® NEWS ECHO volume 39 | issue 1 honoring God through sustainable hunger solutions in this issue: appropriate technology in action TWENDE innovation center permaculture in development beersheba project intern spotlight: Patrick Trail ECHO News 1 February 2014 2 Cor. 9:11b “…through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.” David Erickson, President/CEO As we enter the New Year 2016, we celebrate “impact systems. As more and more of our knowledge resources multipliers” – the people, partners, investments and are disseminated through the internet, we have needed strategies that multiply the impact of ECHO all around to grow our abilities to develop a steady stream of the world. excellent and readily accessible materials. At the same time, ECHO’s ongoing service as a seed resource As part of our constant effort to evaluate our activities continues to be a vital dimension of our work. But and effectiveness, we recently conducted a systematic embracing the mission of providing trial packets of high survey of the nearly 10,000 worldwide members of quality, beneficial, but less accessible, seeds required a ECHOcommunity. One of the many helpful results of this major re-investment in our Florida Seed Bank. In the survey was greater clarity about our network partners middle of 2015, a family foundation made a major gift to and the impact of the ECHO resources that they use. underwrite both of these impact multiplying projects. They reported to us that they have directly impacted The IT build-out has just been completed, and the Seed over 630,000 people with ECHO resources and over Bank renovations are underway. 5.8 million people indirectly. (See opposite page for a to-scale graphic) This speaks strongly to both the In 2 Corinthians 2:8-15, the Apostle Paul names the reality extraordinary network of partners that we serve AND that God blesses people in order that they can in turn be the value that they assign to the practical and proven generous. He continues by saying that this generosity plants, practices and technologies that they learn about “through us” will result in thanksgiving to God. This is our through ECHO. deep desire – that your generosity will flow through us to bless people around the world in such a way that We also celebrate Rollie and Barbara Anderson who thanksgiving to God results. chose to invest in our capacity to educate and train about appropriate technologies. Their generosity has given But it doesn’t stop there! Paul continues to say that this birth to the Anderson Appropriate Technology Center thanksgiving will be expressed in prayers and hearts that at the ECHO-Florida campus – an entirely new venue go out to the givers because of the surpassing grace that for demonstrating beneficial technologies and practices God has given them. This sets up a ‘virtuous cycle’ that in a global village context. Thoughtfully shaped and flows from God’s impetus at every stage. How amazing skillfully developed by Craig Bielema – and his team of is that! Paul concludes aptly: “Thanks be to God for his workmates, volunteers and advisors – this Appropriate indescribable gift!” Technology Center will multiply ECHO’s opportunities to both promote and develop technologies that contribute Indeed! to reducing hunger and improving lives in difficult contexts worldwide. For some time, ECHO has needed dedicated IT (information technology) workspace and upgraded David Erickson, President & CEO ECHO News 1 January 2016 ECHO News 2 January 2016 in this issue ECHO is a global Christian organization that equips people with agricultural resources and skills to reduce hunger and improve the lives of the poor. Cover photo: Ms Zakariya Saratou Sharib is pictured with a family friend and appropriate knowledge permaculture in intern her chaya plants that she 3 technology 3 travels 6 development 9 spotlight 13 started from ECHO cuttings after she attended the West Africa Francophone Forum in January 2015. ECHO’s Growing Impact ECHO News is published quarterly by ECHO, Inc. Based of feedback from those who use and share ECHO’s resources, we edited by Danielle Flood are able to confidently share that ECHO’s resources and training have Please share your comments impacted 5.8 million people. Each about ECHO News. Write: 5,800,000 17391 Durrance Road, North person represented Fort Myers, Florida, 33917, Impact is a success story. e-mail: [email protected], or call: 239-543-3246. 