WINTER 2018

WHAT GRATITUDE FEATURES Giving Thanks in The States 3 LOOKS LIKE This is What Gratitude Looks Like 4 TURNING GRATITUDE INTO GENEROSITY Let’s Talk Impact 6 DEPARTMENTS Director’s Corner 2 Farmers in are encouraged by successful harvests. Trees Give Shade, Shade Gives Trees 7

ENVIRONMENTAL SOLUTIONS TO HUMANITARIAN PROBLEMS DIRECTOR’S CORNER

SAVINGS GROUPS IN THE DOMINICAN ENVIRONMENTAL SOLUTIONS TO HUMANITARIAN PROBLEMS REPUBLIC ARE TITHING THEIR GROUP PROFITS TO THEIR CHURCHES OR TO THOSE IN THEIR OWN COMMUNITIES. THE SOWER ISSUE #119

Plant With Purpose, a Christian nonprofit organization, reverses I used to enjoy hearing Increasingly though, we are getting reports of the and around the world by stories of farmers ex- ways people are expressing their gratitude by pay- transforming the lives of the rural poor. pressing gratitude to ing forward what they have received. Many sav- Plant With Purpose for ings groups are tithing their group profits to their the changes in their lives. churches or to those in their own communities Nothing made me feel whom they perceive as even poorer. happier than a report of participants saying, “Thanks to Plant With In the Dominican Republic, new savings groups Purpose, we are now able to send our kids to have sprung up spontaneously, equipped with school” or something similar. boxes and materials paid for by neighbors who are already Plant With Purpose participants. However, one of the first changes I noticed when In , pastors are working together to mobi-

we switched from offering microcredit servic- lize their congregations to build houses for the SPIRITUAL es to starting savings groups was that people homeless within their own communities. In RENEWAL stopped saying thank you to us. The savings- , participants have formed a dynamic led approach requires no outside capital from volunteer group to help churches with environ- us, but is based on the mobilized savings of the mental stewardship. group members. Each member commits to sav- EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: ing small amounts every week, and, after appro- One of the most remarkable stories of giving Scott Sabin priate training, the group lends the pool of mon- back came from the Democratic Republic of the [email protected] ey out to their own members at interest. Congo. This summer, a large group of refugees made their way into the Kakumba region, fol- DEVELOPMENT & MARKETING DIRECTOR: Not only has this proven to be a very effective lowing ethnic conflict up on the plateau. Twelve Christi Renaud way of providing small-scale financial services of the local pastors responded by helping them [email protected] at very low cost in remote rural communities, it get set up in the local school and bringing them has had a profound impact on attitudes. People clothes, food, and other necessities. Together no longer tend to say “thanks” because they no with our Spiritual Renewal Coordinator, these STAY CONNECTED: longer feel dependent on us. They are aware pastors spent a day praying with the refugees, 4747 Morena Blvd. Suite 100 that the money they are investing is money they comforting them, and seeing to their needs. San Diego, CA 92117 have generated themselves from within their Birori, our local director, told me that previously Ph: 858.274.3718 own community. People feel empowered by this one of them might have asked the government newly discovered capacity, rather than grateful for help, but none of the pastors would have tak- Email: [email protected] for the largesse of an outside benefactor. en ownership of the problem, nor would they Web: plantwithpurpose.org have collaborated to resolve it. Tw : @PlantWPurpose Although I missed the thanks directed our way, I quickly realized that the partnering farm- Kakumba is a region that has made amazing Fb: facebook.com/PlantWithPurpose ers’ sense of self-confidence was far better and strides. However, as of our last evaluation, the more sustainable. I remember a woman in the population still averages less than two meals Email [email protected] Dominican Republic telling me, “Our whole idea per day. Nonetheless, they were moved by com- to learn how you can: of who we are as a community has changed! passion and gratitude to give of the little they The only thing we feel bad about is that we have had to those still less fortunate. That is what grat- • Share your Plant With Purpose story had these resources all along and never knew it.” itude looks like. • Host an event • Become a Purpose Partner However, people still express gratitude, often in remarkable ways. First, instead of thanking us, Leave a legacy. Please consider they much more appropriately give thanks to including Plant With Purpose in your God for the blessings that they are experienc- wills and bequests. Contact Doug ing. I hear that all the time. Satre: [email protected].

