From SHI President & Founder, Florence Reed

I will always be very grateful to the Peace Corps for the opportunity it gave me to grow, learn and become a better American and global citizen. The Peace Corps does a tremendous amount of good for America and her people who choose to serve overseas, and I feel I made a lot of positive change during my two years as a volunteer in Panama. However, if we set aside all the good created by building bridges between our two cultures and looked only at the most efficient and effective way to get the job done, I have no doubt that a local person could have succeeded at the work. I know that is not true across the board with Peace Corps Volunteers, but that was my experience.

I came back from my service with a wealth of new knowledge, and there were two key insights I recalled later when I founded Sustainable Harvest International in 1997. First was the importance of a long-term commitment for any program seeking to make a permanent change. Second was the value of hiring local people to carry out the work on the ground. Local people would work in partnership with us “gringos” who could bring technical, financial and other resources as needed. This is why, even 13 years later, the 44 staff working in the Sustainable Harvest International field programs are from the countries where we work and usually even from the same communities. They know the local language(s), culture, environment and other realities better than any foreign expert.

While I value the new ideas and perspectives that outsiders bring to our field work (heck, I even like to think I have a good idea now and then), I remain committed to the premise that our field work can best be carried out by local people who care deeply about their neighbors and the natural environment in their own countries. This issue of our newsletter is dedicated to those people.

MEET OUR FIELD TRAINERS
Local staff carrying out the SHI mission

MEET ROBERT CHAVARRIA, JR.
Age 22, of Punta Gorda, Toledo, Belize

I was born the oldest child in a family of four. I graduated from the University of Belize with an Associates Degree in Natural Resource Management. When I was younger, I assisted my grandfather at his farm in Laguna Junction where we planted corn, rice and beans. Now I’m coordinating my own garden at home with different vegetables such as carrots, cabbage, cucumbers, lettuce and more.

I enjoy working in the fields, providing SHI-Belize participants with the technical advice and assistance they need. I love learning new things and interacting with different people. My philosophy is that good things come true through hard work and dedication. The actions you take reflect the life you live. I am honest, committed, hardworking and dedicated to SHI and my community.

Robert’s work is funded by the Symphasis Foundation and the Journey Charitable Foundation.

MEET MARIANO NAVARRO GONZÁLEZ
Age 49, of La Pintada, Coclé, Panama

I am married to Bernarda de Navarro and we have two children - one is a college sophomore studying medical technology and the other attends an agricultural high school. My wife has been working at a farm store for five years in Panama City.

I have been working for SHI-Panama for six months. I’m working in two communities, San Juanito and Pagua, with thirty-nine families. I am most motivated to work with SHI-Panama because it is an organization that runs on few resources and identifies with people that have few resources - humble people in rural communities, just like me. Another important thing is that SHI-Panama protects the environment. I’ve always loved nature and have always tried to protect her, so that makes me identify with this job.

Even though I have not worked for SHI-Panama for long yet, I feel really good because I’m winning trust. Families have trusted SHI with their great hopes, and because I work alongside them and get my hands dirty with them, that has helped me gain their trust.

I learned that sustainability is a set methodology - a process where each activity depends on another. This is a good use of our community resources - without the need to bring in outside resources and without causing damage to our environment. In animal husbandry, for example, we obtain several benefits at once, since we can generate income and use the waste (manure) to prepare compost for our gardens; it is an integrated system.

SHI-Panama is a small organization, but we are focused on sustainability. We have qualified, compassionate Field Trainers who teach, prepare and monitor families for long-term success. It will be very important to reach more families, but of course that depends on financial resources, more time, staff and planning. I have confidence in this methodology because it is effective, and it makes SHI different from many other organizations. With SHI, families take an active part in each project. Education plays a major role, helping the individual form an awareness of our mission. I tell donors to have confidence in SHI - their money is well spent - and to visit us, as they are part of this process and should see the changes they make possible.

Mariano’s work is funded by the Alex C. Walker Foundation.

MEET DAYSBETH LOPEZ
Age 22, of La Pintada, Panama

I have worked for SHI-Panama for four years and I assist forty-five families in two communities (Tranquilla Norte and Rincón Claro). Working for SHI-Panama is a great honor because I previously cleaned houses to finance my studies since my family could not afford to pay for school. Now, because of this job, I am in my third year of university (Bachelor of Agricultural and Environmental Management) and I built a house that I share with my father and sisters.

When I first began, I had to learn about organics since my technical high school only taught traditional farming. They did not explain that it was damaging our health and our soil. At SHI-Panama, we want families to adopt organic farming techniques and reforestation so they can teach their neighbors after they graduate and become leaders in their communities.

Most young people go to Panama City for work because they feel they cannot live off farming, but now I see some returning to their communities. SHI-Panama has shown that with organic techniques, you can generate results and income without leaving your family. We do not make families wealthy, but they now live better lives in a healthier environment.

Daysbeth's work is funded by Brown Environmental.

MEET MAURA MEJÍA
Age 29, of Bluefields, Nicaragua

I was born in Bluefields on the Atlantic Coast and studied Agroforestry Engineering in school. I am a single mother with two daughters who are nine and ten years old. I have worked for SHI-Nicaragua for three years in the Kukra River region, where I help thirty families in four communities (El Naranjal, Caño Azul, La Reforma and Poza Azul).

It hasn’t always been easy. In the beginning, it was a big problem being a woman working in an environment where only the men perform agricultural activities and make decisions. Our culture is very religious and male driven. I felt a rejection from the farmers because they, as men, were not used to working with women. Also, the wives were worried for their husbands who worked with me because they thought that a woman could never lead a man, and that women should never work in the fields but only on household chores.

But over the past three years, my thirty families have come to love, respect, admire and support me. They now welcome me into their homes and share with me. I also love and respect them. I work together next to the men, women and children - family integration has been achieved.

MEET JORGE RODRÍGUEZ
Age 36, of Pinalejo, Santa Bárbara, Honduras

I am married and have two children - a ten-year-old girl in fifth grade and a five-year-old boy in kindergarten. My wife is a primary school teacher.

I have worked for SHI-Honduras for six years, and I assist sixty-eight families in five communities in the area of Concepcion Norte. Working for SHI is more than just earning a salary. I have learned about environmental protection and family nutrition. I have taught these things to my children, and I can see the changes in my family.

One of my greatest achievements has been the changes in our participant families since improving their nutrition. In the beginning, the children and adults had almost no food. They told me that they put up with hunger every day. But now, they harvest radishes, mustard greens, and other vegetables to eat nutritious and healthy food throughout the day. I can see their happiness because we focus on food security. The families are very grateful and always want to share everything they are producing with me and visitors from SHI. That makes me very proud to be part of Sustainable Harvest International.

Jorge’s work is funded by the Newman’s Own Foundation & the Hancock United Church of Christ in Lexington, MA