2014 Summer Sower

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SUMMER 2014

ENVIRONMENTAL SOLUTIONS TO HUMANITARIAN PROBLEMS

DEPARTMENTS

Directors Corner

Breaking News

La Sabana de Caballero, DR

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AQUILINA MORALES HERNANDEZ

SHOWS OFF HER HOMEGROWN

RADISHES IN MEXICO.

FEATURES

Partnerships Around the World

Sustainable Development

and the Gospel

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STRATEGICALLY

PARTNERING

WITH COMMUNITIES

AROUND THE WORLD


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I recently returned

from Haiti, where I

visited our work in

the mountainside vil-

lages near Fonds-

Verrettes. While there,

we stay a few miles

up the road from our

field office at a lodge in a forest reserve. It

is an idyllic place where the morning sun

filters through pine trees covered with epi-

phytes and onto a green forest floor carpet-

ed with bromeliads. Not far away livestock

graze and beans are cultivated in little clear-

ings. It is a glimpse of what the mountains

of Haiti once looked like.

The road from Fonds-Parisien to the forest

reserve, however, brought us through two

stunningly washed out riverbeds. One of

these, the Soliette, provides a constant re-

minder of the catastrophic flash floods that

took thousands of lives in May 2004. Above

the Soliette are some of the steepest and

most eroded farm plots I have seen any-

where in the world. When one realizes the

scale and absoluteness of this landscapes

destruction, it is overwhelming. It has al-

ways struck me as slightly nightmarish.

Looking at these hills makes it easy to suc-

cumb to a feeling of futility. Yet as I continu-

ally have to remind myself, our job is not to

save Haiti, or the planet, or any place else.

Our job is to step out in faith and join God in

what He is doing to redeem Haiti and save

the planet. We would be making a tremen-

dous error if we were to withhold our gifts

because we could not do everything. As

Edmond Burk said, Nobody made a great-

er mistake than he who did nothing be-

cause he could do only a little.

I have often shared that I see our role as

analogous to that of the disciples and the

little boy as Jesus feeds five thousand peo-

ple, as related in the Gospel of John. When

Jesus asks the disciples to feed the crowd

(giving them an impossible task), the little

boy comes forward in faith and offers five

loaves and two fish, inadequate though it

may be. It is both all he has and complete-

ly absurd. But that little bit becomes the raw

material for a miracle.

In the villages around Fonds-Verrettes wesaw dozens of people offering their five

loaves and two fish to transform their

communities and surrounding landscape.

In Nan Plezi, a VSLA group was complet-

ing their first cycle, stunned to realize they

had collaboratively accumulated $3,000 in

savings. When we asked who would con-

tinue into the second cycle, group mem-

bers looked at us like we were crazy and

responded, Why would anyone quit?.

Farmers in Bois Tombe and the village of

Soliette showed us trees they had plant-

ed, fruit grown on trees that they had graft-ed, and agroforestry systems planted to re-

claim their hillsides. Like the five loaves and

two fish, they were giving all they had. In

the context of all that they are facing, per-

haps it looks absurd. Yet we remain confi-

dent that it is the raw material for a miracle.

Scott Sabin

Executive Director

THE SOWER ISSUE #104

Plant With Purpose, a Christian nonpro

organization, reverses deforestation an

poverty around the world by transform

ing the lives of the rural poor.

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR:

Scott Sabin

[email protected]

DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR:Doug Satre

[email protected]

MARKETING AND EVENTS:

Becky Rosaler

[email protected]

ENVIRONMENTAL SOLUTIONS TO HUMANITARIAN PROBLE

STAY CONNECTED:

4747 Morena Blvd. Suite 100

San Diego, CA 92117

Ph:800.633.5319Email: [email protected]

Web: plantwithpurpose.org

Tw: @PlantWPurpose

Fb: facebook.com/PlantWithPurpose

EMAIL [email protected]

TO LEARN HOW YOU CAN:

