Educational Concerns for Hunger Organization Posted by Susie

ECHO is a charitable group that finds and implements new agricultural methods in order to help poor people in developing countries grow more/better food. They also develop new strains of plants that will grow better in bad conditions (like drought). Their mission is to help feed the hungry people in the world by giving them the education they need, seeds and plants and a network of further information and guidance.

They have free tours of their Demonstration Farm in Fort Meyers, Florida - well worth the visit, if you are ever in the area.

When I went there, I saw some pretty amazing things. Ways to use old junk to make a gas stove.Old tires or socks or a cardboard box used to make planters that you can keep in your apartment or on your roof, if you live in a city. They were working on a project to develop an apple tree that would grow in the tropics. That way local farmers could grow apples, and sell to the local market. Since apples only really grow in temperate climates, the prices are quite high in tropical areas. ECHO sends each applying farmer a package of apple trees that will grow into an orchard, along with a volunteer to teach him what to do, and how to take care of the trees etc. Once he gets started he can bring himself and his family out of poverty - away from renting land, and working for pennies a day - into working for himself and bringing his entire community up with him.

Instead of dropping food on these people, and feeding them for a day, ECHO is giving them a renewable source of food and income that will last as long as they take care of it. This is good stuff.

Make sure to look at their websites: www.echonet.org and www.echotech.org