A strong beginning to the new fiscal year.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Prayer for:</span></span></p><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 144px; height: 97px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicnTQM8VvXPWO77LTvluDYlQG35inmNbOoX8bXbD2xthFh5dqF6X775b42U4T1azUThPEcO3FTCVmmfyVSx4EIViRzIdLqAURbITYtC-xuZ3XNB7tOxBE06bRMnwFmwQL8b9dZapxzJFo/s320/Planting+Hope+Gala+Prayer.png" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5502327071997071234" /> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">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.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Preparations for the upcoming trip to Haiti for St. Clement's Episcopal Church and La Jolla Presbyterian Church.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Orientation and training of new staff.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">The right person to fill the open Program Officer position.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">A smooth audit process.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Increased exposure for Plant With Purpose. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b>Thank you so much for your prayers and support! We are deeply grateful for your partnership.</b></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Times New Roman', serif;">
</span></p> <!--EndFragment-->Plant With Purposehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08264810586050663488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3708485561849480984.post-10613138576859655572010-08-05T09:39:00.000-07:002010-08-05T10:11:35.170-07:00Toughest Job in the World?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwYcqr-nwk9O8WD__DxnvfLj9sJ7ib_ZiNc6BiCsX1K9-FW0qSmcNe1l1Jki1xIg2xXx6JaIR88E2SUOYz1-1yRUr9BIQcmmhVlyJZ72wdI_tC4Nv4ObWiR4GdfUfIz4xfvwr9YioLiHo/s1600/8.5.10+WYCLEF.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 260px; height: 190px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwYcqr-nwk9O8WD__DxnvfLj9sJ7ib_ZiNc6BiCsX1K9-FW0qSmcNe1l1Jki1xIg2xXx6JaIR88E2SUOYz1-1yRUr9BIQcmmhVlyJZ72wdI_tC4Nv4ObWiR4GdfUfIz4xfvwr9YioLiHo/s320/8.5.10+WYCLEF.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5501974547216328818" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">
</span></span><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Haitian Presidential Race Update</span></span></p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">
</span></span><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">By Annie Fikes</span></span></p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">
</span></span><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">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. </span></span></p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">
</span></span><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Wyclef Jean confirmed today that he will be running for president. </span></span></p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">
</span></span><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">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. </span></span></p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">
</span></span><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">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. </span></span></p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">
</span></span><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">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. </span></span></p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">
</span></span><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">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. </span></span></p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">
</span></span><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">To read more about Jean’s presidency, follow this link: </span></span><a href="http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/08/05/1762628/its-official-wyclef-jean-to-run.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/08/05/1762628/its-official-wyclef-jean-to-run.html</span></span></a></p>Plant With Purposehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08264810586050663488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3708485561849480984.post-29491349284977335702010-08-04T10:04:00.000-07:002010-08-04T12:28:25.642-07:00Sustained Success in Haiti<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2Sd0QH0DvImtqNBBSjocPiN5tQcp0WfE__Iz1AQQEEmy-_cvSdDQb0fWzbI_EMhOIaGWusAevvcROCVtCFkD1v5SuZTjV7PabqVaFgpCJpSAF9TAeHrrNkgrE-2BwZC9RBXP118-JSPXO/s1600/Ilome.jpg"></a><p class="ListStyleCxSpFirst"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:georgia;font-size:medium;">by Aly Lewis</span></p><p class="ListStyleCxSpFirst"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:georgia;font-size:medium;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">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 </span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">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.</span></span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> In spite of the earthquake and the ensuing challenges, we were </span></span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">able to accomplish—and even surpass—most of our projected goals for the year</span></span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> alongside our relief program</span></span></span></p><p class="ListStyleCxSpFirst"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"></span></span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">For example, </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">we have had an influx of farmers and community members who want to join in our reforestation efforts.</span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">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.</span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> 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 </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">88,196 trees</span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">, in addition to the 170,000 trees planted as a part of our “Cash for Work” emergency relief project!</span></span></span></p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2Sd0QH0DvImtqNBBSjocPiN5tQcp0WfE__Iz1AQQEEmy-_cvSdDQb0fWzbI_EMhOIaGWusAevvcROCVtCFkD1v5SuZTjV7PabqVaFgpCJpSAF9TAeHrrNkgrE-2BwZC9RBXP118-JSPXO/s1600/Ilome.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2Sd0QH0DvImtqNBBSjocPiN5tQcp0WfE__Iz1AQQEEmy-_cvSdDQb0fWzbI_EMhOIaGWusAevvcROCVtCFkD1v5SuZTjV7PabqVaFgpCJpSAF9TAeHrrNkgrE-2BwZC9RBXP118-JSPXO/s320/Ilome.