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May 17, 2007

Stories of Hope

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Development Isn’t Easy, but it is Possible

May 2007

When we started working in the Douentza District of Northern Mali, farming families were migrating to find work in the overcrowded cities, abandoning their farms to the growing Saharan sands – where less than two inches of rain fall each year!

But thanks to your support for our Seeds of Survival program, farmers are pushing back the sands using environmentally friendly and affordable farming techniques, such as crop rotation, community seed banks, and locally adapted seeds.

Saharan sands are a challenge, but there is hope for abundant harvests and vibrant communities

They’re now growing enough to feed their families and even sell small surpluses of vegetables and grains. And thanks to USC-funded literacy training for farmers, they’re now able to spread the word about these ideas with other farmers and government agricultural scientists.

Parents now have hope that their children will never face the hardships they have known. There is hope for clean water, abundant harvests, nutritious foods, education for their children, and strong and vibrant communities.

Echoing Success

Two continents away, in the humid mountains of Timor Leste, farmers are also planting seeds for a more plentiful future for their children. When USC first made the long mountainous trek to reach the Timorese town of Kalohan, the signs of hunger and poverty were everywhere.

Now thanks to your support, and the community’s hard work, there have been remarkable changes. What was once a barren hillside is now flourishing with thousands of seedlings – groves of teak, lemon, coconut, and jackfruit trees that will soon be ready to harvest. And thanks to their livestock breeding program, and the simple holding pens that were built to allow the collection of manure for natural fertilizer, the farmers are pulling plentiful yields from the surrounding terrace gardens.

In Timor Leste, farmer use seedlings to rehabilitate land. This image shows them preparing for planting, an act that will help prevent erosion and provide a source of fruit

Once-empty dwellings now contain a few simple pieces of furniture, and are surrounded by kitchen gardens full of wholesome greens and nutritious tubers. Having survived on uncertain diets of maize and cassava, families now eat three meals a day with plenty of fruit and vegetables. Their children are now alert, curious, and eager to take over the farming from their parents. And as word of this abundance has spread, villagers are coming from all around to learn.

Commitment to help

All this is thanks to your support of USC Canada’s Seeds of Survival program, and your faith in the ability of people to work hard and strive to build a better life. Your ongoing support allows us to continue to help some of our world’s most marginalized citizens to live dignified and healthy lives.

A special contribution would go a long way to supporting farmers and their families in the areas around the world where USC Canada is involved.

There’s still so much work to be done. Please help them by planting a seed – your gift – today.