Scott Sabin copyright © 2018 Plant With Purpose Executive Director

2 faces. Over cocktail hour, staff, board mem- bers, local church representatives, students, corporate partners, and valuable supporters had the opportunity to mingle over OneHope GIVING THANKS IN wine and locally-inspired hors d’oeuvres. One of the greatest parts of the gala is that it gives us an opportunity to feature our part- BY KIRSTIE HIBBARD nerships. James Bishop, one of our artist am- OUTREACH COORDINATOR bassadors, played us a song from his most recent album that celebrates and promotes THE STATES creation care. Sundance Organics provided fruit to round out our decor and inspired the event design. We are incredibly grateful for the donors, committee members, and volun- teers who make the gala possible. We raised approximately $313,000 through all portions of the evening, which significantly exceeded our expectations. The gala is a true manifesta- tion of collaboration and community.

Our U.S. programs team recently facilitated the launch of our newest and eighth country program in Ethiopia. Following the approval of our registration in May, Director of Pro- grams John Mitchell, Executive Director Scott Sabin, and Programs and Technical Specialist Corey Chin visited Ethiopia to meet with local JOHN MARK MCMILLAN ON officials and interview for a Pilot Project Man- TOUR IN OKLAHOMA. ager. On September 15, Getnet Tareke official- ly started as our new Pilot Project Manager. A few weeks later, he visited our Tanzania office to learn from the staff members of a more mature program. This October, John Mitchell returned to help Getnet secure regional au- With shorter days and crisper air, we find our- sions align and conversations just flow? Over thorizations, establish necessary accounts, selves in the season of giving thanks—reflect- the past months, God has provided several and start recruitment for staff. A key goal of ing on God’s provision, and celebrating among new and exciting opportunities for our team to the next few months is to establish relation- family and friends. At Plant With Purpose, we get out and meet really good people—the kind ships with local authorities, church leaders, contemplate the impact of our programs, the of people who want to support you and join and willing participants. “What we do best success of our partners, and the health and you in doing God’s work. and Ethiopia’s needs are well matched,” says growth of our organization. We praise God for all of these things, but something feels different this year. Momentum is building and our circle of friends is widening. GOD IS OPENING NEW DOORS. WE GIVE THANKS TO GOD FOR HIS FAITHFULNESS, FOR EACH OF You know that life-giving feeling when you spend time with good people? When your pas- In September and October, Plant With Pur- THESE OPPORTUNITIES. pose had the opportunity to partner with Mi- cah Challenge in sponsoring John Mark Mc- Millan’s “Body & Ghost” tour. McMillan is a John Mitchell. “We will be working shoulder Christian singer-songwriter and an advocate to shoulder with participants.” Our U.S. fun- THE 2018 PLANTING HOPE GALA for the environment. Joining Micah Chal- draising team secured a three-year grant as RAISED OVER $300,000 TO SUPPORT lenge and McMillan on the tour gave us the well as other support to fund the launch and PLANT WITH PURPOSE PROGRAMS opportunity to expose hundreds of people at activities of our new program. With almost each of the 19 concerts to Plant With Purpose. $700,000 raised, Plant With Purpose Ethiopia The most exciting part of the concert tour has is well underway. While these funds and ef- been the new friends and followers we have forts are being implemented overseas, our gained. We are hopeful that the tour will have U.S. team celebrates Ethiopia’s launch as one a lasting impact on both attendees and global of our greatest successes this year. leaders, and that our new friends will stay connected. We give thanks to God for his faithfulness, for each of these opportunities, and for the The Planting Hope Gala on October 6 was growing excitement toward Plant With Pur- particularly unique. We are blessed to have a pose’s mission. We know that everything committed group of supporters who join us good comes through Him, with Him, and in consistently at our annual fundraiser, but this Him. We look forward to where He will lead year’s guest list was diverse with a lot of new us next.