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5501599825460840306" style="float: right; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><p class="ListStyleCxSpFirst"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Iloma Jean Baptiste, a member of our Cheridant group since 1998, said he has </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">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.”</span></span></p> <!--EndFragment-->Plant With Purposehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08264810586050663488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3708485561849480984.post-14127619230606143012010-08-03T10:17:00.000-07:002010-08-03T10:27:36.940-07:00I love baseball.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsQYu0odHG4jxYKMToo4EbXe-iqaNY6-6Y8kdKwGhXkJU7KJi048YmLAnpljpcfQ0bzKXFvw6TTgNxl3zzjcIeucyzNF1l9f9sbmgq2EwYRV3hQysJXJjGGJPWRvsxYKCYtCLGU8wfFzRs/s1600/3095933571_f6d05933a5_o.jpg"></a><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">posted by James Ellett</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">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.” </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">False.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">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. </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">But baseball has </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">numbers</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">. Lots of them.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">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).</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">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.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">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.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">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.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">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?</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Hope, however, springs eternal.</span></span></p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsQYu0odHG4jxYKMToo4EbXe-iqaNY6-6Y8kdKwGhXkJU7KJi048YmLAnpljpcfQ0bzKXFvw6TTgNxl3zzjcIeucyzNF1l9f9sbmgq2EwYRV3hQysJXJjGGJPWRvsxYKCYtCLGU8wfFzRs/s1600/3095933571_f6d05933a5_o.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsQYu0odHG4jxYKMToo4EbXe-iqaNY6-6Y8kdKwGhXkJU7KJi048YmLAnpljpcfQ0bzKXFvw6TTgNxl3zzjcIeucyzNF1l9f9sbmgq2EwYRV3hQysJXJjGGJPWRvsxYKCYtCLGU8wfFzRs/s200/3095933571_f6d05933a5_o.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5501235843883994690" style="float: right; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px; " /></a><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">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.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">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.</span></span></p> <!--EndFragment-->Plant With Purposehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08264810586050663488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3708485561849480984.post-16772915329392021162010-08-02T13:50:00.000-07:002010-08-02T14:40:18.777-07:00Dreaming Together on the Border<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAEecnjjkauFm_FiwQ7qB2tW3Opny8Q2k1L-7CSxcDDeVFKIYtvhyphenhyphenq8OwawgWfzmLJfRMuSFP7aTDWMrPWd20X_VrcfG8gX0X8AF0_QIHBRbowaLfx8dLqHRSZB8AyDUDomto2-LQyD1Lv/s1600/New+fav(2).jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAEecnjjkauFm_FiwQ7qB2tW3Opny8Q2k1L-7CSxcDDeVFKIYtvhyphenhyphenq8OwawgWfzmLJfRMuSFP7aTDWMrPWd20X_VrcfG8gX0X8AF0_QIHBRbowaLfx8dLqHRSZB8AyDUDomto2-LQyD1Lv/s200/New+fav(2).jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500923571795844098" /></a><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">by Aly Lewis</span></span></div><p class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align:justify"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">"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</span></span></span></p><p class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align:justify"></p><h1><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Last week, Annie Fikes, our PR and Marketing Intern, </span></span><a href="http://plantwithpurpose.blogspot.com/2010/07/trans-border-tensions-between-dr-and.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;">blogged</span></span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> 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. </span></span></span></h1><p></p><p class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align:justify"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">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.</span></span></p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7wO368KXTCubi8bRF5HFTDL2Xs98tS0luDKOpyjiP3UGK-Qio_73ukvig7bK41o3ytykfLGjTlwCUggqGOnkPpprHknuAYbYV8l1lCQob2lyWB_ENChrfjKYae-Wtip28OUbqco552X4w/s320/Antonio+and+Jendis.png" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500922408845296434" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 241px; " /><span class="Apple-style-span"><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Antonio and his son, Jendis, show off one of their avocado trees.</span></span></div></span></span><p class="MsoBodyText"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">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.</span></span></span></p><p class="MsoBodyText"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">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, </span></span><a href="http://www.plantwithpurpose.org/get-involved/area/4/Get-Involved-Caribbean.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;">Click Here</span></span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">. </span></span></p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihGSNxVRDiplARwDj-m0S9YIIg7YY9ZaEZuCyA1okTgJ0JqJEH6y0E52GFD7ag_Vg6_zswI41ZBnHTeu8jBL6fNPqTtuUCVfddZG-Q8MYb0g93769Tfxf7Jrlfqr3-mAA5vvhpf95NP-lx/s320/Avocado.png" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500923014193253138" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 216px; " /></span><p class="MsoBodyText" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">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.</span></span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <!--EndFragment--> </span><p></p> <!--EndFragment-->Plant With Purposehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08264810586050663488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3708485561849480984.post-76189287963848509442010-07-30T10:01:00.001-07:002010-07-30T10:29:21.072-07:00A Taste of Tending to Eden<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjkb6uva9mkwuwrAq91Lta_TgREB794RuwOtou5LAdrDOWDznjwM8nlmAWP1ySlll8jLl1UoWEsyISo0425JcU3CJE7F05kQvr00364CXCvWd7pjHSwLbx8IZQkgHG4O54bvolkYXqbPif/s1600/Tending+to+Eden+Image+Web+2.jpg"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">
