My name is Pedro Xol and I am fifty-three years old. I have been working with SHI-Belize field trainer, Herminio Sho, in my community of Sundaywood for about three years. Last year, my wife started a little shop in our home selling chips and juice. Since I am now too old to work hard on our farm like I used to, I told Herminio that I would like to make our shop bigger. If the shop was bigger, we could make more money so we could send our children to school, feed them properly and repair our old home. Herminio said that SHI-Belize has a program that lends money, and he would talk to the person in charge of it. About a week later, he came with a micro-loan application and asked us questions about our family and business experience. Later in the week, Herminio returned with Yasmin Ramirez, the SHI-Belize Business Coordinator. Yasmin asked a lot of questions to help us write a business plan.

EXHIBIT: "In Sight and Mind: A Photographic Collaboration with Women of Rural Panama”

Delaware, OH and Surry, ME - April 2, 2012 - Every day around the world, women face personal and social constraints that are generally communicated through words, cultural practices, individual actions and institutional policies. All too often their daily lives go unnoticed and undocumented.

Student and faculty representatives from Ohio Wesleyan University (OWU) traveled to Panama to visit the field programs of Sustainable Harvest International (SHI), a non-profit whose mission is to provide farming families in Central America with the training and tools to preserve our planet's tropical forests while overcoming poverty. For one week, OWU representatives interviewed and photographed rural women farmers working with SHI. They taught the women to use point-and-shoot cameras to take photos that documented their daily lives. Upon returning to campus, the OWU group used their photographs and those taken by the women to create a photographic exhibition. The exhibit provides a voice to the women farmers and forever documents the life stories of women currently living in San Pedro and Tranquilla, Panama who strive for ecological and sustainable living.

This moving and inspiring exhibit, entitled In Sight and Mind: A Photographic Collaboration with Women of Rural Panama, opens at Gallery 2001 in the Beeghly Library on the Ohio Wesleyan Campus on Thursday, April 12 at 4pm. The Founder and President of Sustainable Harvest International, Florence Reed, will attend the event and speak at 4:10pm. The six OWU students and faculty that traveled to Panama and created this exhibit will also be in attendance at the opening. The exhibit will remain up at 2001 Gallery through May 20, 2012.

Thanks to a generous grant provided by OWU, the full exhibit will be donated to Sustainable Harvest International upon the end of the academic year. The exhibit will then be scheduled to travel to galleries across the U.S.

INTERVIEWS WELCOMED. Florence Reed, OWU faculty and participant students are available for interviews leading up to the exhibit opening. They are available by phone any time at 207-669-8254 or in person Wednesday, April 11 or Thursday, April 12.

Photo: Maria Luisa Rodriguez of Ricon Claro, Panama, 2011 by Paula Masters Travis ’91

About Sustainable Harvest International
Sustainable Harvest International has worked with families in rural farming communities in Belize, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama since 1997. Using organic vegetable gardens, wood-conserving stoves, biogas digesters and a host of other projects, SHI's local field trainers work together with families, individuals and communities to preserve our planet's tropical forests while overcoming poverty. 877 active participant families and 562 graduate families in over 100 rural communities successfully planted 2,961,530 trees since SHI's founding in 1997. For more information, visit www.sustainableharvest.org.

Road Scholar Chocolate and the Maya: A Service Adventure in Belize

PLEASE NOTE: Registration for this trip is restricted to families who have enrolled through the Road Scholar website.

Calling all grandparents and grandkids looking for a summer adventure! Join Sustainable Harvest International and Road Scholar for a service learning program in the jungles of Belize.

In addition to complex religious and political systems and a fully developed written language, the ancient Maya also mastered the cultivation of cacao, the source of our beloved chocolate. Grandparents and grandchildren taking part in this program will lend a hand to modern Mayans who are working on sustainable farming projects including growing organic cacao. The group will learn how cacao plays a big part in preserving the culture and environment of southern Belize and get the see the production of chocolate from bean to bar. Trip participants will also get to explore ancient ruins, kayak a jungle river and marvel at monkeys, iguanas and exotic plants.

Program intended for grandchildren from 10 - 13 years of age.

TRAVEL COSTS
Payment for this trip is handled by Road Scholar.

READY TO TRAVEL?

