2012 Fall Sower by Plant With Purpose

FALL 2012

in this issue Features Saving for Change Spotlight: Chiang Mai, Thailand

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Departments Directorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Corner Breaking News

environmental solutions to Humanitarian problems

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Director’s corner

tHe sower issue #97 Plant With Purpose, a Christian nonprofit organization, reverses deforestation and poverty around the world by transforming the lives of the rural poor. ExEcutivE DirEctor: Scott Sabin scott@plantwithpurpose.org DEvElopmEnt DirEctor: Doug Satre doug@plantwithpurpose.org markEting anD EvEnts: Becky Rosaler becky@plantwithpurpose.org stay connEctED: 4903 Morena Blvd. Suite 1215 San Diego, CA 92117 Ph: 800.633.5319 Email: info@plantwithpurpose.org Web: plantwithpurpose.org Tw: @PlantWPurpose Fb: facebook.com/PlantWithPurpose Email mEDia@plantwithpurposE.org to lEarn how you can: • Share your Plant With Purpose story • Host an event • Become a Plant With Purpose advocate Leave a Legacy. Please consider including Plant With Purpose in your wills and bequests. Contact Doug Satre: doug@plantwithpurpose.org.

Danny anD amanDa sabin meet a family near santo Domingo

This summer, I took my family to the Dominican Republic to see firsthand the work of Plant With Purpose. We began our journey, just as Plant With Purpose did over 25 years ago, in a shantytown on the outskirts of the capital city of Santo Domingo. The community sits on a slope too steep to be of value to anyone except squatters. Lottery booths and cock-fighting rings are prominent— alcohol and gambling play an important role in keeping despair at bay. Stepping through piles of trash and down alleyways, we visited several homes, enjoying the remarkable Dominican hospitality. When I asked families where they had come from and why they were living in this slum, the answer, without exception, was that they had been farmers. They had come from remote villages because they were tired of being hungry.Tired of working all year for just one harvest-time payday that too often fell short. As one man said, “There is no money in farming.“ A few days later, we visited one of those remote mountain villages, Cañada Miguel, sitting in on 2

a Village Savings and Loan Association (VSLA) meeting. Like many communities, they were initially skeptical of the idea of VSLAs. They were farmers—they didn’t have money to save. Despite their skepticism, they went through the training. The group established a share price of a dollar, meaning each member would contribute at least one dollar per week. In their first 12-month cycle, this group saved over $4,000 (U.S.). This money was used to provide loans for entrepreneurial members to start businesses. The interest on the loans then came back to the group to increase their savings. When the end of the cycle came and they cashed out, their money had grown, and group members were “stunned that every peso was accounted for.” Now—midway through their second cycle— they no longer doubt their saving capacity, and everyone is saving the maximum number of shares. People have even given up drinking and gambling so they’ll have more money to save. When we visited, they had over $12,000 saved—an amount they could barely believe themselves. These business owners are still farmers, and

they proudly showed us their avocados, citrus, and other fruits they had cultivated with the help of Plant With Purpose, as they searched for more sustainable and higher-value uses of their land. We often talk about empowerment, but it was almost startling to see the degree to which this community had realized their own power. At the same time, they also realize it is not all about themselves, and they are grateful to God for the opportunities and talents they have discovered. In this issue of The Sower, we present stories of other families and communities who are realizing their collective power through VSLA. And like the group we met this summer in Cañada Miguel, I am grateful for the way God is using the work of Plant With Purpose to transform lives.

Scott Sabin Executive Director

planting Hope gala october 13, 2012 6 o’clock in tHe evening Join us for the 2012 Planting Hope Gala on october 13 to benefit life-changing programs that are working to alleviate poverty in rural communities. It will be a night of fabulous food, amazing auction items, inspiring updates from the field, and generosity that transforms lives.

breaking news 8 million trees This summer, Plant With Purpose reached a new milestone: over 8 MILLIoN TREES planted through our programs worldwide. Celebrate these numbers with us!

8,278,292 total Burundi - 191,375 Dominican Republic - 4,063,438 Haiti - 1,732,453 Mexico - 528,361 Tanzania - 1,642,528 Thailand - 120,137

Hooray For HollywooD In September, Plant With Purpose was once again honored by a partnership with Kellogg Garden Products in hosting a table at the Environmental Media Awards (EMAs). The EMAs recognize those in the entertainment industry who are raising awareness of environmental issues and inspiring action. Stay tuned—we’ll be sharing about the adventure on the blog in october.

