Seeds and Skills for Women to Grow Vegetables

Hi there folks, 

This project update comes from our partners at Preserve International and the Swinga Women’s Group. They are working to grow vegetables from SPI seeds for their community in Yumbe, Uganda. Unfortunately, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, they are facing several challenges in accomplishing their goal of growing and dehydrating vegetables and fruits for their community.

Currently, Preserve International and the Swinga Women’s Group are still navigating the realities of living and working in a pandemic, such as limited access to supplies and restrictions on movement. Thankfully, they received training using the Sparky Dryer, and payment for their work so far. Because of COVID-19, they are moving towards more income-producing activities, to help improve local economic conditions.

While Preserve International and the Swinga Women’s Group faced challenges with their initial goals and objectives, they are still making great progress. They aren’t just growing vegetables and combating food insecurity and malnutrition, but creating an economic boost for Yumbe. Growing these vegetables gives the group more independence as they contribute greatly to their community. Even early on, the economic impact that growing these vegetables had was massive, helping women and girls in the community continue with their education, and preventing early marriage. 

Slowly but surely, the Swinga Women’s Group reached out to other women’s groups in local communities nearby and developed a support network dedicated to agricultural pursuits. Encouraging the autonomy of these women, whether it’s through growing vegetables or something else entirely, is a great thing. Preserve International said the partnership with the Swinga women’s group grew through these difficult times. They are looking forward to working with them and other women’s groups for years to come.

That being said, the Swinga Women’s Group is still working hard to accomplish their original goals, including becoming self-sustainable with their agriculture. The COVID-19 pandemic is still affecting Uganda and the rest of Africa, so unfortunately, it may be awhile until self-sustainability is reached. However, they are going to keep working and learning, so that they eventually end food insecurity and malnutrition in their community. SPI looks forward to continuing to work with them and thanks donors like you for your support. 

— The SPI Team

Hi folks,

This month’s update comes from our longtime partnership with Habitat for Humanity in Guatemala, who you may remember from our {previous report}. Their newest project, Calanté Produces, aims to promote the livelihoods and nutrition of women and their families in poverty conditions through the growing and selling of vegetables. They aim to accomplish this with the construction of a 580 sq. ft. greenhouse, distribution of seeds, and training in biopreparations and agroecology for soil conservation and increased vegetable production. 

Although the project suffered some initial setbacks from COVID-19 and tropical storms Eta and Iota, Habitat has begun construction of the greenhouse. In the meantime, the 15 families participating in the Calanté Produces project are looking at ways to incorporate the vegetables into their diets and market the harvest to sell locally.

During this initial phase, Habitat Guatemala interviewed the mothers involved to learn their perception of the project. The mothers responded positively and were excited about the addition of the greenhouse. 

Catarina:Looking Forward to Tomatoes

Catarina lives with her husband Miguel, and their three children, María, Juan, and Andrés in the community of Calanté, Uspantán. Miguel works in agriculture, and while Catarina is the main caregiver, she is also very involved in the community garden and the greenhouse. Catarina became involved with Habitat Guatemala five years ago during their Family Garden Project.   During the interview, she proudly walks through the community garden, which is filled with a variety of different vegetables. 

“Since we started our family garden, and also by being part of the community garden, we have learned new ways to harvest different vegetables. Most of what we harvest is what we eat at home. I feel happy to be a part of this project, and to have the knowledge to prepare different vegetables for my kids, too.” 

To our donors, Catarina would like to express, 

“We are very grateful for the donation to build the greenhouse! We are looking forward to the greenhouse, as we would like to harvest tomatoes. Before, because of the weather, we could not harvest them in our gardens. Now, the idea is to not buy them anymore. Thank you for thinking about us, for your support.”

Maria: Awaiting Sweet Peppers

María lives with her husband Diego, and their three children, Rosy, Juan Miguel, and Juana in the community of Calanté, Uspantán. Diego works in the city hall, while María takes care of the children. She is also very involved in the community garden and the greenhouse. 

“Before being a part of this project, our children did not receive enough food to keep them nourished. Since we started our family garden, we now have more variety and their health has improved.

With the greenhouse we are going to improve even more, because we are going to be able to grow tomatoes and sweet pepper. Our community is very cold. I have tried to harvest tomatoes and peppers before, but the cold weather did not allow for them to grow. With the green house, we will be able to produce these for ourselves, saving money that we would normally spend at the market.” 

She continues, 

“We are going to improve our health by harvesting more vegetables. And without any chemicals, everything is organic. We are happy to be a part of this project. Thank you for your  support, for supporting our community that needs it very much!” 

In summary, the Calanté Produces project has been an opportunity for the community to learn the importance of creating livelihoods and promoting nutrition. The families participating in this project can reinvest the profits in garden production while adding to their personal savings. This model allows families to reinvest in themselves and their community, improving their living conditions in a progressive way.