</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">
</span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwqd1qqM-gZSLq3JhZkrEP5MdfIfmjW0I90KTezQE0SHkE7Hc1goxGAwUPW8imsk4zCLCGDckSLHBbFWX4WIjxbKiQw5HQ1omIRhwOwrBMG93VJ2pM6W4c6rE_5j2CL1_kXRd7Sw119esV/s1600/Scott+headshot.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 140px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwqd1qqM-gZSLq3JhZkrEP5MdfIfmjW0I90KTezQE0SHkE7Hc1goxGAwUPW8imsk4zCLCGDckSLHBbFWX4WIjxbKiQw5HQ1omIRhwOwrBMG93VJ2pM6W4c6rE_5j2CL1_kXRd7Sw119esV/s200/Scott+headshot.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5499750428684187682" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">
</span></span><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">The following excerpt is from pages 112 to 115 in </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">Tending to Eden: Environmental Stewardship for God's People </span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">by our Executive Director, Scott Sabin.</span></span></p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">
</span></span><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">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. </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">Tending to Eden</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"> also comes with a creation care Bible study, so you and your congregation or Bible study can more deeply explore and apply this concept.</span></span></p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">
</span></span><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">You can purchase the book through our website here: <a href="http://www.plantwithpurpose.org/page/64/tending-to-eden.html">http://www.plantwithpurpose.org/page/64/tending-to-</a><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia, serif;"><a href="http://www.plantwithpurpose.org/page/64/tending-to-eden.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">eden.html</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 104px; height: 160px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7bBfVj3bA5q5l3bkLeBTSTlQEamVEWQy36HD2DOt6wuQpaE0rjzTxXrbCD6q2eZFx4v2oQKNQ-DiCQpEVELDddhVUDhtofQ70ojhdrf77lByq0UOxJD7Iewon-xEPboV0F_rBqB7c4KAp/s200/Tending+to+Eden+Image+Web.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5499751149750629874" /><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">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 ru<span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">ral poor. Thank you, faithful readers, for your support! And stay tuned for more "tastes" of </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">Tending to Eden</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">.</span></span></span></span></span></p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">
</span></span><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman', serif;">
</span></p><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman', serif;">
</span></p><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman', serif;">
</span></p><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"></span></span></p><p></p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">“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.”</span></span><p></p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">
</span></span><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">It wasn’t quite the kind of help I was looking for, but it does serve to underline</span></span></p><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"> 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.</span></span></p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">
</span></span><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">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</span></span></p><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">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.</span></span></p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">
</span></span><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">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 </span></span></p><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">in the midst of this? Is it possible that the poor could become leaders in solving the enormous environmental problems the planet faces?</span></span></p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">
</span></span><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">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</span></span></p><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">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.</span></span></p><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">
</span></span><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 211px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3xRcsXeu1LWeTmiWB2XqUYmBr9Y2UIsTmoIujDQn_rrr0jKwKBqTWBmvuwDZ0vmRQLroRSsIlFpUBIKroEd4WTjdNLDMjK74ItwBVCg_4id2rrTrXjh0VhnU4HJbFh8DkZf4nnzWuqW6m/s320/header_ourprocess_96137.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5499749584750203218" /></p><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">We must also look for opportunities to create</span></span></p><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"> 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.</span></span></p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">
</span></span><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">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.</span></span></p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">
</span></span><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">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.</span></span></p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">
</span></span><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">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.</span></span></p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">
</span></span><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">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.</span></span></p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">
</span></span><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">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.</span></span></p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">
</span></span><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">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.</span></span></p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">
</span></span><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">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.</span></span></p>Plant With Purposehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08264810586050663488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3708485561849480984.post-49498612107191350762010-07-29T09:40:00.000-07:002010-07-29T10:08:45.780-07:00Wyclef for President?<div style="text-align: center;">
</div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtGOUjDaXTRzo6QIyyrLlBQb1V28zZ1HhPG595F6RCFhdXZf-u-dqhLAhC4JiKRNmFbA08xsU0HjMfqQNg040i5MY5lZ5caXSdTK3EV7J3-isPuYdCvym8qYXh48WYK_TvOvrX6dym0IFM/s1600/wyclef-jean-haiti-aidjpg-ee99caad8e251c9b_large.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 211px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtGOUjDaXTRzo6QIyyrLlBQb1V28zZ1HhPG595F6RCFhdXZf-u-dqhLAhC4JiKRNmFbA08xsU0HjMfqQNg040i5MY5lZ5caXSdTK3EV7J3-isPuYdCvym8qYXh48WYK_TvOvrX6dym0IFM/s320/wyclef-jean-haiti-aidjpg-ee99caad8e251c9b_large.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5499374490718119538" /></a>
<p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">By Annie Fikes</span></span></p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">
</span></span><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">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.</span></span></p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><div style="text-align: center;">
</div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">
</span></span><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">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.</span></span></p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><div style="text-align: center;">
</div></span><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">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.</span></span></p><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">I have to confess.</span></span></p><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman', serif;">
</span></p><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">I’m a total nerd when it comes to governments and politics.</span></span></p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">
</span></span><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">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. </span></span></p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">
</span></span><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">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. </span></span></p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">
</span></span><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 192px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5gCUNb9tJ1b1CyPAMIr0Jk8g8Idu3GrsF9EDLQ9j0QHfX7rJOYCqL4znEZ1MSRDd_9V_nJ7WP8utT_7CUeTh7wLfbg7Zz59XlBe_dzzzGZoT4ItDD9rJtY_AkPiabFdXNFaD1of02_bds/s320/Wyclef-Jean-006-1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5499374940548289970" /><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">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.</span></span></p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">
</span></span><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">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. </span></span></p>Plant With Purposehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08264810586050663488noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3708485561849480984.post-76353293049881594742010-07-27T12:05:00.000-07:002010-07-27T14:32:50.054-07:00Don't Forget About your Hometown<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJGMJXsjwwUP3lV4PNTJwWA-mFOlZeZkyLpy5Mn4EwieZMYacX1Wukfw2T_LHLtLzyYMCB98Ncy1UaZjHSl60l78cCJ3RGAc5zorW2XtPaDX3b2yi_SAY_BeNZApiSiy0GmD8pdGA2xNIP/s1600/4769284798_99c91f4845_b.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJGMJXsjwwUP3lV4PNTJwWA-mFOlZeZkyLpy5Mn4EwieZMYacX1Wukfw2T_LHLtLzyYMCB98Ncy1UaZjHSl60l78cCJ3RGAc5zorW2XtPaDX3b2yi_SAY_BeNZApiSiy0GmD8pdGA2xNIP/s320/4769284798_99c91f4845_b.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498687050599445986" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">
<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja2fFSUYC45J-JVSpT3mOEE5sEAj_QDzReqKZcRInwGn7QjkTxFoC3ii9JaEBJ76nqg9GFkwwWL5t2aBBWQkW5WBbTTjgEOFEayS_RIE9UH9HnJe9KLe6TV4rcIG8Hmc6YB4Un5y_HGtYJ/s1600/IMGP2420.JPG"></a>by Corbyn</span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">
</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">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.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">
</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">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. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">
</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">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. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">
</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC1nfdm8lq-JRJhDB3ubk6uwogDOOq8hsSsd4KBgl2ysEp84niDbB6QLc8Ed9FKX_VKIszLFzyxRrZPpeFXYYHlf5GkiSbAEyeDPpZ_Ek36lsz__ofmV_nVCZK5WBYqUgxsBSbuI3tY6WP/s320/4768913079_cace5231f5_b.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498684077345728370" style="float: right; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">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</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">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. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">
</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">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.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">
</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">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 </span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">overcome. </span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja2fFSUYC45J-JVSpT3mOEE5sEAj_QDzReqKZcRInwGn7QjkTxFoC3ii9JaEBJ76nqg9GFkwwWL5t2aBBWQkW5WBbTTjgEOFEayS_RIE9UH9HnJe9KLe6TV4rcIG8Hmc6YB4Un5y_HGtYJ/s320/IMGP2420.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498684241477375490" style="float: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">When you sign up to sponsor a village your recurring donation will be matched for an entire year, doubling your donation! </span></span><a href="http://www.plantwithpurpose.org/get-involved/area/3/Get-Involved-Latin-America.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Please take a look at the villages that are available for your partnership here.</span></span></a></div>Plant With Purposehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08264810586050663488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3708485561849480984.post-18796710704363763232010-07-26T11:57:00.000-07:002010-07-26T12:07:17.205-07:00People With Purpose: Jimmy Lee<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFFH7447JWGcS3F8A1VU7ehFCNfp9zq3_dfDu0Qi-DbMnThJ7ESErJIdOeq5HAqzgEMDIK1fEJ6U-PDx-M3lXls3r5BJZH6EnGAgsFkWCu7GWaMtg-eoVDn5VMvnNWLSsJ-fog088LAANr/s1600/2010-07-26+11.43.16.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFFH7447JWGcS3F8A1VU7ehFCNfp9zq3_dfDu0Qi-DbMnThJ7ESErJIdOeq5HAqzgEMDIK1fEJ6U-PDx-M3lXls3r5BJZH6EnGAgsFkWCu7GWaMtg-eoVDn5VMvnNWLSsJ-fog088LAANr/s320/2010-07-26+11.43.16.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498293077133891826" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">
