Seeds to Grow 100 Tons of Needed Food in Honduras

Sometimes we rely on the obvious to know a program is working: bountiful harvests, smiling families, heart-warming quotes. But other times, data helps.

Our field partner in Honduras, FIPAH (Foundation for Participatory Research with Honduran Farmers), has been doing great work to actually measure how lives change. They organize rural farmers into small groups and train them to lead the way in developing, growing, and using crops that are selected specifically for their climate, culture, and environment. FIPAH is aiming to scale to 173 farmer groups, representing 191 communities in 5 departments of Western and Central Honduras, by 2020. They are already more than halfway there!

Project leaders Sally and Marvin state, "In the early days of the project, farmer-led research was new to all members. This encouraged shared learning between men and women. Women took seed selection skills out of the kitchen and into public space."  Recently FIPAH has shared some research information, particularly on the question of how women are impacted. Here are some findings:

1. Female farmers will select different ideal traits, when breeding a new variety, than male farmers.
2. Participating in a farmer group led to not only increased crop yields, but also better household nutrition and more savings.
3. After participating in a FIPAH farmer group, women were more likely to

• participate in other organizations
• occupy important positions in the community
• take on salaried work
• administer family finances
• visit friends and neighbors 
• work with her spouse in the fields
• make agricultural decisions for the household, such as what to grow, where. 

FIPAH staff conclude: "Learning to do research gave poor women and men self-confidence. Self-confidence allowed women to use their liberty effectively and empowered them to make important household decisions."

It takes many hands to make important things happen. In this case, the seeds that you helped fund were carried abroad in the capable hands of the Rotary Club of Asheville (NC)'s 7th annual trip to remote villages in Honduras, in partnership with the Rotary Club in Copan Ruinas.

This is a multi-purpose trip. At its core, Rotary organizes a dental, medical, and eye care clinic which reaches almost a thousand patients in a week who otherwise have no access to these services. "Quite frankly, it just breaks your heart because we have to teach the children how to use a toothbrush and toothpaste because they’ve never had those before," says lead trip organizer, Rotarian Bob. 

I am most impressed that they don't just fly in US doctors -- they instead take the approach of recruiting Honduran professionals to travel out from the cities to these villages. In this way, they are fostering locally self-sustainable "supply lines" of charitable effort.

When the Rotarians added vegetable seed delivery to the purpose of their "brigade," they took the same approach. The seeds are handed to two nonprofits that are already embedded providing key services in these communities and can provide appropriate local support and training. One is Mennonite Social Action Committee, the other, World Vision Honduras. 

Another day, another group of Rotarians making a big difference somewhere in the world (with your help)!