Don't Forget About your Hometown

by Corbyn

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

overcome.

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

Village Spotlight: Rio Comal, Mexico

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

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

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

Village Spotlight: Panasawan, Thailand

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

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

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

New Babies and Bright Beginnings

Miguel and his wife, Santa Nivar, of La Represa, Dominican Republic have experienced great transformation in their lives this year. Not only did they just have their first child, a beautiful baby girl, but through the help of Plant With Purpose, Miguel can provide for his new, growing family in ways he never thought possible! With the help of loans through Plant With Purpose, Miguel has been able to maintain his production of cocoa, improve his home, and buy a motorcycle.

Before, Miguel used agricultural techniques that were harmful for the land and the environment. Now, Miguel has had training in sustainable and environmentally friendly agriculture techniques that allow him to have a larger crop yield and increased income! In addition to helping Miguel and his family, Plant With Purpose has increased the general knowledge and consciousness of the whole community in the management of the land and natural resources.

Miguel says, “Our prayer is that God continues to bless Plant With Purpose and that his hand extends to those that need it the most, so that the community continues to advance on the spiritual level as well as the material level.”

We at Plant With Purpose would like to echo Miguel's prayer for the community of La Represa, and we wish Miguel and his family continued health, happiness, and transformation. And thank you to everyone who has partnered with Plant With Purpose to sponsor a village like La Represa. Because of you, families across the world are experiencing new hope and bright beginnings.

To learn more about Plant With Purpose's Sponsor A VIllage program Click Here. For only $30 a month you can make a significant difference in the lives of the rural poor by helping to improve and support their communities. And every recurring donation will be matched for the first year; therefore this is an easy way to double your donation to be $60 per month and make an even bigger impact!

A Taste of Transformation

Read how Plant With Purpose is transforming the lives of farmers in Malindi, Tanzania:

Zabihu Abraham Kanyaka is the chairman of organic agriculture in the village of Malindi, Tanzania. With the help of Plant With Purpose, Zabihu has been able to improve his farm, increase his income, and provide for his growing family! Before Plant With Purpose, Zabihu was using industrial fertilizers and pesticides and letting his chickens roam free without a constant food supply. Now, Zabihu has been trained in organic farming, how to construct ridges to help the land retain water, and how to make organic fertilizer and double dug vegetable gardens. Zabihu has had great success with all of the training he has received and it is now much easier for him to farm on the steep slopes and eroded soil that covers most of his land.

Zabihu says, “Before, with the traditional methods of farming, I was not able to grow enough food to feed my family. Now, I have enough for my family and can sell the surplus to villagers and schools in the area. The money we save on food plus the money we earn help us pay for school for our 5 children!”

To equip more farmers like Zabihu to build a better life for their families click here.

Planting to Provide

Isabel Faén Melenciano is a Dominican farmer and businessman in the village of Los Mogotes. With Plant With Purposeʼs help, he is improving his farm and transforming his life. He has been involved in a myriad of Plant With Purpose projects: working in tree nurseries, applying agroforestry techniques, and planting acacia, eucalyptus, mahogany and pine trees. All of these projects have helped to restore productivity to his barren land, improving the health, nutrition, and outlook of his entire family. Additionally, joining with the Plant With Purpose community has improved Faénʼs relationship with God. He received his first Bible from Plant With Purpose, and has been growing in his understanding of God ever since. Faén says that with Plant With Purpose he has “learned and overcome a lot. I have made a lot of money, and I have been able to give education to my daughters and support my mother.”