Agros Blog

Manuel jumped into the bed of our pick-up truck, an ear to ear grin on his face as he waved, shouting to his fellow Tzotzil villagers, “I’m off to the Teaching Fields to give our new gringo family gifts of gratitude for this momentous day they brought us!”

Alfonso, an Agros Agronomist, said that Manuel had a surprise for us. A few minutes later he pulled over and both hopped out of the truck, crossed the road bending beneath the black mesh canopied Rose training field, with the glint of drawn knife blades shinning as they began their cutting search. Sensing what was up, I searched for my camera and found it in the knick of time, snapping a photo of grace personified in Manuel’s face.

I did this just before he began to hand each of us a long stem, rain dappled, red rose, saying “Chahall” (which means “thank-you” in his native Tzotzil), and then waving goodbye as he turned for the walk back up to the Agros village of Nueva Palestina, in the hilly region of Southwestern Chiapas, México.

Only a few hours before this tender moment, the seven of us were strangers –wrapped in a cultural bouquet of sights, sounds and smells. Together we were witnessing the renewal of hope of thirty-two families as we signed a covenant of mutual commitment between Nueva Palestina, Apple Physical Therapy (a 260 employee company providing financial and service team support to Agros International), and Agros México, unfolding before us like Manuel’s fragrant roses.

Seizing upon the ceremony as a teachable moment, Sergio Sanchez, Country Director of Agros Mexico, involved all as they streamed forth to sign the symbolic banner of brotherhood. While some could indeed sign, others could only make a thumbprint, followed by one of the village leaders or Sergio, who would write the person’s name above the ink mark.

Once the formalities were finished, the families invited us to a feast of fried free-range chicken, rice, black beans and cups of Horchata; dipped from a new 30 gallon plastic garbage can full enough for all present to have a subsequent celebration drink.

At this moment, while the village waited their turn, a “thorn prick” pained us all –we were to eat alone, while the eyes of children and women watched waiting until we were finished. Here our gentle mentor Sergio emerged again; reminding us that we were honored guests and this was their custom. He said, “Live into their moment for in doing so you honor them.”

Solidarity with the poor means risking life-altering encounters and advocacy. When we are willing to venture forth, trusting tutors like Sergio and a humble villager like Manuel to open our eyes and hearts we walk in the “teaching fields” together, being led among both the roses and thorns.

If you’d like to learn more about entering into teachable moments with us, email me at davidc@agros.org!

Are you fluent in Spanish and have a few hours to donate to Agros?  We have over twenty-five video interviews from Chiapas, Guatemala, and Honduras that need to be translated.

The process is easy and straightforward:

• We will send you an audio .mp3 file of a Spanish interview that you can listen to on your computer, Ipod, mp3 player, etc…
• You type out a word-for-word Spanish transcript of that interview
• You then translate the Spanish transcript into English (just a quick, rough translation)
• Send the word doc back to us and you’re done

The interviews vary in terms of length.  We need all interviews translated by September 15, so if you’re interested please email Maria Jose Soerens at mariajoses@agros.org.  Thanks.

Our 1st Annual Agros 5K Fun Run/Walk is coming up Saturday September 13, 2008 at Magnuson Park (directions). Early registration deadline is next Friday September 5, 2008.

Invite your friends and family to run and bring awareness about the great need for hope and opportunity in Central America and Mexico.

Schedule:
Race Day Registration: 7:30 - 8:30 am
Run and Walk: 9:00 am
Awards: 10:00 am
Kids Dash (ages 5 and under): 10:30 am
Kids Dash (ages 6 to 10): 10:30 am

Fees:
Run:
$25.00 per person, early registration, through 9/5- includes registration and T-shirt.
$30.00 per person, late registration (after 9/5) and race day - includes registration and T-shirt (T-shirt will be mailed to you).

Walk:
$25.00 per person, early registration, through 9/5- includes registration and T-shirt.
$30.00 per person, late registration (after 9/5) and race day - includes registration and T-shirt (T-shirt will be mailed to you).

Kids Dash: Free.

Runners/Walkers can register online, by fax, email or snail mail:
Register Online
Download PDF

Become a Fundraiser!
You can help Agros by creating your own fundraising web page for this event. Invite your friends to join the mission of Agros and let them know about the Agros 5K Fun Run. Click here to start.

For more information about the event:
- Email Doug Haley at racedirector@agros.org
- Or call 206.528.1066

In April of this year, we shared how the skills and hard work of the Guatemalan refugees living on the southern border of Chiapas, Mexico, were in stark contrast to the desperate need and injustice they have faced for generations (see previous blog post).

Today, four months later, this group of families coming from Los Pinos and neighboring community Zapaluta, are getting ready to purchase land for the first time in their lives.

Santa Fé Ajké, Spanish and Mam for “Our Holy Faith,” is the 36th Agros village, the 5th community in Mexico, and the first group to purchase land in a new region of Chiapas. The families preparing to make the move to their new land are predominately Mam and Jacalteco, originally from the Ixcan region of Guatemala, just over the Mexican border. During the civil war in Guatemala (1970s-1990s), violence spread throughout the countryside, burning homes and fields and killing innocent families all over the country.  As a result, many Guatemalan families fled to Mexico for refuge. While they found respite from the war, they have nevertheless struggled to survive amidst discrimination, racism, neglect, and extreme poverty.

Now — over 25 years later — the families making up Santa Fé Ajké are beginning a new chapter in their lives. