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| Seed
Programs, Inc. |
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| Seed Programs, Inc. (SPI)
works to help those in need throughout the world to grow some of their own
food by distributing seed and material to help train people to grow better
gardens. Many poor people, especially the very poor, have barely
enough money to keep alive, much less buy seed. In addition, many
remote areas where the poor live simply do not have good seed
available. Land is often available and the poor have time to grow a
garden, but they do not have seed or often the skills needed to grow good
gardens. |
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| Over 3,800,000 packets of
seed have been shipped to 34 countries since SPI started in 1998 with over
90% going to church supported organizations. Seed packets are
available in 12 languages to assist in it's use. An assortment of
10-14 packets of seed is normally sent for a family. Most of the
seed is to grow vegetables, but often 1-2 packets of flower seed are sent
for each family to help brighten their lives. Following is a
description of some of the programs receiving seed. |
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Severe famine in North
Korea is estimated to have resulted in the death of as many as
2,000,000 people over a four year period. Seed for 80,000
families was shipped in 1998 through the United Methodist Committee
On Relief (UMCOR) for planting in 1999. |
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Moldova, Romania and
Ukraine experienced hard economic times following the fall of
Communism. Each country was shipped 70,000 packets of seed in
1998 through Christian Aid Ministries (CAM) for planting in
1999. Liberia, a country with much poverty, was also
shipped 100,000 packets by CAM. |
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War in the Balkans
disrupted peoples lives. Albania, Bosnia and Kosovo
were shipped 163,000 packets of seed through Foods Resource Bank,
the Orthodox Church of Albania, Church World Service and Christian
Reform World Relief Committee. |
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Josh McDowell Ministry
of Campus Crusade for Christ International was shipped 560,000
packets of seed November 1999 for 40,000 Belarus families to
plant gardens in 2000. Results were so positive and need is so
great that seed for 50,000 families was shipped October 2000 for
planting in 2001. |
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Nicaragua, Honduras,
El Salvador, Haiti, Guatemala and Dominican Republic were
devastated by hurricanes in the fall of 1998. Over 350,000
packets of seed were shipped in 1999 and 2000 to those countries
through various church and humanitarian organizations including
Rotary and AmeriCares. |
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Unemployment in Zimbabwe
is reported at 50% resulting in widespread poverty, in many cases
extreme poverty. November 2000 a shipment of 175,000 packets
of seed was made to the United Church of Christ Zimbabwe in time for
planting during their rainy season. |
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Armenia, Belize,
Brazil, Chad, Honduras, Kazakstan, Liberia, Mexico, Mozambique,
Nigeria, Paraguay and Vietnam were shipped a total of 53,300
packets of seed in 1999, mostly through church supported
organizations and mostly carried as luggage by volunteers. |
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| For more information on Seed
Programs Inc., contact their offices at the following address: |
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Seed Programs, Inc.
4947 Foxbriar Trail
Charlotte, NC 28269
Tel. 704-597-7789 Fax 704-509-1845
E-Mail: jabspi@prodigy.net |
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