Flying HigH in national geograpHic

in tres, Dos, uno … plant witH purpose on munDoFoX In August, Plant With Purpose was mentioned in a piece on National Geographic’s Adventure Blog and on Cross Country magazine’s website. The Wings of Kilimanjaro crew did a reconnaissance climb to the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro in preparation for the launch of 200 paragliders in February 2013. A percentage of funds raised by these pilots will support Plant With Purpose programs in Tanzania. In fact, you can help one of our board members, J.K. Shea, fly by visiting wingsofkilimanjaro.com and heading to the Sponsor a Pilot page.

Haiti recovers From tHe storm

Haiti received 8-12 inches of rain and strong winds from Hurricane Isaac in August. Lives were spared, but farmers will be feeling the effects for months as homes need repair, and crops were destroyed. In this photo, farmers from Fonds-Verrettes, Haiti, enthusiastically receive tree seedlings following the storm.

Tune in to find out just how much money Wilmer won for Plant With Purpose!

What do “Minuto Para Ganar,” This Shirt Helps, Wilmer Valderrama, and Plant With Purpose have in common? A November appearance on MundoFoX! Wilmer Valderrama (Fez from “That 70’s Show” and the voice of Handy Manny) will be appearing on Celebrity Week of “Minuto Para Ganar” (Minute to Win It) to raise money for the charities that This Shirt Helps supports. Marketing Coordinator Becky was in the audience and got to share about the work of Plant With Purpose.

upcoming vision trips If you haven’t visited one of Plant With Purpose’s programs, we’d love for you to prayerfully consider joining us. Please contact Doug Satre for more information: doug@plantwithpurpose.org.

January 23-February 3, 2013 - Tanzania March 15-20, 2013 - Oaxaca, Mexico March 17-22, 2013 - Dominican Republic June 2013 - Thailand

WWW.PLANTWITHPURPoSE.oRG

FigHting poverty witH Just pennies a Day By Beth Luthye, Grant Writer

this summer, maria paula began constructing a house, could go to school. a few years ago, these simple things would have been nearly impossible for this mother living in rural aguacero, Dominican republic. so what changed for maria paula in the past year? it turns out these big differences actually came through small change. You see, Maria Paula has been taking part in Plant With Purpose Dominican Republic’s new Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLA) program. Through VSLA, she comes together with a group to save whatever coins or cash she can set aside, and it’s adding up to make a huge difference. “In reality, I was waiting for something real in my life so I could progress—prosper,” Maria Paula explains. “I never had the opportunity to save. I never had leftover money. … As a result of the group, I have learned to save. … I don’t have to go to the bank to take out a loan with high interest.” 4

vsla: sustainable microFinance Jose is the father of two young daughters. He says the main problems his family has faced in El Zamo, Dominican Republic, are economic. “You can’t give your kids the education you’d want with a poor income,” he says. “We feel great about it [VSLA]. We’ve seen a huge change in our lives. Now we can count on savings that we simply didn’t have before. So we feel great about that. The methodology that we’re using—we couldn’t have dreamed of it beforehand.” The system that Jose mentions is simple.

Maria Paula has learned to save through her vsla grouP.

“ i was waiting for

something real in my life so i could progress—prosper.

“

and this fall she was able to buy uniforms so her children

~Maria Paula, a mother and VSLA group member

Through the VSLA model, self-selected and self-managed groups come together both to save and to create credit opportunities. The groups generally comprise 20 to 30 people, who elect their own leaders and draft their own by-laws. They then decide together how much money each will commit to save per week. That amount, often $1 U.S. a week, goes into a collective fund. Most of the rural poor—who make up 70% of the world’s poor—have no access to formal credit systems, such as bank loans. Instead, their alternative is to borrow from loan sharks who charge oppressively high

181

The number of active Plant With Purpose VSLA groups

2,436

The number of people involved in the 89 VSLA groups in Tanzania

$335,200

The dollars (U.S.) in the combined portfolio (savings + loans) of VSLA groups in Tanzania

76%

The percentage of VSLA members in Tanzania who are women

440

The number of people who joined 22 new VSLA groups in Thailand this summer

$1,789

The dollars (U.S.) that 8 new VSLA groups saved in their first six months in Burundi, one of the 5 poorest countries in the world

$81,407

The dollars (U.S.) that the 44 VSLA groups in the Dominican Republic have saved in just one year

by tHe numbers

“ you can’t give your kids the education you’d want with a poor income.