•  Register online now.
• Download the Info Packet for this trip.
• Contact us for more information.

SHI-Panama welcomes volunteers from Hancock United Church of Christ! The group will take part in sustainable farming projects which protect Panama's natural resources while improving quality of living in rural communities. This educational trip will provide opportunities for cultural exchange, service learning and seeing some of the world's most diverse tropical ecosystems. Trip participants will work alongside local staff and families to plant vegetable gardens, establish tree nurseries, build wood-conserving stoves and more.

SHI families are excited to welcome volunteers into their homes and share their community and farms. Homestays in the rural village will be rustic, without indoor plumbing and electricity, but we know the group is up for the challenges and simplicity of rural living. In addition to experiencing day-to-day life in the rural communities, the group will get to visit Panama City, enjoy Santa Clara Beach, hike in the jungle and tour Miraflores Locks on the Panama Canal.

This trip includes orientation with local staff, homestays and volunteer projects with SHI participant families and excursions to Panama City, beautiful beaches and cloud forests of Central Panama. Get ready for meaningful service projects and the tropical adventure of a lifetime!

TRAVEL COSTS
$1,500 per Adult

These costs include project materials and supplies, liability insurance, rustic dorm accommodations at the work site and double occupancy hotel accommodations when we visit tourist areas, meals, in-country transportation and guide / translation service. In addition, 20% of your program fee supports the local projects you'll be working on in the field. This total DOES NOT INCLUDE airfare, medicine, phone calls, souvenirs, or any additional costs not mentioned.

A deposit of $500 should be sent in with your registration form. The balance $1,000 is due to be paid 60 days prior to the trip departure date.

READY TO TRAVEL?

•  Register online now.
•  Make a Deposit, Balance or Full payment for your trip.
• Download the Info Packet for this trip.
• Contact us for more information.

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DRAFT ITINERARY

Day 1: Arrival

Arrival by 2pm at the Panama City Airport (PTY)

SHI Trip Leader meets group at airport and travel by private minibus to Penonome

Stop en route at Miraflores visitor center, Panama Canal tour

Orientation activities en route

Check-in at hotel in Penonme

Dinner in Penonome

Day 2: Travel to Cocle Work Site

Group breakfast in Penonome

Spanish Crash Course

Discussion of trip schedule

Group departs for rural village working with SHI in the area

Lunch with SHI field staff and SHI participant families, introductions

Meet your host families (2+ volunteers per family)

Afternoon tour family farms

Dinner with host families

Day 3: Community Projects

Breakfast with host families

Morning work project: school garden and tree nursery

Lunch in the community

Afternoon family visits, trip to swimming hole

Dinner in the community

Reflection and discussion

Group will stay with host families

Day 4: Community Projects

Breakfast with host families

Morning work project: wood-conserving stoves

Lunch in the community

Afternoon continuation of work projects

Dinner in the community

Reflection and discussion

Group will stay with host families

Day 5: Community Projects

Breakfast with host families

Morning work project: family gardens and erosion control

Lunch in the community

Afternoon continuation of work projects, trip to swimming hole

Dinner in the community

Reflection and discussion

Group will stay with host families

Day 6: Community Projects/Depart for Santa Clara Beach

Breakfast with host families

Morning work project: rice paddy and fish pond system

Lunch in the community

Recognition of participants, afternoon farewell ceremony

Depart for Penonome

Group dinner at restaurant in Penonome

Group will stay at hotel in Penonome

Day 7: Beach Day!

Breakfast at restaurant in Penonome

R&R Day at the beach

Afternoon departure to El Valle de Anton

Group will stay at B&B

Day 8: El Valle de Anton

Visit local artisan market

Waterfall hike

Group dinner and reflection

Group will stay at B&B in el Valle de Anton, or if early morning departure, return to Panama City

Day 9: Departure

Depart from Panama City airport, or continue traveling independently

¡Feliz Viaje!

Purchase a custom floral art portrait from artist Sanela Kisic of Art Masterpiece SK and 50% of the proceeds will go directly to Sustainable Harvest International. Simply type in the code “SHI” during checkout to make sure we receive credit for your purchase!

Are you part of a business, community group or foundation? Learn about becoming an SHI Institutional Giving Partner.