</span></span><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">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. </span></span></p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">
</span></span><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">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.</span></span></p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">
</span></span><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">“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.”</span></span></p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">
</span></span><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">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. </span></span></p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">
</span></span><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">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.</span></span></p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">
</span></span><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Welcome to the team, Jimmy!</span></span></p>Plant With Purposehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08264810586050663488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3708485561849480984.post-52873321329013684192010-07-23T10:08:00.000-07:002010-07-23T10:30:04.988-07:00Trans-border Tensions Between the DR and Haiti<span style="font-size:130%;"><a style="font-family: times new roman;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0AypV0M1eVpShj8Fb-94CiWQ9RjMAsqX7Y7qf8axojA7YPfjUHFEYfyraNUYT7EERKBCBjeQpvmuy2c9x2PE9amzVKIeh8r08j-gYqlSRiTr674-gyTneKEXt3DL1AM5YKg74U3KOFByL/s1600/transborder+project.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0AypV0M1eVpShj8Fb-94CiWQ9RjMAsqX7Y7qf8axojA7YPfjUHFEYfyraNUYT7EERKBCBjeQpvmuy2c9x2PE9amzVKIeh8r08j-gYqlSRiTr674-gyTneKEXt3DL1AM5YKg74U3KOFByL/s320/transborder+project.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5497151642997337282" border="0" /></a>
</span><p style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;">By Annie Fikes</span></p><span style="font-size:130%;">
</span><p style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;">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 H</span><span style="font-size:130%;">aiti 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. </span></p><p style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;">
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 reli</span><span style="font-size:130%;">ef to Haiti, greatly aiding in recovery. </span></p><span style="font-size:130%;">
</span><p style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;">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, an</span><span style="font-size:130%;">d passports. </span></p><span style="font-size:130%;">
</span><p style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;">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</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> 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. </span></p><span style="font-size:130%;">
</span><p style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Many Haitians cross into the Dominican Republic and become sharecroppers. Haitian work is cheap, so Dominican farmers hire them, but Haitian sharecroppers frequently return</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> to their forest-clearing habits for charcoal production, extending Haiti’s ecological problem into the DR. </span></p><span style="font-size:130%;">
</span><p style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;">W</span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghntqHObnq1OgkYtMqLHF6VvkTMT2AlxT4dCx4Z_c4Eu_55He3ItGR_V-v8jUON6vi02E62ayEOyckI4MOdvjlOGbgAzD4tG6vsQNSBaLu6oJgFK6If1Nqm_GL3B9UBDvpx_l3i8JBp2lx/s1600/trans-border+project2.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghntqHObnq1OgkYtMqLHF6VvkTMT2AlxT4dCx4Z_c4Eu_55He3ItGR_V-v8jUON6vi02E62ayEOyckI4MOdvjlOGbgAzD4tG6vsQNSBaLu6oJgFK6If1Nqm_GL3B9UBDvpx_l3i8JBp2lx/s320/trans-border+project2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5497155103175360946" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;">hile the DR’s response to the earthquake ma</span><span style="font-size:130%;">y 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. </span></p><p style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;">
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. </span></p><span style="font-size:130%;">
</span><p style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;">For more on the relationship between the Dominican Republic and Haiti, see this article: <a href="http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/07/16/1734536_p3/six-months-after-the-earthquake.html">http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/07/16/1734536_p3/six-months-after-the-earthquake.html </a>or read Scott’s book <a href="http://www.plantwithpurpose.org/page/64/tending-to-eden.html"><span style="font-style: italic;">Tending to Eden</span></a>!</span></p><span style="font-size:130%;">
</span>Plant With Purposehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08264810586050663488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3708485561849480984.post-52060104372651650492010-07-22T10:24:00.000-07:002010-07-22T10:42:45.429-07:00Preparing for Oaxaca<span style="font-size:130%;"><a style="font-family: times new roman;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVheRQE4RSGpgKtxtJS32yilw3Hj6HW-G_wEXhJ1ckDI0Vra_TJzTTp4fx8d8FPR0iqe5LmC3g0tLVqMQKDqbtYx94pb_t4EnRnaqgxDJ47bdAg9sPWUF6-FTKeoNowK1M1XNnqjiQeBl6/s1600/Oaxaca+Church.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVheRQE4RSGpgKtxtJS32yilw3Hj6HW-G_wEXhJ1ckDI0Vra_TJzTTp4fx8d8FPR0iqe5LmC3g0tLVqMQKDqbtYx94pb_t4EnRnaqgxDJ47bdAg9sPWUF6-FTKeoNowK1M1XNnqjiQeBl6/s320/Oaxaca+Church.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496785850118791058" border="0" /></a>
</span><p style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><i>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 int</i></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><i>ricacies of our programs and offer a hands-on experience. Here are her thoughts as she prepares for her trip.</i></span></p><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:times new roman;">By Katy Dhanens</span>