“

“ ...We’ve seen a huge change in our lives. Now we can count on savings that we simply didn’t have before.” ~Jose, a father and VSLA group member

through vsla, Jose and his wife, Maribel, are building a better future for their daughters.

interest rates. Through VSLA, group members can take out loans from the collective savings fund at a reasonable interest rate determined by the group. This interest payment goes back into the collective fund, which increases the amount available for future loans as well as the individual savings of members. At the end of each saving cycle, the accumulated interest is distributed to all of the group members. VSLA members can take out loans to develop small businesses, but they can also take loans to invest in their farms, provide for children’s education or family health care, or to cover costs related to unexpected emergencies. Estella Rodriguez, who manages the VSLA program for Plant With Purpose Dominican Republic, emphasizes the way the savingsand-loan groups help children. “If their parents save … they can provide better nutrition, better education,” she says. “And the parents, conscious that they should save, will also transmit this [value] to their children so that they continue this legacy.” And that legacy is one of empowerment.

Through VSLA, families and communities are discovering what they are capable of doing on their own and with their own resources.

wHy a savings-leD approacH works Rodriguez admits that in the beginning she didn’t think VSLA would work. But now, she shares her excitement about the way this program is transforming families. The key, she says, is the savings-led approach to microfinance. Rodriguez explains that there wasn’t a “culture of saving” in rural Dominican communities when they started. Families “did not have money saved to work their land, to create or improve a business that they had, for their children’s education,” she says. “Because of these [VSLA] groups … families have changed their way of life, changed their culture, changed their poverty for a life of dignity—for a better life.” A savings buffer is crucial for rural farming families, and VSLA groups provide a safe mechanism for families to save. Christi Huiz-

enga, Plant With Purpose’s Africa programs officer, says that there is a waiting list of people eager to join VSLA groups in Burundi. She notes that the increased interest resulted from a period of volatile weather. Due to drought in some communities and severe flooding in others, many farmers lost their crops. After that experience, many said they understood why saving is so vital. With a savings buffer, these farmers could have bought new seeds to start over, but instead they were faced with difficult choices such as selling a cow—their financial safety net—or keeping their children out of school. Burundi is one of the five poorest countries in the world—a place where saving money isn’t easy—but 17 VSLA groups there are now working together to build their savings and increase their wealth. Through Plant With Purpose’s VSLA program, thousands of individuals in rural communities around the world are discovering the same thing Maria Paula and Jose have learned: The hope of real change can start with just pennies a day. WWW.PLANTWITHPURPoSE.oRG

VSLA groups collect their money in a lock box that has three keys. Three different individuals are selected by the group to be the keepers of the keys, and an additional individual becomes the holder of the box. The box is then opened only when the entire VSLA group is present, and the money is counted in the presence of everyone. This system creates a safe way to hold the savings as well as creating group accountability.

unity makes a Force:

simply sustainable:

empowering women in the D.r. 7 reasons Vsla is smart microfinance

the village savings and loan associations (vsla) model may just be the best-

“i am convinced—unity makes a force.”

kept secret in microfinance. plant with purpose began implementing this innovative methodology with groups in tanzania six years ago, and it has become so successful that all plant with purpose programs are now using this approach to microfinance. here’s why it works:

For 36-year-old Violeta Josefina Montilla, joining the VSLA group “Mujeres Sin Límites” (Women Without Limits) has empowered her to become a change agent in El Aguacero, Dominican Republic. The VSLA group is a convenient and safe place to save what little money Violeta earns. She has taken out loans to build a house for her family. Violeta’s VSLA group is not only making an economic impact, but it’s also bringing about social change in her community. Violeta was elected to a leadership position in which she organized a rally against garbage pollution. The rally was so effective that it gained the attention of the mayor of the municipality. “I am convinced—unity makes a force,” she says. Violeta trusts that her VSLA can be a force for change by uniting in prayer and action to transform El Aguacero. 6

•

sustainability:Traditional microfinance models depend on a continuous influx of outside capital, but VSLA equips groups to mobilize their own funds. Instead of giving loans, Plant With Purpose provides high-quality training.

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rural inclusion: Most microfinance institutions (MFIs) tend to avoid rural communities because they are expensive to access and serve, but VSLAs are ideal for rural communities.

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savings: The majority of people living in rural areas have no access to formal banking, so VSLAs become a way to safely save, allowing families to plan for the future.

