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Seed Programs
International (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 grow
better gardens. Many poor people, especially the very poor, have barely
enough money to keep alive, much less buy good seed. In addition, many
remote areas where the poor live simply do not have good seed available.
Programs are self help requiring seed recipients to work and can help
build people’s self esteem. We have a number of ways that we can provide
seed to those in need. Please click on the links below for more
information on each.
· Helping School Children &
Orphans Grow Food
- Click HERE to read about
this program.
· Kitchen Garden Seed Program
- Click HERE to read about
this program.
· Rotary International
- Click HERE to read about
this program.
 Following are brief
examples of partner programs that have received SPI help.
· North Korea - Severe
famine is estimated to have resulted in the death of 1,000,000 -
2,000,000 people in recent years. 100,000 packets of seed for 10,000
families was shipped through the United Methodist Committee On Relief
for planting in 1998. An additional 800,000 packets for 80,000
families was shipped for planting in 1999. Mercy Corps International
shipped seed for 10,000 families in 2001.
· Belarus - The fall of
Communism continues to hurt people's lives with many people having
difficulty buying enough food. Josh McDowell Ministry was shipped seed
in late 1999 for 40,000 families to plant gardens in 2000. Results
were so positive and need so great that 500,000 packets for 50,000
families were shipped in 2000 for planting in 2001. An additional
500,000 packets for 50,000 families were shipped October 2001 for
planting in 2002, with an additional 352,000 packets shipped for
planting in 2003.
· Zimbabwe - Unemployment
is estimated at 50% resulting in widespread poverty, in many cases
extreme poverty, and hunger. In 2000 a shipment of 175,000 packets of
seed was made to the United Church of Christ in Zimbabwe for planting
in 2001and was distributed to families, schools and clinics. Results
were so positive and need so great 192,000 packets were shipped in
2001 for planting in 2002.
· Albania, Bosnia, Kosovo
- Albanian families housing war refugees were sent vegetable seed to
help refugees grow food. When refugees returned home they were given
packets of seed to grow gardens. Church World Service, Christian
Reformed World Relief Committee, Orthodox Church of Albania and Food
Resources Bank all helped implement the program.
· Dominican Republic, El
Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti and Nicaragua were devastated by
hurricanes in 1998. Over 385,000 packets of seed were shipped to aid
hurricane victims in 1999, 2000, and 2001 through church supported
organizations, Rotary and Americares.
· Armenia, Belize, Chad,
China, Colombia, Congo, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominica, Ecuador, El
Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Mexico,
Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Romania, Sierra Leone,
Senegal, Venezuela, Vietnam - Individuals supplied boxes of seed
to these countries to aid families, schools, orphanages and community
groups to grow food. A typical box of seed contained an assortment of
1,400 packets, weighed about 10 kilos and was about two cubic feet in
size.
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