PLANTWITHPURPOSE.ORG 3 THIS IS WHAT GRATITUDE

BY: PHILIPPE LAZARO, LOOKS LIKE MARKETING SPECIALIST

At the end of each year, many of us try to turn Jee’s community had to prove they could our focus towards gratitude. We reflect on manage their forest, unify themselves to what really matters in our lives. We take in- protect it, and gain further recognition from ventory of blessings. We go around the table the government. at Thanksgiving to share what we are thank- ful for, then reinforce our gratitude in family It took Ah Jee’s community years to estab- newsletters shortly afterwards. We are thank- lish their presence in . “We worked ful for family, for health, for our jobs, and for together,” he explains. “The first group that a year’s worth of accomplishments. arrived protected the forest for us. Then we protected it for the next generation. That These practices and rituals are beneficial. But generation will protect it for my grandchil- our goal should be to make practicing thank- dren’s generation.” fulness a part of our daily lives. We should seek to go beyond holiday festivities and Ah Jee and his wife look after their grandson decorations in order to infuse everything we on their land. While the boy’s grandparents do with a deep sense of gratitude. may have known the hardships of persecu- tion, the boy can anticipate a brighter future. Families in rural villages around the world can help us understand what gratitude really DIEULA SMILES IN THE looks like. Many of these families will never MIDST OF STRUGGLE. see a meal as large as a traditional Thanks- GRATITUDE LOOKS LIKE giving feast. Many have to deal with the grief of empty plates at the dinner table, or even A GIFT OF BUNNIES. empty seats. These families are not immune to the difficulty life can bring.

Plant With Purpose empowers farming fami- In Haiti, Dieula is also no stranger to trag- “I FEEL VERY BLESSED. EVERY- lies, helping to eliminate unnecessary hard- edy. When the historic earthquake struck in ship through restoration and renewal. As par- 2010, she lost many friends and neighbors THING I DIDN’T UNDERSTAND BE- ticipants transform their communities, they in her community. This and other natural FORE, PLANT WITH PURPOSE HAS experience gratitude that many of us can disasters also damaged her farm and made hardly fathom. They have so much to teach it difficult for her to earn a living and grow HELPED ME TO UNDERSTAND.” us about being thankful. enough food.

GRATITUDE LOOKS LIKE A HAPPY GRANDCHILD.

Ah Jee is a member of a generation that had to escape Myanmar into Thailand for safety. Belonging to a persecuted ethnic minority left many members of the Lahu tribe with no choice but to escape across the border into Thailand to start a new life. AH JEE AND HIS GRANDSON.

They were safer in Thailand, but life was still full of challenges. Lacking statehood, Ah

4 JUAN PROUDLY DISPLAYING ONE OF HIS CACAO PODS.

Dieula was invited to join a Plant With “God speaks to me through the environ- Purpose ment. My life has changed almost com- Group. She learned how to plant trees GRATITUDE LOOKS LIKE FINDING pletely since I arrived here on the farm and in order to restore the soil on her land. GOD IN EVERYTHING. started working here. I hope that this land She learned how to graft fruit trees to will provide enough for me to give a rich improve production. She learned how to life to my family. I give thanks to God and raise better livestock, including rabbits thanks to these hands for helping me work and a donkey. Juan’s farm in the Dominican Republic on this farm.” used to have problems retaining water as “When you understand, you get togeth- well as nitrogen and other nutrients. For Juan’s gratitude allows him to see God’s er with others who don’t understand and years, it was only used as grazing land for presence in everything, including in his you help them understand.” cattle. daily work and in the trees that surround his home. Dieula’s generosity of spirit is an expres- It wasn’t until Juan learned about agrofor- sion of her gratitude. She doesn’t want estry from Plant With Purpose that he re- Plant With Purpose aims to share eco- to keep her knowledge or the fruits of alized trees could transform the land into nomic and agricultural skills with com- her labor to herself. fertile ground for growing cacao. munities that have big needs. Members of these communities also share wisdom “I give rabbits and trees to people Cacao production has transformed Juan’s and knowledge through the way in which whether or not they are associated with life. For nine months out of the year, he can they live their lives. As spiritual renewal Plant With Purpose. This gesture encour- sell case after case of cacao pods, which comes to one village after another, we re- ages them to join. This helps the organi- he uses to help his family go to school and alize we are blessed to all have our roles zation grow and move forward.” live in a comfortable home. to play in the process.

PLANTWITHPURPOSE.ORG 5 PLANT WITH PURPOSE FAMILIES CUT THEIR POVERTY LEVEL BY TWO-THIRDS.