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intErEst accrual: The buck literally stops here with VSLA groups because interest payments stay with the group rather than going to outside MFIs.

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rEpaymEnt ratEs: According to VSL Associates, VSLA groups have the highest loan repayment rates of any microfinance model in the world.

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lEaDErship DEvElopmEnt: Groups are self-governed, so members have opportunities to exercise democratic leadership skills.

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EmpowErmEnt: People discover how much they are capable of doing on their own. Not only does this instill dignity, but there is an overflow effect in which groups decide to tackle other issues within their communities.

region spotligHt: chiang mai, thailanD By Becky RosaLeR, Marketing and Events Coordinator

when most people think of thailand, delicious cuisine, beautiful temples, and exotic beaches come to mind. For others, the harsh realities of the sex industry and opium trade clutter this pristine image. and over all of that is a haze of smoke from harmful slash-and-burn agricultural practices. in the north of thailand, hill tribe refugees who fled myanmar (burma) are doing their best to make a life. Because of its reputation for one of the world’s highest rates of forest destruction, the government of Thailand has designated forest areas as protected land. This has directly affected smallholder farmers who live off the land in the northern hills of Thailand. They often lack legal documentation, and without proof of citizenship they can’t own or even work the land.This has further marginalized hilltribe families. The Chiang Mai community of Huay Wai consists of 60 households. Up to five families live in each house. only 10 of these households “own land,” which is not formally documented, but by making improvements to the land and participating in reforestation efforts, these 10 families have been granted permission to grow one crop a year (dependent on rain). Livelihoods are etched out by working as day laborers in tangerine orchards, lychee canning factories, or working in the fields, which earns about $5 U.S. a day. In these difficult conditions, Plant With Purpose is gaining favor with the governing authorities and implementing further steps to empower families through legal assistance, reforestation programs, and sustainable farming training. Microfinance through Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs) is also taking root. Expansion into additional villages is on the horizon.

Jabo Jasee and family have enough to eat because of plant with purpose.

We’ve received positive feedback from farmers such as Jabo Jasee and his Chiang Mai community, where they have learned techniques that allow them to work with the land instead of against it. Jabo uses sustainable farming methods such as planting nitrogen-fixing beans in his cornfield, which improves soil quality and increases food production. Jabo is making his own feed for his animals, reducing the amount of money spent on supplies and increasing savings. He shares the practical skills he has learned through Plant With Purpose with others in the community. Jabo says, “I have more happiness in my family since Plant With Purpose, and I feel that my family has enough food to eat.”

nearly 3 billion people—about half the world—rely on cookstoves fueled by wood or charcoal to make meals and boil water. Not only do these stoves add to the problems of rampant deforestation and poverty, but they also cause serious health consequences. About 2 million people each year die because of smoke inhalation, and millions more suffer the effects of related illnesses such as child pneumonia, lung cancer, and heart disease. Women and girls are put in additional harm’s way as they walk farther and farther from their homes in search of firewood.

spark cHange viDeo eXplanation oF stoves in meXico

That’s why Plant With Purpose works with communities to build improved cookstoves. These fuel-efficient stoves require 50% less wood, which decreases the need for cutting trees, and they burn more cleanly, which drastically reduces the risk of smoke-related illness. What’s more, women have to spend less time walking for wood, providing more time for tending farms, developing small businesses, and caring for their children.

disaster response in mexico

LandsLidE CausEs CoMMunity to rELoCatE When disaster struck the community of Santa Cruz Mitlatongo last fall, Plant With Purpose Mexico stepped up to help with recovery efforts. Heavy rains created landslides that literally wiped away the town, and local authorities relocated the entire community to a new location. In response, Plant With Purpose Mexico has been assisting by building latrines, laundry facilities, and a 70,000-liter cistern, as well as establishing family vegetable gardens for a source of food. WWW.PLANTWITHPURPoSE.oRG

Plant With Purpose 4903 Morena Blvd. Suite 1215 San Diego, CA 92117

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Ph: 800.633.5319 Email: info@plantwithpurpose.org www.plantwithpurpose.org Become a Sponsor A Village partner for just $1 a day and give the gift of hope to communities in need. plantwithpurpose.org/partners

communities plant Hope tHrougH small cHange. farmers plant fruit trees on a hillsiDe in the Dominican republic.

transForming livEs

NoN-Profit org U.S. PoStage Paid Permit 751 SaN diego Ca