SHI families are excited to welcome volunteers into their homes and share their community and farms. Homestays in the community will be rustic, without indoor plumbing and electricity, but we know the students are up for the challenges and simplicity of rural living.  In addition to experiencing day-to-day life in the rural communities, the group will visit national parks, tour ancient Mayan ruins and make delicious chocolate.  Get ready for meaningful service projects and the tropical adventure of a lifetime!

Sustainable Harvest International-Belize welcomes students and educators from Vermont Academy to their programs this spring.  The group will take part in sustainable farming projects which protect Belize's natural resources while improving quality of living in rural communities.  This educational trip will provide opportunities for cultural exchange, service learning and seeing some of the world's most diverse tropical ecosystems. Trip participants will work alongside local staff and families to plant vegetable gardens, establish tree nurseries, build wood-conserving stoves and more.

READY TO TRAVEL?

• Complete the REGISTRATION FORM.
• Download an INFORMATION PACKET (pdf) for this trip to learn more.
• Contact us for more information.

Visit our Belize program page to learn much more about this country program.

Señor Miguel Velásquez of Panama sells the organic vegetables harvested on his farm in this market booth he constructed from bamboo.

SURRY, ME & YORO, HONDURAS - December 27, 2011 - SHI-Honduras (also called Fundación Cosecha Sostenible de Honduras or FUCOHSO) was started in 1997 and is Sustainable Harvest International's largest and oldest program, noted for its commitment to community participation and empowerment. SHI's local staff are currently providing regular technical assistance to over 400 families in 37 Honduran communities.  Last year, those families improved their diets and their incomes through a variety of SHI supported projects including the production of 120,000 pounds of compost and the planting of more than 78,000 trees.

Unfortunately, Honduras now bears the terrible distinction of having the highest per-capita murder rate in the world.  The murder rate in Honduras is currently at 82.1 per 100,000¹. For comparison, the United States is around 5 per 100,000. This rise in the murder rate has been fueled mostly by drug traffickers, but also gang and political violence.

We want to make it known to SHI supporters and volunteers that we take these crime rate statistics very seriously. We are conscious of the risks faced by our Honduran staff and traveling US-based staff, and we must carefully consider our upcoming Smaller World volunteer trips to Honduras. SHI is actively engaged in this discussion within our staff, while also reaching out to other organizations on the ground in Honduras, such as the Peace Corps. The Peace Corps recently made the decision to suspend operations in Honduras, but we believe our short-term volunteer groups do not face the same degree of danger as longer-term Peace Corp volunteers. While SHI's close relationships with the communities, limited time in cities, avoidance of travel after dark and use of private transportation add a layer of safety to our trips, we are asking important questions and gathering facts to ensure the safety of everyone associated with our organization.

We feel that the Honduran people can benefit from our work now more than ever, as we offer desperately poor people the opportunity for a healthy, viable livelihood that is not linked to violence.

Anyone with questions or concerns may contact Sustainable Harvest International's Maine office at (207) 669-8254.

¹ UN's Global Study on Homicide

About Sustainable Harvest International
Sustainable Harvest International has worked with families in rural farming communities in Belize, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama since 1997. Using organic vegetable gardens, wood-conserving stoves, biogas digesters and a host of other projects, SHI's local field trainers work together with families, individuals and communities to preserve our planet's tropical forests while overcoming poverty. 877 active participant families and 562 graduate families in over 100 rural communities successfully planted 2,961,530 trees since SHI's founding in 1997. For more information, visit www.sustainableharvest.org.

Our thanks to Melissa Bride for bringing together this group of volunteers to work with Sustainable Harvest International's programs in Panama this summer.  This year's program will include hands-on projects with families working with SHI to grow trees and crops in Panama's Cocle District.  Students will work alongside SHI participant families and staff on a variety of volunteer projects related to sustainable food production while learning about the impact of farming practices on local families and ecosystems.  Projects may include assisting with school and family gardens, building wood-conserving stoves, establishing tree nurseries and erosion control.  The local families and staff in Panama are very excited to welcome the group and share their culture, community and experience working with SHI.