</span><p style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;">The proverb, “It takes a village” takes on literal meaning in regards to Plant With Purpose's projects in the villa</span><span style="font-size:130%;">ges in Oaxaca, Mexico. </span></p><span style="font-size:130%;">
</span><p style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;">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 M</span><span style="font-size:130%;">exican 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.</span></p> <p style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;">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. </span></p><span style="font-size:130%;">
</span><p style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Th</span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglaEedMgwei1WAPEODsdWGpm_JOGVoA6t3E9WjVDokhhnzl4a2IYqreIRBqkPxCzjVeMkQeNXLuJ7dC_gGrRXvrs682-tYa09FqJ21Ucw6LXpLfEAbkNT_ImsXqRTkFz64XKZ6qGj2E0bo/s1600/Katy+Dhanens.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 151px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglaEedMgwei1WAPEODsdWGpm_JOGVoA6t3E9WjVDokhhnzl4a2IYqreIRBqkPxCzjVeMkQeNXLuJ7dC_gGrRXvrs682-tYa09FqJ21Ucw6LXpLfEAbkNT_ImsXqRTkFz64XKZ6qGj2E0bo/s200/Katy+Dhanens.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496786388171735954" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;">is 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. </span></p><span style="font-size:130%;">
</span>Plant With Purposehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08264810586050663488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3708485561849480984.post-58996878414947502642010-07-21T08:26:00.000-07:002010-07-21T08:50:30.878-07:00Village Spotlight: Rio Comal, Mexico<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbd4VBUyJeAZzApvUxz7eBGvu7PoCcL4Tx72hlawonLrfy072f5aD2aPrkw3bx5xL0aAjQc7ftuDzjHt1yMK6e_AOYs4gQ8aV8rgN1t30JwyavtXtWsccXtxT2P0LbiH7yU9The-mMgF7s/s1600/Rio+Comal+Cistern.png"></a><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">The “ranchita” of Rio Comal is a small community made up of</span></span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">small clusters of families who depend on the neighboring town of Ojo de Agua for services such as schools and churches. </span></span></span><span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">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.</span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">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.</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">
</span></span></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbd4VBUyJeAZzApvUxz7eBGvu7PoCcL4Tx72hlawonLrfy072f5aD2aPrkw3bx5xL0aAjQc7ftuDzjHt1yMK6e_AOYs4gQ8aV8rgN1t30JwyavtXtWsccXtxT2P0LbiH7yU9The-mMgF7s/s1600/Rio+Comal+Cistern.png"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbd4VBUyJeAZzApvUxz7eBGvu7PoCcL4Tx72hlawonLrfy072f5aD2aPrkw3bx5xL0aAjQc7ftuDzjHt1yMK6e_AOYs4gQ8aV8rgN1t30JwyavtXtWsccXtxT2P0LbiH7yU9The-mMgF7s/s320/Rio+Comal+Cistern.png" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496387320278923650" style="float: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; cursor: pointer; width: 281px; height: 211px; " /></a><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">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. </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">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. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">And, if you sign up for a recurring donation, your gift will be matched for the first year! </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">To learn more about Rio Comal or to sponsor this village, </span></span><a href="https://www.plantwithpurpose.org/donate/12/3/Donate-to-MEXICO-Rio-Comal.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">click here</span></span></a><a href="https://www.plantwithpurpose.org/donate/12/3/Donate-to-MEXICO-Rio-Comal.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">.</span></span></a></p> <!--EndFragment-->Plant With Purposehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08264810586050663488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3708485561849480984.post-6028315283705779212010-07-20T09:11:00.000-07:002010-07-20T11:48:54.010-07:00United Nations Tool Distribution in Haiti<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-oV97oczInNm3nwZPTFeub2v1gL5hGXcaQ_JXkXm9tdPGqg5fGNVqFUXAVwvVb_BPBFve8Xr-6oFvO6GtdXHLwAx1KtwNh1PpDO1SJV2NlHZQC9ZBCok5DbI3UVwWXArNd1U5DQThx3Eu/s1600/IMGP1517.JPG"></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">posted by Corbyn</span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">
</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">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:</span></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-oV97oczInNm3nwZPTFeub2v1gL5hGXcaQ_JXkXm9tdPGqg5fGNVqFUXAVwvVb_BPBFve8Xr-6oFvO6GtdXHLwAx1KtwNh1PpDO1SJV2NlHZQC9ZBCok5DbI3UVwWXArNd1U5DQThx3Eu/s1600/IMGP1517.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-oV97oczInNm3nwZPTFeub2v1gL5hGXcaQ_JXkXm9tdPGqg5fGNVqFUXAVwvVb_BPBFve8Xr-6oFvO6GtdXHLwAx1KtwNh1PpDO1SJV2NlHZQC9ZBCok5DbI3UVwWXArNd1U5DQThx3Eu/s320/IMGP1517.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496023237653687346" style="float: right; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">
</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">"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." </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">
</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">To read another of Bob's recent blogs about 'a model farm' and the illegal trespassing arrest that was made yesterday, </span></span><a href="http://whereisbob.blogspot.com/2010/07/model-farm.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">click here.</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> You will enjoy the insight as well as the humor of the situation.</span></span></div></div></div>Plant With Purposehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08264810586050663488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3708485561849480984.post-26831774460751002272010-07-19T11:07:00.000-07:002010-07-19T11:39:49.088-07:00The Vuvuzela: Echoes of Change in East Africa<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEn3qENO2Q4qg66HWwd_Wg_SBQ2rFmUVQp9PqgsMvtnn8-0Iwf5YQr7NkVTULVjUi2ryjKIvfKpfGfNfn5xX7HNf-MGz9PaXE_fKyQ5DtIz6WaKqX2DhbLjmrhPePohr6iXm-EqK-quGL5/s1600/TZ+girl.jpg"></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">