From the participants of Calanté Produces, Habitat for Humanity Guatemala, and Seed Programs International, thank you for your support. 

-the SPI Team

Hi folks, 

This month’s update comes from GrowEastAfrica, our partners in Ethiopia. If their name sounds familiar, that’s becausewe’ve been working with them since 2016 back when they were DBCO, andwe’ve shared some of their story before.

Thanks to GlobalGiving partners, GrowEastAfrica and Seed Programs International are undertaking a project in the Burji District of Ethiopia to implement sustainable processes that improve the livelihoods of women who are establishing new livelihoods after being displaced by violence. Their current project, Birhan Vegetables & Pulse Producers & Supply Cooperative, is also known as the Birhan Ladies Group. 

The Birhan Ladies Group is a fifty-member women’s farming cooperative that was formed after 2,000 refugee families relocated near the town of Mega in southern Ethiopia. The refugee families—all farmers—fled their homes to escape inter-ethnic clashes between two Oromo tribes, the larger Borana tribe and smaller Burji tribe. The Borana are pastoralists, skilled at animal production and its derivative products, while the Burji are farmers who typically produce grains for their diet. For over two centuries, these two tribes co-existed peacefully, relying on one another for commerce and community. 

In 2014, the Burji formed a coalition party that defeated the ruling Borana candidates. In retaliation, the Borana violently forced Burji families off the Ethiopian and Kenyan sides of their land. Burji families fled, leaving their farms and animals behind. Some lost their lives. Families traveled 200 miles to take shelter in the Burji District, their ancestral home. Since then, about half of the refugee families have returned to their former homes, while others remained in the Burji District to start new lives — like the Birhan Ladies Group who are regaining power over their own lives through this project.

In the first phase of this project, the Birhan Ladies learned to farm vegetables, teff, and quinoa on 4.5 hectares of leased land. They prepared the land based on knowledge they gained from GEA training that supplemented their traditional knowledge, sowed their seeds, and tended the subsequent plants with care. After the harvest, food was shared among members and their families, and the remaining produce was sold at the local and surrounding markets. Each harvest not only provides members of the cooperative with more food, but that food is nutritionally diverse. Nutritional diversity is important for providing a more balanced diet for their family's—and the community’s—health and well-being.

However, the project is not without challenges. Unexpected and continuous heavy rain caused seed losses and waterlogging of sapling plants, ultimately resulting in crop loss. COVID-19 restrictions further stressed the group and community, and strained the group’s cooperative efforts. The GrowEastAfrica team quickly implemented training that mitigated the environmental and social stressors and developed a strategy to minimize the impact of water stagnation and waterlogging on the farm. The farmers dug new drainage ditches to divert excess water from the crops and implemented COVID safety standards on the farm to continue their work. 

With GrowEastAfrica’s assistance and the perseverance of the Birhan Ladies, the success of their project remains steady. Crop yields are projected to increase from previous years and community nutrition is increasing. A key to this success is the Birhan Ladies’ confidence. GrowEastAfrica reports:

“The Birhan Ladies have reported improved self-respect and self-reliance. They have improved their status among the community—as producers, rather than recipients of aid. Their model has generated interest in farming, positioning them as local entrepreneurs and trainers.“

Donors like you make continued progress possible. We look forward to the Birhan Ladies’ bright future and sharing their updates with you as they continue to grow. From GrowEastAfrica, the Birhan’s Ladies Group, and Seed Programs International, thank you.

- The SPI Team 

Hi folks, 

This month’s update comes from Tecpán Women’s Group in Tecpán, Guatemala, where a group of Mayan women are continuing to grow their farming program. You may remember our previous report, where we first introduced this partner through GlobalGiving. They have been working continuously to expand their program, which preserves and passes on traditional farming knowledge to families in local communities.

At the beginning of 2020, this group implemented their Family Gardens Project, which is dedicated to growing vegetables for family consumption throughout the year. In addition to teaching gardeners advanced cultivation methods, the curriculum introduces new ways of preparing vegetables grown in family gardens. Modeling new preparation methods and providing simple recipes helps ensure that families take full advantage of the nutrition available in their garden. Paula López, the group’s leader, asserts that families  are more likely to grow diverse vegetable types if they can integrate them into traditional, delicious meals. 

“You can’t just set a bowl of spinach down in front of children and expect them to be excited. You have to cut it up, cook it with other vegetables, add it to beans, and put it all in a warm tortilla. Then they will love it, because the unfamiliar becomes familiar.” — Paula López, Women's Group Project Leader

These trainings are hosted at the most fundamental level — at each gardener’s home. This isn’t a small job. There is sometimes miles of roads between each home. This is where your donation made a difference: Paula was able to purchase a bicycle with SPI support so field technicians could more easily travel between remote areas of the village. Gardening tools were also purchased to establish a communal tool bank that community gardeners can access.