Share your Plant With Purpose story

Host an event

Become a Plant With Purpose advoca

Leave a Legacy. Please consider inclu

ing Plant With Purpose in your wills

and bequests. Contact Doug Satre:

[email protected].

copyright 2014 Plant With Purpose

DIRECTORS CORNER

THE SEVERE LANDSCAPE OF

FONDS-VERRETTES, HAITI

Photo credit: AaronChang.com


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WWW.PLANTWITHPURPOSE.ORG

Sunset cocktail reception and silent auction overlooking Mission Bay

Live music performed by Serenade and Strum

Elegant three-course dinner with California wine

Live auction, opportunity drawing, and Fund-A-Need auction

Reflections on 30 years of transformation for the rural poor

Proceeds benefit farming families around the world.

BREAKING NEWS

OFFICE OPEN HOUSE IN SAN DIEGO

This spring, Plant With Purpose

moved offices! We will be opening

our doors on Wednesday, July 16

to share our new digs. Details will

be posted at plantwithpurpose.

org/events as the date approaches.

KELLOGG GARDEN PRODUCTS

Keep your yard blooming and help fami-

lies in Haiti at the same time. For every

UPCOMING VISION TRIPS

If you havent visited one of Plant With

Purposes programs, wed love for youto consider joining us. Additional trips

for 2014-2015 are in the works. Contact

Doug Satre for more information:

[email protected].

MEXICO

October 26-31, 2014

purchase of Kelloggs Gardener and

Bloome line, Plant With Purpose receives

a donation. Visit kellogggarden.com/hopeto learn more about this partnership.

SAVE A TREE, RECEIVE THE SOWER

BY EMAIL

If you would like to receive the Sower

by email and save a tree, please send an

email to [email protected] with

your name and current email address

under the subject of eSower or follow the

steps on the enclosed envelope.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2014

We are currently procuring items such as

vacation retreats, gift certificates for dining or

shopping, and unique items for our silent and

live auctions. Contact [email protected] if you have an item or certificate youd like

to donate.

CELEBRATING 30 YEARS OF RESTORING LIVES AND LAND


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My first visit to see Plant With Purposes

work was six years ago, in the spring of

2008. A group of us traveled to the com-

munity of Savane Real on the border of

Haiti and the Dominican Republica new-

er program area at the time. It was dusk aswe drove high into the mountains. Visible

fires burned on several hillsides as farm-

ers cleared their fields for planting. It was

the kind of degraded landscape Id heard

aboutseverely deforested, incredibly

steep, and erodedyet as far as the eye

could see these steep hillsides were still

being farmed.

REVERSING A SLOW-MOVING DISASTER

This is the normal environment where

Plant With Purpose works, a slow-moving

disaster that over time destroys the land

and with it, farmers hopes. Occasionally the

slow-moving disaster becomes more acute,

such as when deforestation triggers land-

slides that can instantly destroy a commu-

nity. Or when resentments fueled by pov-

erty erupt into violence, which is what we

found when we arrived at Savane Real. The

son of a Dominican farmer named Pingo

had disappeared and it was presumed that

a Haitian farmhand had killed him. The com-

munity erupted in conflict with much talk of

revenge and retribution. As we visited part-

nering farmers plots the next day, groups

of community members searched the sur-

rounding canyons and ravines until they

eventually found the boys body.

Paradoxically, there was also a lot to cel-

ebrate in Savane Real. We met farmers like

Nelson, a natural leader, who gained the

respect of his neighbors as his motivation

drove him to develop his farm and com-

munity. We walked hillsides where tens of

thousands of trees had been planted. Un-

der these trees farmers spoke of their vi-

sion for prosperous futures. And we heard

the grandfather of the murdered boy, Pin-

gos father, speak of the need to live out

their faith in God by forgiving others rather

than seeking revenge.