630,000 Equip 10,000 Train ECHO News 1 January 2016 ECHO News 2 January 2016 Appropriate Technology in Action Overcoming Food, Water, and Shelter Challenges Around the World Rabi wakes up before the kids start to stir so that she can draw water from the community well for the day’s needs. She ties her shawl around her arms and picks up her bucket and water basin before she makes the long walk. There are many other women and girls there, and she greets them while she waits for her turn. Everyone has morning chores to do, so they don’t talk long. She drops her bucket into the deep well and pulls it out, heavy and full, to fill her basin. Three draws does it, and she raises her weighty basin onto her head for the walk home. As she walks, Rabi thinks through how long this water will last for her family before she has to come back to the well. She lowers the basin onto the ground and begins to tend to her waking children as the day begins. If Rabi’s routine is not your morning routine, it’s homestead, marketplace highlighting appropriate extremely hard to understand the daily challenges technologies prevalent in each region, 26-foot water of providing food, water, and shelter where these tower, outdoor kitchen, blacksmith shop and workshop resources are scarce. spaces for trainees to develop and use the appropriate technologies that will help equip individuals around Now, imagine it’s you pulling the water up from the well the world. and your strength carrying the water? You might wish there were a way that was not so difficult. Fortunately, Also new to this space will be the ECHO Appropriate there are solutions called appropriate technologies. Technology Village Tour. Guests can visit each of Committed to the training, demonstration, and use of the homesteads and see appropriate technologies appropriate technologies, ECHO is proud to introduce in place as well as experience how food, water, and you to the Anderson Appropriate Technology shelter resources are used around the world. A trip Center. This newly expanded and redesigned facility into the African marketplace features simple ideas for will connect trainees and guests with first-hand making water pumps and filters. In the Latin American experiences of the current realities and tools that exist marketplace harvested sugarcane is processed into in the areas of food, water, and shelter. a final product. The Asian market demonstrates improved cookstoves that increase fuel efficiency while reducing air pollution as well as various types of construction materials. This center will allow ECHO to more deeply engage and educate people about the struggles A highlight of this tour will be the homesites, modeled faced around the world, and develop and share after rural homes in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. It possible solutions to these challenges. is our hope that this new space will inspire and equip people to improve lives around the world through appropriate technologies. We hope you’ll join us and This space features a training pavilion, African come experience it for yourself! homestead, Latin American homestead, Asian ECHO News 3 January 2016 ECHO News 4 January 2016 Awaiting key photo from Jan 14 event. Bob Petterson, Barbara Anderson, Rollie Anderson, Ron Tschetter, Doug Carlson, and ECHO President/CEO David Erickson officiated the ribbon cutting. Grand Opening Celebration! In January 2016, ECHO celebrated One of the many exciting benefits agriculturalists and development the grand opening of the Anderson of this newly-expanded center is workers, connecting them with good Appropriate Technology Center. Over the ability for creativity, exploration, ideas for improving their communities. a year before, Rollie and Barbara and innovation of new appropriate Anderson caught the vision of ECHO’s technology techniques. Historically, With the implementation of space for mission to reduce hunger and improve ECHO has primarily gathered development, stations and workshops lives worldwide and were eager to appropriate technologies from to encourage ingenuity, and materials invest in the expansion and renovation farmers and individuals around the for exploration, ECHO now has the of the facility. Other support came world who have experimented and opportunity to experiment and create from Kiwanis Clubs of Division 19 found helpful alternatives to farming new technologies, deepening ECHO’s and generous volunteers. Preferred methods and sustainable practices. experience, knowledge base, and Materials Inc. was a generous donor of These technologies were then shared increasing the appropriate technology concrete for the project. broadly through ECHO’s network of resources ECHO has to share. Clockwise from top left: Craig Bielema addresses the crowd; Kiwanis Club representatives pose with ECHO President/ CEO David Erickson; African homestead; Rick Burnette, Bruce Boyd, and Damon Shelor experience the handmade bamboo bridge. Watch Visit www.echonet.org/echoes to watch a video featuring the grand opening celebration, ribbon cutting, and remarks from ECHO News 3 January 2016 ECHO News 4 January 2016 the event. Innovation Centers ECHO and TWENDE – A natural partnership Over the past few years, ECHO partner International Through partnership with IDIN, ECHO is able to coordinate Development Innovation Network (IDIN) has provided development and dissemination of these technologies to support to a growing network of community innovation communities in which we work. ECHO also demonstrates centers around the world.