LET’S TALK Help

Neighbors 20% More BY: ELLEN DAVIS Often IMPACT GRANT WRITER

55% More To ensure that partnering farming families 2.3x More Likely to Send Likely to Daughters are tangibly transforming their lives and land, Save to School Plant With Purpose regularly collects data from each of our country programs. In addi- tion, every three years we conduct an exten- sive impact evaluation to measure the effec- tiveness of our programs.

In early fiscal year 2018, we completed the most recent impact evaluation study, which Plant With 56% Less included surveys of 2,400 randomly selected Plant 5.7x as Many Purpose Likely to families from our programs, as well as data Burn Fields Trees Partner Families from remote sensing and mapping tools. We gathered the same data from non-partnering families in the same watershed or neighbor- ing watersheds to make up a control sample.

We are greatly encouraged by the study’s ex- citing findings. Plant With Purpose families cut their poverty level by two-thirds and in- crease farm yields by 44 percent according to

our farmer recall surveys. 64% More 38% More Likely to Likely to say Say They Have Their Work is a the Ability to Good Use of Improve Their Finally, across the areas where Plant With Their Talents Lives Purpose works, women are nearly twice as likely as men to have business income. Both men and women increased business income after partnering with Plant With Purpose, but women are taking the lead.

6 BY: SOPHIE CASMANO DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANT

MICHAEL ZISLIS, SHADE OWNER

Plant With Purpose has had the privilege of producing some of the greatest amounts of collaborating with many unique corporate waste in the world. partners over the years. These partnerships “THINK ABOUT HOW MANY act as an engaging way for Plant With Pur- Likewise, Jeffrey Modaff, General Manager VILLAGES WE CAN HELP AND pose supporters to establish a connection of Shade Manhattan Beach, is eager to pro- with our transformational work, while also vide a platform for guests to support an inter- HOW MUCH WE CAN HELP THE valuing and promoting local businesses that national development organization. Modaff ENVIRONMENT!” our organization trusts and supports. says, “I’ve seen a lot of programs like this, which are aimed at minimizing housekeep- Shade Hotel, best known simply as Shade, ing, but not a whole lot that give back glob- is one such corporate partner using their re- ally to other nations and peoples, and really to hotels all around the United States. I sources to promote the work of Plant With give us the ability to provide outreach.” would put out a mandate for you guys to Purpose. Although, at first glance, a luxury find another thousand hotels. Think about boutique hotel may seem to be an unlikely Guests are encouraged to support Plant how many villages we can help and how partner, Shade has found numerous innova- With Purpose by placing door hangers out- much we can help the environment!” he tive platforms to share our partners’ stories side their rooms and foregoing cleaning exclaims. of empowerment, all while promoting our services. Every night that a guest places a tree planting efforts and taking a “green” ap- Plant With Purpose “Trees give shade. Shade proach to hospitality management. gives trees.” door hanger outside their room, Shade plants one tree in their honor. As a With two locations in California, one in Man- thank you, guests receive a “Give Shade” TRAVEL WITH US hattan Beach and another in Redondo Beach, cocktail chip to redeem at Shade’s onsite res- Shade is not only serving a large population, taurant and bar. Should guests buy a “Give VISION TRIPS but is also in one of the most competitive Shade” cocktail at Zinc or Sea Level, Shade industries in Los Angeles—hospitality. They generously plants another tree with Plant IF YOU HAVE NOT VISITED ONE set themselves apart in this industry through With Purpose. OF PLANT WITH PURPOSE’S excellent service and their commitment to PROGRAMS, WE WOULD LOVE FOR sustainability. Their focus on removing sin- Shade Owner, Michael Zislis, has great en- gle-use items and conserving energy make thusiasm about this model for hotels. “It’s YOU TO TRAVEL WITH US IN 2019. them an ideal match to collaborate with been a win-win for both parties,” he says. VISIT PLANTWITHPURPOSE.ORG/ Plant With Purpose. We are proud to partner Zislis believes this model provides great alongside a company that promotes a lo- exposure and impact. “I think the concept VISION-TRIPS TO LEARN MORE. cal mentality of sustainability within a city is so solid that we should take it nationally

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WHAT GRATITUDE LOOKS LIKE Check out our website: plantwithpurpose.org

NORMA AND RAFAEL CELEBRATE THE TRANSFORMATION OF THEIR LIVES AND LAND IN LA YAUTÍA, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC.

THANK YOU FOR HELPING FAMILIES GROW OUT OF POVERTY