</span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTFYIrKtBoAKKs4SqFbURJsmQMhdPftIzHcjcj0zxzO1vCujNxXBnD5C5k8xZuH18BL6KjD7a6f-7EO2KczpalCCzqkxSl-wFBldaHpgM1yO4mrLPbtovwoqeGKvTotJGoM2uHFFjelQZw/s1600/Vuvuzlea"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTFYIrKtBoAKKs4SqFbURJsmQMhdPftIzHcjcj0zxzO1vCujNxXBnD5C5k8xZuH18BL6KjD7a6f-7EO2KczpalCCzqkxSl-wFBldaHpgM1yO4mrLPbtovwoqeGKvTotJGoM2uHFFjelQZw/s320/Vuvuzlea" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5495685418790656066" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">by James Ellett, Grant writing intern</span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">
</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">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. </span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">
</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">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.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">
</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">And yet, the vuvuzela plays on.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">
</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">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.</span></span></div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEn3qENO2Q4qg66HWwd_Wg_SBQ2rFmUVQp9PqgsMvtnn8-0Iwf5YQr7NkVTULVjUi2ryjKIvfKpfGfNfn5xX7HNf-MGz9PaXE_fKyQ5DtIz6WaKqX2DhbLjmrhPePohr6iXm-EqK-quGL5/s320/TZ+girl.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5495688674765089122" style="float: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">
</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">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. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">
</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">
</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">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.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">
</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">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.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">
</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">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.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">
</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">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.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">
</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">To learn more about East Africa’s common market, visit http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/8769566.stm</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">
</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">To learn more about the East African Community, visit http://www.eac.int/</span></span>
</div></div>Plant With Purposehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08264810586050663488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3708485561849480984.post-22643989234584442932010-07-16T10:02:00.000-07:002010-07-16T10:13:01.941-07:00New Thailand Video<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2thbx7AnH9Af2SaeTFRylfOcPpTlYVGyw1qadVhfkfq_GPiA1G6B3-hWuDgm2D-8Wgc5iOUcnCKDv9NeTxz8eQKVRhFXpiATX8PD9mMo1Qba-Cmpu3gFHw8MCcfiCiVNr2mZIhvTPzmjA/s1600/Thailand.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2thbx7AnH9Af2SaeTFRylfOcPpTlYVGyw1qadVhfkfq_GPiA1G6B3-hWuDgm2D-8Wgc5iOUcnCKDv9NeTxz8eQKVRhFXpiATX8PD9mMo1Qba-Cmpu3gFHw8MCcfiCiVNr2mZIhvTPzmjA/s320/Thailand.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494552584812393442" border="0" /></a>
<span style="font-size:130%;">
<span style="font-family:times new roman;">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).</span>
<span style="font-family:times new roman;">Click here to view this inspiring 6 minute video titled "Uncommon Environmentalists": </span><a style="font-family: times new roman; font-weight: bold;" href="http://vimeo.com/12994792">http://</a><a style="font-family: times new roman; font-weight: bold;" href="http://vimeo.com/12994792">vimeo.com/12994792</a><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:times new roman;" >.</span></span>Plant With Purposehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08264810586050663488noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3708485561849480984.post-75043057358571662802010-07-15T09:35:00.000-07:002010-07-15T09:43:55.948-07:00Stay With: Child Slavery in Haiti<span style="font-size:130%;">
<a style="font-family: times new roman;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3MAK7p1CAL7KT3tM64ikFFzMGaYBx92YT88wSzpidKS8U9s9UccsQYxrRu9cbehUTqj4HT0ENUdH-SjJBd8z2slaT4cTqwXsl8kMqxzBtOJh3gWBs9JzPszw13BFCrxlwB3C5Zcl21_ub/s1600/7+15+10+Blog.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3MAK7p1CAL7KT3tM64ikFFzMGaYBx92YT88wSzpidKS8U9s9UccsQYxrRu9cbehUTqj4HT0ENUdH-SjJBd8z2slaT4cTqwXsl8kMqxzBtOJh3gWBs9JzPszw13BFCrxlwB3C5Zcl21_ub/s320/7+15+10+Blog.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494174419472852114" border="0" /></a>
</span><p style="font-family: times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;">By Annie Fikes, PR and Events Intern</span></p><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family: times new roman;">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.</span>
</span><p style="font-family: times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;">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.</span></p><span style="font-size:130%;">
</span><p style="font-family: times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;">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. </span></p><span style="font-size:130%;">
</span><p style="font-family: times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Bef<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ6BQCy4oJ8CdLp4k7yepK26tMz_LeA2Yhp97vm9Gx8epXzkJ-fBGAo5nTvrSXZXFFf0fEmY_jxJP5d3rA7wXKvad_Nd4RnkZm9Dbr1jVYKHwDSIdHgpvWDdJvthbwm1hVWj-ysHm_vhKl/s1600/7+15+10+Haiti+blog+2.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ6BQCy4oJ8CdLp4k7yepK26tMz_LeA2Yhp97vm9Gx8epXzkJ-fBGAo5nTvrSXZXFFf0fEmY_jxJP5d3rA7wXKvad_Nd4RnkZm9Dbr1jVYKHwDSIdHgpvWDdJvthbwm1hVWj-ysHm_vhKl/s320/7+15+10+Haiti+blog+2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494174504548225682" border="0" /></a>ore 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. </span></p><span style="font-size:130%;">
</span><p style="font-family: times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;">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. </span></p><span style="font-size:130%;">
