Providing farmers and communities in the tropics with long-term assistance implementing environmentally and economically sustainable technologies.

Honduras February 2007
Letter from Deer Isle - Stonington High School Spanish Class: Ann and Ire

"Our experience in Honduras was awesome. We really appreciate everything the SHI staff did for us and know that they worked very hard to make our trip enjoyable and interesting. Our trip was amazing and will be remembered as a great experience for a long time to come. Thank you!"

Melisa Mitchell, Student Volunteer Honduras Feb 07:
"I wouldn't change anything about my experience in Honduras with SHI. The entire trip was awesome."

Claire Eaton, Student Volunteer Honduras Feb 07:
"My experience was amazing! Thank you so much for everything. The stay with the host community was very helpful in developing communication skills. The best part of the trip was working with families and local communities on community projects. This was a second-to-none experience to learn about another culture and I will be doing a presentation at my school in May."

Galen Koch, Student Volunteer Honduras Feb 07:
"To the SHI staff: Thank you so much for all of the time and energy you put in to make our trip so amazing! You are truly an inspiration to young people who want to see changes! Thank you for opening my eyes and making any occupation possible." lorena stove

"The trip was better than I could have imagined! Great people, great projects and very educational. I am so impressed with the projects that SHI supports. I was also impressed by the amount of independence that the locals have through SHI-while still receiving support from the [international] program. My favorite part of the trip was the home stay and I wish that I could have had more time at the demo farm. I would tell anyone who is considering taking part in a Smaller World Trip to GO FOR IT and I have recommended it to my friends and family."

Student Volunteer Honduras Aug 06:
"SHI does a wonderful job not only exposing participants to projects, but also allowing and encouraging them to help with the work."

Jim Bride Honduras Aug 06:
"This experience was incredible! You can truly see philanthropy and the SHI

Jim Ramakka, Faculty Member San Juan College Panama July 06:
"The staff was extremely knowledge and VERY helpful. The 1st morning's briefing on mission objectives of SHI was excellent. I have learned so much. The projects I saw were perfect examples of adapting small agriculture to mimic natural processes. The acknowledgment of the sociological component in this program is fantastic."

San Juan College Student Panama July 06:
"I really enjoyed this trip. I learned a lot and would love to do it again! The SHI staff were superb. They were very nice and knowledgeable. What SHI is doing is wonderful both for the people they are helping and for students and others who want to help. ... The families we worked with in the village were wonderful. They took us in like friends they have always known."

Nicholas Welts, San Juan College Student Panama July 06:
"These are worthwhile and honorable projects, I am glad I got to see it...The best part of the trip was being in the host village. The whole experience there was awesome, hard to get used to at first, but it turned out to be the best experience."

Honduras June 2006
Student Volunteer Honduras June 06:
"The trip was superb. It was a good combination of having helping people and learning about a different culture -satisfying and educational.... It was wonderful to see the Honduran farmers getting into the program and learning how to improve their lives."

In January, a group of SHI supporters headed to SHIs demonstration farm in Honduras Painting Fence Posts Honduras

to take part in SHIs Smaller World Program. The volunteers were given the opportunity to not only meet the Honduran staff, Board of Directors and participating families, but activily participated in a variety of service projects. Below are some photos and quotes from some of the trip participants.

I had an immersion in gratitude. Gratitude that such positive work is taking place, gratitude that I was actually part of it, even in a small way.
-Tom Barker

What a fantastic trip. It was amazing to see how effectively the donations are being utilized and appreciated! Great work is being done.
-John Collins
Plank Demo Farm Honduras

The ten days spent in Honduras with the SHI group was one of the most exciting and gratifying experiences of my life. To experience another culture in itself gave me a window into what the developing world is like that no amount of TV or other programs could have given me.   The enthusiasm we saw in the community leaders, the hope they expressed for their and their children's future, and the wonderful spirit of the children was an unmistakable contrast to the abject poverty we saw elsewhere in this beautiful country.    Helping with various projects: reforestation, building a nursery for trees, a chicken coop and a lorena stove gave us a feeling of involvelment.   It was great privilege to have had this opportunity.
-Ward Stoops

