Earth Day celebrations may last over a weekend but what about the long-term? Here are three examples of Spirit in Action partners promoting techniques that benefit the earth and their communities: Ester shows the bounty from her family’s farm. 1. Intercropping in Malawi Have you heard about the Three Sisters? Beans, squash, and corn grown together get the blue ribbon in the intercropping category. Corn stalks grow tall, beans use the stalks as bean poles, and squash leaves pr

Our partners are cooking up big change in their communities and there are so many inspiring stories, photos, and quotes to share! I couldn’t fit them all in the Spring & Summer 2013 Newsletter, so today’s blog is a bit of newsletter leftover stew… (The newsletter went off to the presses yesterday but you can download a PDF COLOR copy here today.) 1. Women Starting Businesses in Kenya SIA Small Business Fund local coordinator in Kenya, Dennis Kiprop, is excited about the new c

SIA SBF Coordinators watch a presentation about tree seedlings and reforestation. Spring is in the air all over the USA this week! To celebrate the rain and the warmer temperatures, I am reposting this discussion of agro-forestry from last April on Spirit in Action’s blog. ********************************** Our international partners working in Kenya have long recognized the value of agroecology. This type of farming system, also called bio-intensive agriculture, uses techniq

“The river of life, each curve more beautiful than the last.” The unfolding of beauty and possibility expressed in this Maaori saying was clearly present in an inspiring talk I heard last month by Tukoroirangi Morgan, a Maaori leader. He was at the Native American and Indigenous Studies Association (NASIA) Conference to share how his tribe was able to successfully become the recognized stewards of the important Waikato River in New Zealand. Restoring and protecting the health

“Environmental protection has become a priority in this country and there is a lot of technical input the government is employing.” This statement could easily have come from any U.S.-based environmentalist. But, it comes from one based in Kenya. Dennis Kiprop, a Spirit in Action partner in Eldoret, Kenya wrote recently to share with me about environmental movements in his country and explain how people are employing bio-intensive agriculture to replenish the nutrients in the