</span><p style="font-family: times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Read this article for more information on restavek children: <a href="http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/americas/07/11/haiti.child.slavery/?fbid=SPAVjns-XZm">http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/americas/07/11/haiti.child.slavery/?fbid=SPAVjns-XZm</a></span></p><span style="font-size:130%;">
</span>Plant With Purposehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08264810586050663488noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3708485561849480984.post-58112097789524318062010-07-14T11:16:00.000-07:002010-07-14T11:54:59.475-07:00Preserving a Heritage<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitEbfuJws4y7kZ5MK9U4pi7uqlxvlSQojpdl1cGnn4v-fisb3gl8DTy5laWkTqQ2gMeMbiDSZ6m05_gZgFULH1ZuN_w0Z0cRVfPGzFvbwEW6D6rDXrHuO5O19o5VN7wFbYw8nWCmV61p0z/s1600/Thai+boy.jpg"></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">by James Ellett, Grant writing intern</span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">
</span></span></div><div><span style="font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; " id="internal-source-marker_0.08039822354205506"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Everybody loves a good family heirloom. </span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; " id="internal-source-marker_0.08039822354205506"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">
</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; "></span>
</span></span><span style="font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">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.</span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">
</span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG10057d4Zjo2gWCyHliedwXrbLy3UYLgVt4qCzQuEXhD4-MARp40l4jnGR00Dw_GHW7au5bw-1a-TGlYFUnUDkvpzWMWgypj0tOE7SjKwuH5D9y78pCF-BEWtJ7V4TCaU2e-Eq7eC7SyD/s200/Hunting+knife" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493836015607830322" style="float: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 149px; " /></span><div><span style="font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">I used it to practiced my knife-throwing skills.</span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">
</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; "></span>
</span></span><span style="font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">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.</span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">
</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; "></span>
</span></span><span style="font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">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 </span></span></span><span style="font-style: italic; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">prove </span></span></span><span style="font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">that I own my grandfathers knife with a receipt or certificate of ownership, these people cannot </span></span></span><span style="font-style: italic; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">prove</span></span></span><span style="font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> that the land belongs to them. </span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">
</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; "></span></span></span><span style="font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">
</span></span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6tP8ibhKV9CtQKNZm5kVf8coO3ky1tFTeRlXKUzr-Gmg3-Mvj2NuV68XV5t_r59lMkM9ny53Yv0xOLDW36JNVtAwrRloFNudQcV3B2OwonCIRv1vA3eti8njXjpaFlMxqeep11KYLgjzf/s200/Thai+landscape.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493836880890020914" style="float: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 134px; " /></span><div><span style="font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">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.</span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">
</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; "></span>
</span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitEbfuJws4y7kZ5MK9U4pi7uqlxvlSQojpdl1cGnn4v-fisb3gl8DTy5laWkTqQ2gMeMbiDSZ6m05_gZgFULH1ZuN_w0Z0cRVfPGzFvbwEW6D6rDXrHuO5O19o5VN7wFbYw8nWCmV61p0z/s200/Thai+boy.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493837048257504050" style="float: right; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 134px; height: 200px; " /></span><div><span style="font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">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. </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">
</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; "></span>
</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">
</span></span><span style="font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">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.</span></span></span></div>Plant With Purposehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08264810586050663488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3708485561849480984.post-21105815255595017792010-07-13T09:32:00.000-07:002010-07-13T09:54:16.844-07:00Plant With Purpose's Work in Haiti Featured in the New York Times<span style="font-size:130%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTS_7cIQ-_SgVZI7rXu6Bvx1XI_Z44rBjc8oZCESCGQaOkqzNFrv1_HdTOyGkxZNVNFUIFBYnkTxG7dpAxOeoXsCzJmMibYlhYh6VoRw6xyUZsk3PSpWZiPhyDKCTF32GuqLdCflM4AGwd/s1600/new_york_times_logo_2.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 241px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTS_7cIQ-_SgVZI7rXu6Bvx1XI_Z44rBjc8oZCESCGQaOkqzNFrv1_HdTOyGkxZNVNFUIFBYnkTxG7dpAxOeoXsCzJmMibYlhYh6VoRw6xyUZsk3PSpWZiPhyDKCTF32GuqLdCflM4AGwd/s320/new_york_times_logo_2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493433290758021682" border="0" /></a>
</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><p>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<span style="font-style: italic;font-family:times new roman;" > New York Times</span><span style="font-family:times new roman;">. Here is a brief excerpt:</span></p>
</span> <span style="font-style: italic;font-family:times new roman;" >
<p>"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."</p></span> <span style="font-family:times new roman;">
<p>Click here to read the full article "Devastated Haiti Braces for an Active Hurricane Season": </p></span><a style="font-family: times new roman;" href="http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2010/07/12/12greenwire-devastated-haiti-braces-for-an-active-hurrican-11849.html?pagewanted=1">http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2010/07/12/12greenwire-devastated-haiti-braces-for-an-active-hurrican-11849.html?pagewanted=1</a><p></p>
</span>Plant With Purposehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08264810586050663488noreply@blogger.com0