What do I want to see happen for my birthday? Let me explain:
These brothers of mine are genocide survivors. They have dedicated themselves fully the past two years to realizing their dream: Lifting rural Chajul, Guatemala, out of crushing poverty caused by the organized “coyotes” whose business practices amount to robbery. The coyotes take the coffee beans grown by family farms for nothing or next to nothing, resulting in a child malnutrition rate of 85%. My brothers have exposed themselves to great risk but with wise council, great courage, and divine intervention, they now have an official non-profit association coffee co-op with 99 registered families participating.
They have another enemy: Rust, the name of the fungus that has destroyed 60 to 90 percent of coffee crops throughout all of Central America (and 90 percent in this community). Pesticides cause more problems than they solve; Rust-resistant strains are hard to get and take five years to reach maturity. Coffee will not yield any earnings for many years, meaning malnutrition and poverty will rise without intervention.
The Illom farmers looking for the best place to make the community vegetable garden. Foliage will be cut back so the garden can get sun. Water will be accessible, and wood fencing will be prepared to prevent wildlife from eating the crops. (Janet Bourque, Bright Star Philanthropy Partners)
The solution: A coalition of organizations (listed below) has come together with a plan to send high-grade diverse vegetable seeds to distribute among the registered families.
• The seeds will yield five tons of edible crops, not susceptible to La Roya.
• The vegetable seeds will bring improved agricultural diversification.
• Planted vegetables will yield seeds for following years.
• Surplus produce can be sold or bartered, enabling families access to medicine and other essential basic necessities.
• Getting these fundamental needs meet will enable these deeply religious families to focus on spiritual needs as they prepare for the Easter season- and my brothers are prepared to walk with them should they ask.
To get the seeds there, distributed, and planted will only take $1000. Then 2100 children, elderly, and adults will be able to break the cycle.
WHAT DO I WANT FOR MY BIRTHDAY?
Instead of more stuff, I am asking for donations towards this effort. I trust these people because I know them personally- you can trust them too. Please call or email about any questions or even for alternate methods of giving- that would also absolutely make my birthday wonderful. My phone number is 425 829 6983 and my email is [email protected].
Your donation won’t disappear into the fathoms of cyberspace and philanthropy, never to be seen or heard from again. I will be posting updates here about how the seed effort is going, until the first year’s harvest has been planted, grown, harvested, and consumed! I’ll also let you know how next season goes- the season that will be planted with the seeds produced by the first season; what I imagine will be an even bigger distribution and crop. And of course, at any point you can always ask me about how things are going!
You can donate and learn more at the big link just below.
Thank you so much,
Alex “Alejandro” Larkin
Organizations:
- ASOIXIL: About the Founders & Directors asoixil.org
- Seed Programs International: seedprograms.org
- Bright Star Philanthropy Partners: see sister page brightstargrants.com for info about the founders and directors of BSPP.