Their efforts are not without difficulties. COVID-19 curfews have caused significant delays in garden preparation and training. Fewer hours means shorter work days, and group gatherings are discouraged.

“Malnutrition has increased considerably due to a lack of food throughout the country because of the current situation of COVID 19. The Family Gardens Project is more important now than in the past.”  — Paula López, Women's Group & Gardening Project Leader

Despite these setbacks, the Women’s Group has found a way to work with the curfews and continue teaching while maintaining social distance. So far, twenty-five families have been able to prepare their garden beds by incorporating compost and organic matter, and some have already planted seeds. Like many partners, they are doing the best they can to adapt their programs in a rapidly-changing environment.

We are proud to partner with Paula and the Tecpán Women’s Group and look forward to providing you with further updates as these family gardens begin to flourish.

Thank you, sincerely, for your support. Your gift provides important resources for partners like the Tecpán Women’s Group. We hope you’re encouraged to know that families have access to more nutrition because of you.

— The SPI Team

Hi folks,

This month’s update comes from our partnership with Habitat for Humanity in western Guatemala and features our Rotarians Against Hunger seed grant program. Habitat Guatemala founded the Family Gardens Project in 2013 to help establish and improve family and community gardens as a way to address malnutrition and poverty. In 2014, Habitat Guatemala worked closely with the community to expand their Family Gardens Project to El Canaque, San Marcos.

We know that only starting a garden is not enough. Disadvantages like malnutrition and poverty often stem from restricted access to resources and a lack of knowledge about how to use those resources. After the gardens were established, Habitat Guatemala offered families and communities training on the organic production of vegetables and seeds — that is, a way to expand the use of the original resources and the resources provided by these gardens.

During the initial phase, malnutrition in the community was reduced by 52%. Several community members were also inspired to found a bio-factory that prepares and sells different organic inputs and products, the Bio-fabrica. The challenges faced by these communities are not gone, but this project has provided resources and education to develop new tools that can help provide for fundamental human needs like nutritious food and income. 

Mangloris: Strengthening Families & Communities
Mangloris joined Habitat Guatemala’s Family Gardens Project when it opened in 2014. A mother living with her husband and five children in the El Canaque community, she tended a small family garden prior to participating in the community project. Mangloris has since become deeply involved in the communal garden and currently serves on the local Health Committee. Describing some of what she’s accomplished through the project, she shares:

“Through the support of the organizations and our own means, we have learned and improved as a family and team. We have harvested big crops of carrots, onions and trees to sell abroad. ... We started working on our own, and bought new seeds and other items to keep on growing and growing. The main goal of the project was to teach us how to work on our own, and now we are ready.”

Mangloris describes two important aspects of garden projects — they’re collaborative, and they’re hard work. Seeds are a resource that only bear fruit (or vegetables) when people can readily access everything needed to nurture that seed from sowing through harvest. When nurtured, seeds and education can provide a livelihood that provides family nutrition and income. Income is critical because it’s versatile. It can provide access to supplemental foods, improve gardening methods, and it supports the local economy that other community members rely on for their own livelihood. In short, programs like Habitat Guatemala’s Family Gardens Project improve people’s quality of life and help people gain more power over their own lives.

Six years into the project, Mangloris describes how she and her family have applied the principles learned through the project.

“We learned to use every part of the vegetables that we grow by cooking them in different recipes for our children. We also use the seeds from the vegetables for future harvests. ... It has been a great experience, because we have learned, grown and worked together! It has not been an easy road. But we continue moving forward. My dream is that one day, we will be selling all of our products in different towns.”

In 2019, Habitat Guatemala partnered with Seed Programs International in support of the Family Gardens Project as part of our Rotarians Against Hunger seed grant program. Rotarians Against Hunger is led by US Western North Carolina-based Rotary Clubs in Rotary District 7670. This program grants vegetable seeds to partners worldwide who are involved with nutrition, education, and income development projects.

Asked about the seeds supplied by Seed Programs International through the Rotarians Against Hunger program, she says, “The radishes grew really big! I prepared them in different dishes for my children and they loved it! We learned how to take full advantage of everything here, and now, all of the products are growing properly.”

Dreaming Big
So, what does the future look like for Mangloris?

“My dream is to keep working as a team. We need to work together as a community to continue improving. And I am hoping to keep working with Habitat Guatemala and America Solidaria too. I want to keep on dreaming and dreaming big! I have always enjoyed working with communities, motivating my team and showing them how to keep on dreaming to expand and grow.”

Your support of this project makes these partnerships possible. We cannot do our part without the support of folks like you who have contributed your resources in support of our own. You have the sincere gratitude of our team, and from Mangloris:

“We are very grateful for the seeds! They have been of great use to all of us. We have harvested and eaten them already. Thank you and may God bless you.”

— Team SPI