Yovany and Anne

I can think of no organization that increases the standard of living for so little financial investment. Every dollar is well invested in the Honduran people. The Hondurans with whom we worked are wonderful, warm people who are devoted to the work they are doing with SHI. I would encourage anyone who is involved with SHI to participate in Smaller World Tours. The entire trip was one of the best experiences of my life.
-Diane McCormack

Honduras February 2004
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Think all college students spend their spring breaks sleeping in? Think again. On Feb. 27th, 15 University of Maine students left for the Honduran highlands where they awoke at 6 o'clock every morning and headed to a 20 acre plot soon to be the home of Sustainable Harvest International's Demonstration Farm and Training Center. The students, all members of the UMaine student organization, R.E.A.C.H. (respect, education, action, community and hope), partnered with the Surry, Maine based non-profit organization Sustainable Harvest International (SHI) to construct this educational center where families will be able to visit and learn about alternatives to destructive slash-and-burn farming methods that they can implement on their own land.

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The students raised just over $2,000, which was used to purchase the necessary construction materials for the project. In addition to working hard to raise the funding, the volunteers were given the opportunity to work with the village of Terreritos to construct the foundation and walls of the center. SHI founder and president Florence Reed applauds the work of the volunteers, "SHI facilitates long-term collaboration between trained local staff, farmers and communities to implement sustainable land-use practices that alleviate poverty by restoring ecological stability. This training center will provide classroom instruction combined with hands-on field experience working with new techniques and will allow people to see firsthand how well sustainable techniques work."

Diadem Strout, a 2nd year biology student took part in the experience, "We made cement by hand and had to carry water up 100 meters of steep terrain in order to mix the cement. We also made mortar for the adobe bricks. We provided positive energy for the other workers and showed them that there are people who do care and want to work hard and promote sustainable agriculture."

Emma Pope-Welch, a 2nd year student majoring in parks and recreation and journalism was touched by the closeness of the Honduran village that welcomed the volunteers, "It was one of the most amazing places I've ever visited and I met some of the kindest and most genuine people. I null

experienced a greater sense of community and family than I could have ever asked for."

In the two weeks that the R.E.A.C.H. volunteers were in the community they were able to build the cement foundation, level out the floor, create the rebar supports, mix mortar for the adobes and start stacking the bricks for the construction of the walls. The Sustainable Harvest International staff in Honduras hopes to see the completion of the center's main building before June when there will be a permaculture design course offered there.

Third year biology student, Scott Caparelli looks forward to returning to Honduras next spring. "Working with the community in Honduras was an experience of a life time. Seeing the work SHI has been doing with families first hand was very inspiring. It was incredible to talk with the local farmers and see the pride they took in showing us all they have accomplished with the help of SHI."

More Quotes from the UMaine Honduras Spring 2004 Group
Holly Gumz, UMaine Student Honduras Spring 04:
"Being on the farm was amazing. It was great to work with the other volunteers, the farmers, community members and SHI extensionists. I couldn't have participated in a better Spring Break Project! Thank you! I'm very impressed by and respectful of every little and big project SHI tackles. You are really making a difference!"

Bryan Beaulieu, UMaine Student Honduras Spring 04:
?Thank you! I would do this again in a heartbeat!?

Kara Barnes, UMaine Student Honduras Spring 04:
?Thank you for this opportunity! I would do it again and will recommend it to others. SHI has a wonderful relationship with the farmers and they really need this service. The families are so grateful for the support and I could see that this is an important organization that I am proud to support."

Didi Strout, UMaine Student Honduras Spring 04:
"Even though I don't speak Spanish, seeing the smiles on the faces of the families- I know that they appreciated everything we helped with. I learned how much SHI projects help these communities and I am glad I could be a part of that."

Amber Carr, UMaine Student Honduras Spring 04:
"The SHI Honduras team was wonderful and accommodating. The best part of the experience was knowing that the work I was doing would help and affect people's lives. I learned that having a strong community and sense of family really makes people happy, not belongings. Thank you for giving me this experience."

Christa DeRaspe, UMaine Student Honduras Spring 04:
"The SHI Honduras Staff were all wonderful. Each of them were very helpful and added local insight into the different regions as aspects of Honduras. I was able to witness firsthand the validity of this organization on the life of the farmers, families and communities involved in SHI. I can't thank Cosecha enough for all I will take with me from this experience"

Please contact SHI today to find out more about Smaller World!