Episcopal Relief & Development
Contact

(0) My Cart

Gifts for Life Donate Now
menu
search
  • What We Do
    • Priorities
      • Women
      • Children
      • Climate
    • Integrated Approach
      • Agriculture
      • Asset-Based Community Development
      • Clean Water
      • Disaster Resilience
      • Gender Equality & GBV
        • 16 Days of Activism Toolkit
        • Ending GBV in Liberia
      • Global Goals
      • Malaria – NetsforLife®
      • Maternal & Child Health
        • Early Childhood Development
      • Micro-finance
      • Sanitation & Hygiene
    • US Disaster Program
      • Emergency Responses
      • Long-term Recovery
      • The Episcopal Asset Map and Disasters
      • Resource Library
    • Ukraine Crisis Response
    • COVID-19 Pandemic Response
  • Where We Work
    • Africa
      • Angola
      • Burundi
      • Democratic Republic of Congo
      • Ghana
      • Kenya
      • Liberia
      • Malawi
      • Mozambique
      • Namibia
      • South Sudan
      • Tanzania
      • Zambia
      • Zimbabwe
    • Asia
      • Myanmar [Burma]
      • The Philippines
      • Sri Lanka
      • Vanuatu
    • Latin America & the Caribbean
      • Brazil
      • Colombia
      • Cuba
      • El Salvador
      • Guatemala
      • Haiti
      • Honduras
      • Nicaragua
    • The Middle East
    • United States
  • Who We Are
    • Mission and Mandate
    • History
    • Financials and Annual Reports
      • Financials Archive
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Board And Staff
      • Board of Directors
      • Staff
  • What You Can Do
    • ONE THOUSAND DAYS OF LOVE
    • Disaster Help
    • Give
      • Donate Now
      • Sustainers Circle
      • Planned Giving
        • Matthew 25 Legacy Society
      • Other Giving Opportunities
        • Corporate Matching
        • Honor and Memorial Gifts
        • Gifts of Stock or Securities
        • Combined Federal Campaign
        • IRA Charitable Rollover Gifts
      • Our Pledge to Donors
    • Stay Informed
      • Stories
      • Sign Up
      • Newsletters
        • Seek & Serve – Newsletter
        • US Disaster News
    • Volunteer
      • Become a Ministry Partner
      • Great Ideas to Help Make a Difference
    • Pray
    • Careers
  • Press & Resources
    • 2022 Press Releases
      • Responding to New Mexico Wildfires
      • Supporting Partners after Flooding in the South
      • Ukraine Crisis Response
    • 2021 Press Releases
      • Responding to Tornadoes in the Central US
      • COVID-19 Pandemic Response
      • Haiti Earthquake Response
    • Stories
      • Many Hands Make the Load Lighter
      • I come from a family of refugees. Now it’s my turn to help displaced persons.
      • Resilience Through the Storm: The Impact of Relationships During the Aftermath of Disasters
      • Creating Lasting Change a Few Minutes at a Time
    • Photo + Video
    • Online press kit
    • Media contact information
  • Church in Action
    • Abundant Life Garden Project®
    • ONE THOUSAND DAYS OF LOVE
      • LEARN
      • SHARE
      • GIVE
      • MIL DÍAS DE AMOR
    • Church Resources
      • Worship Resources
      • Episcopal Relief & Development Sunday
      • Pray
      • Bulletin Inserts
        • Help Ukrainian Families
      • Materials
    • Christian Formation
      • Lectio Divina
      • Abundant Life Garden Project®
      • Coloring Book
Home | Stories | All of This is in the Reach of our Hands

All of This is in the Reach of our Hands

share

Over a hot, humid, rainy week in Nicaragua recently, I spent some time with our partner there, the Council of Protestant Churches of Nicaragua (CEPAD). This was my third visit to see their work, and I’ve written in previous years about the amazing mega-gardens that small farmers have created around their homes.

This time, I wanted to see for myself how CEPAD works to share ideas on the management of these gardens with farmers. So I attended a two-day exchange workshop that brought together about 40 participating men and women from the surrounding area. It was one workshop in a whole series that farmers go through over a three-year period, and this one featured techniques for making natural fertilizers and pesticides using local ingredients.

CEPAD staff didn’t lead the workshop, however. Instead, it was spearheaded by some of the farmers themselves, the designated agricultural ‘promoters’ in each community, who had learned these methods earlier in the year and had already tried them out on their own plots. Over two days, I watched as a small group of seven farmers took turns going up to the front of the church-turned-classroom, to share details about issues such as how often to turn compost, or what ingredients you use in chili pepper pesticide.

Each promoter had their own teaching style: some were animated and jumping around the room, others were more carefully going through things step by step. But what was clear from the beginning was how powerful it was to participants have farmers from their own communities doing the teaching! I watched as both older and younger farmers listened with curious, thoughtful expressions. The group spent time outside each day doing hands-on practice, working as a group to try to replicate what they had learned in the classroom.

Towards the end of the workshop, the CEPAD staff led the group in a verbal evaluation process, trying to bring out from everyone what they had liked, and what they had learned. One of the men sitting in the back stood up, and talked about how he liked learning about the natural fertilizers and pesticides, concluding, ‘I learned that all of this is in the reach of our hands.’

He was right. And after this visit, I think I could equally say that about the farmers’ ability to teach and support each other – all it took was the vision of CEPAD to get things started.

Watch these videos to learn more about their method of sustainable agriculture!

Watch Part 1 below or Click this link: http://bit.ly/167U679

Watch Part 2 below or Click this link: http://bit.ly/1HMkK6F

———————————————

 

    Sara Delaney is a Program Officer with Episcopal Relief & Development.

 

Images: Top and MIddle 1, Farmers leading a workshop on agriculture. Middle 2 and Last, Local farmers working together during CEPAD workshop. 


An Historical Journey

We invite you to journey with us through our 75 years of healing a hurting world. View our interactive timeline that takes you from our start in the 1940s to the present, and witness our growth in vision and direction. We thank you for your support that allows us to strive towards a flourishing future. It takes #AllHands75!

 

 

Sign up for News
Order Gifts for Life!

Read the Latest Stories

One Thousand Days of Love

Quick Links

Prayers for Those Affected by Disaster

The Episcopal Asset Map 

Resources & Learning

Click below to access our Resource Library and learn more about our efforts around the world.

Discover

BECOME A PRAYER PARTNER

ACCOMPANY US IN THE FACE OF ADVERSITY AND DURING TIMES OF CELEBRATION

Join Today
Episcopal Relief & Development
QUICK LINKS
  • Who We Are
  • Sign Up
  • Stories
  • Contact Us
Connect With Us
  • 1.855.312.4325
  • info@episcopalrelief.org
© 2022 Episcopal Relief & Development
  • Privacy Statement
  • Sitemap

Sign up to receive the latest stories.

15987