SEVERE NEED AND

TREMENDOUS OPPORTUNITY

In the six years since that visit to Sa-

vane Real, I have been asked many

times how Plant With Purpose decides

where to work. Ive often thought abou

that trip and the disparate, conflicting

elements that we experienced that day

tragedy and grace, severe poverty meet

ing enterprise and dynamic leadership

The truth is these are exactly the kinds

of places Plant With Purpose has been

called to workrural communities tha

are as poor as they possibly can be but

communities where farmers are still mo

tivated to bring transformation and hope

And communities where individuals are

ready to develop their own abilities to be

agents of change.

With prayer guiding us, Plant With Pur

pose researches what countries exhibi

the greatest needs. At the same time, we

explore what regions within those coun

tries provide the right combination of se

vere need and tremendous opportunity

Haiti, Burundi, and Tanzania fit this de

scription. We find this dynamic in north

ern Thailand where hilltribe refugees cre

ate homes on land they hope to gain

HIGH IN THE HILLS OF HAITI, THE

COMMUNITY OF SAVANE REAL IS

EXPERIENCING HOPE.

STRATEGICALLY PARTNERING WITH

COMMUNITIES AROUND THE WORLDBY DOUG SATRE,Director of Development

THESE ARE EXACTLY THE KINDS OF

PLACES PLANT WITH PURPOSE HAS BEEN

CALLED TO WORKRURAL COMMUNITIES

THAT ARE AS POOR AS THEY POSSIBLY

CAN BE BUT COMMUNITIES WHERE

FARMERS ARE STILL MOTIVATED TO BRING

TRANSFORMATION AND HOPE.


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During the last few years, a shift oc-

curred in the conversation surrounding

community development. Sustainability

became a buzzword, and social justice

grew exponentially in popularity. Thanks

to their marketing power, these concepts

are now household terms.

Although sustainable and justice are both

words we use often at Plant With Purpose,

in the context of our work they are much

more than marketing tools - theyre indi-

cators of real success. Sustainable devel-

opment means justice is taking place and

will continue to take place. In its fullest

sense, it means transformation over the

long haul.

In reflecting on Plant With Purposes thirty

years working toward transformation in

rural communities, the term sustainable

development has never seemed more

fitting. Take for instance Chepeginio, a

small village perched in the mountains of

Oaxaca. During a recent visit to the com-

munity, Pastor Abundio and his wife, Ale-

jandra, shared with our team about the

changes taking place there. We see God

can work in this place, said Pastor Abun-

dio. We believe God has chosen us to be

in this place to serve. We know God has

a purpose and wants to uplift. Though

Abundio and Alejandra were once per-

secuted for their faith, many community

members have since become believers.

Farmers are choosing to stay with their

families instead of migrating north. The

communitys land is being restored, con-

firming that trees are life-giving and es-

sential. I hope many things for my chil-

dren, Alejandra said. I see a differenttown with lots of trees so they can stay

here and make a sustainable living.

For justice and development to be sus-

tained over the years, something as tran-

scendent as spiritual renewal has to bend

the hearts of the community. Newfound

faith in Gods good purpose is the driving

force behind Chepeginios transforma-

tion. This community is living proof that

the greatest change takes place when in-

dividuals embrace their role as co-agents

of change with God. People are moved to

work toward a better life when they catch

a vision for Gods kingdom, when they

realize they have a God-given potential

to fulfill, and when they understand that

their unique gifts can be used to fight in-

justice. Our partnering communities are

lifting themselves out of poverty, healing

their land, and feeding their families be-

cause theyve rediscovered dignity and a

sense of purpose through God.

Is it possible for people to facilitate

change without Jesus at the center? O

course. Secular organizations and non

believing individuals do radical and

humble good work. Jesus can wor

through any platform, and thats good

news for all of us. But I wonder if Chris

tians might be denying the word sus

tainable of its fullness when we leaveHim out of the equation. We cant ex

clude Jesus from social justice and de

velopment work. Hes the element tha

sustains change. Hes the element tha

transforms. As Rev. Bernice King once

said, In order to be effective in socia

justice, its adherents must know tha

God is on the side of social justice.