This trip includes orientation with local staff, homestays, volunteer projects, farm tours and excursions to Central Panama's beautiful beaches, waterfalls and rainforest.  There will also be opportunities to visit artisan markets and tour the Panama Canal. The group will be staying with host families during their time in the village and have many opportunities to put their Spanish skills to work.  Accommodations while the group is in rural villages will be rustic, without indoor plumbing and electricity, but we know the group is up for the challenges and simplicity of rural living.

Get ready for service learning, meaningful exchanges and plenty of fun and adventure!

TRAVEL COSTS
$1,500 per person

A deposit of $500 should be sent in with your registration form. The balance $1,000 is due to be paid 60 days prior to the trip departure date.
These costs include project materials and supplies, liability insurance, rustic dorm accommodations at the work site and double occupancy hotel accommodations when we visit tourist areas, meals, in-country transportation and guide / translation service. In addition, 20% of your program fee supports the local projects you'll be working on in the field. This total DOES NOT INCLUDE airfare, medicine, phone calls, souvenirs, or any additional costs not mentioned.

READY TO TRAVEL?

•  Register online now.
•  Make a Deposit, Balance or Full payment for your trip.
• Contact us for more information.

SHI Smaller World Service Trip: Draft Itinerary
Rhode Island Volunteers - Panama
July 16 – 24, 2012

Monday, July 16: Arrival

• Arrival by 2pm at the Panama City Airport (PTY)
• SHI Trip Leader meets group at airport and travel by private minibus to Penonome
• Stop en route at Miraflores visitor center, Panama Canal tour
• Orientation activities en route
• Check-in at hotel in Penonme
• Dinner in Penonome

Tuesday, July 17:  Travel to Cocle Work Site

• Group breakfast in Penonome
• Spanish Crash Course
• Discussion of trip schedule
• Group departs for rural village working with SHI in the area
• Lunch with SHI field staff and SHI participant families, introductions
• Meet your host families (2+ volunteers per family)
• Afternoon tour family farms
• Dinner with host families

Wednesday, July 18:  Community Projects

• Breakfast with host families
• Morning service project: school garden and tree nursery
• Lunch in the community
• Afternoon family visits, trip to swimming hole
• Dinner in the community
• Reflection and discussion
• Group will stay with host families

Thursday, July 19: Community Projects

• Breakfast with host families
• Morning service project: wood-conserving stoves
• Lunch in the community
• Afternoon continuation of work projects
• Dinner in the community
• Reflection and discussion
• Group will stay with host families

Friday, July 20: Community Projects

• Breakfast with host families
• Morning service project: family gardens and erosion control
• Lunch in the community
• Afternoon continuation of work projects, visits with host families, trip to swimming hole
• Dinner in the community
• Reflection and discussion
• Group will stay with host families

Saturday, July 21:  Community Projects/Depart for Santa Clara Beach

• Breakfast with host families
• Morning service project: rice paddy and fish pond system
• Lunch in the community
• Recognition of participants, afternoon farewell ceremony
• Depart for Penonome
• Group dinner at restaurant in Penonome
• Group will stay at hotel in Penonome

Sunday, July 22:  Beach Day!

• Breakfast at restaurant in Penonome
• R&R Day at the beach
• Afternoon departure to El Valle de Anton
• Group will stay at B&B

Monday, July 23:  El Valle de Anton

• Visit local artisan market
• Waterfall hike
• Group dinner and reflection
• Group will stay at B&B in el Valle de Anton, or if early morning departure, return to Panama City

Tuesday, July 24:  Departure

• Departs from Panama City airport, or continue traveling independently

Emphasizing multi-story forests and mixed plots, subsistence farmers working with SHI-Belize have increased their efforts to plant cacao, a major cash crop in the Toledo and Stann Creek Districts. The cacao seedlings being planted are still at least three years from their first harvest, but when they mature the wet beans will be sold to the local cacao cooperative Toledo Cacao Grower’s Association (TCGA), as well as Moho Cocoa.

During the last quarter of the fiscal year, participant families:
• planted 1,180 trees
• installed 59 composting eco-toilets
• cultivated 67 acres using sustainable and organic techniques
• organized 42 community training workshops attended by 154 families who would like to work with SHI in the future.

At the conclusion of the fiscal year, program participants had planted 12,687 trees, reforested approximately 50 acres, and managed more than 300 acres sustainably and organically.