Sustainability is much more than a

branding tool. Its a sign of transforma

tive change and of Gods hand in ou

work. If God is on the side of social jus

tice, Hes also the key to changing the

world in lasting ways. On our 30th an

niversary, Plant With Purpose celebrate

the invitation to participate in His story

of making all things new over the

long haul.

A version of this article originally ap

peared in Converge Magazine (con

vergemagazine.com) in March 2014.

IS SUSTAINABLE

DEVELOPMENT POSSIBLE

WITHOUT THE GOSPEL?BY ANNELISE JOLLEY, Outreach Coordinator

PASTOR ABUNDIO PLANTING FOR A

SUSTAINED TOMORROW.


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WWW.PLANTWITHPURPOSE.ORG

The tropical waters that surround the

Caribbean island of Hispaniola draw

people from around the world. White

sandy beaches, swaying palm trees, and

salty sea air create the perfect setting fo

an idyllic vacation. The tourist industry

has grown to anchor the Dominican Re

publics economy with 63 percent of the

labor force working in the service indus

try.

Away from the coast in rural areas we

find small communities where families

farm the land to earn an income through

agriculture. In the U.S., we put our hard

earned money into savings accounts o

investments. But as Dominican farm

ers earn pesos, few are able to inves

or save their income. Less than 30 per

cent of adults in the Dominican Republic

have accounts at formal financial institu

tions (World Bank).

The community of La Sabana de Cabal

lero is learning to manage their money

through Village Savings and Loan Asso

ciations (VSLA). Prior to this VSLA grouppeople struggled with debt and repaying

loans due to high interest rates. Miledis

Mara Castillo started as a member o

the VSLA and stepped into a leadership

role this year. She shares that her sav

ings group is valuable to the develop

ment of the community and has brought

stronger unity. Members are learning to

save and utilize their own money. Mile

dis shares, We have more confidence

and our quality of life has improved.

With income earned from her sav

ings, Miledis has been able to send herdaughter to university, pay for repairs

on her house, and even support a friend

in need. If I had not been in this group

these things would not have been pos

sible, she says.

You can invest in a local community like La

Sabana de Caballero. Learn more about our

dollar a day Sponsor A Village program at

plantwithpurpose.org/sponsor-a-village.

Plant With Purpose Burundis Theology of Work training continues to gain popularity as

church leaders are equipped with biblical principles that encourage community mem-

bers to embrace work. During a recent workshop, a pastor from the Fecabu Church

shared, I have heard of Plant With Purpose Burundi and seen it at work in the com-

munity. The Theology of Work training helps us to focus on all of the potential effects

of our labor and better facilitates development in our country.

VILLAGE SPOTLIGHT:LA SABANA DE CABALLERO,

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

TRAINING PASTORS IN BURUNDI

BY BECKY ROSALER,

Marketing and Events Coordinator

THE LORD GOD TOOK THE MAN AND PUT HIM IN THE GARDEN OFEDEN TO WORK IT AND TAKE CARE OF IT. GENESIS 2:15

TWO WOMEN IN THE DOMINICAN

REPUBLIC SMILE KNOWING THE

DIFFERENCE THAT THEIR VSLA IS

MAKING IN THEIR COMMUNITY.


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Plant With Purpose

4747 Morena Blvd. Suite 100San Diego, CA 92117

Ph: 800.633.5319

Email: [email protected]

Web: plantwithpurpose.org

NON-PROFIT ORG

U.S. POSTAGE

PAID

PERMIT 751

SAN DIEGO CA

CELEBRATING THIRTY YEARS OF TRANSFORMED LIVES AND LAND

We use soy-based ink and 80# environment text

with 80% post-consumer fiber. FSC certified.

PLANTING HOPE GALA

Celebrating 30 years of

restoring lives and land!

Details on page 3.

BOYS IN NORTHERN THAILAND

WELCOME SUMMER!

PLANT WITH PURPOSE PARTNERS WITH

COMMUNITIES WHERE SEVERE NEED AND

TREMENDOUS POTENTIAL MEET, CREATING

SUSTAINABLE HOPE FOR GENERATIONS.

Documents

2014 Summer Sower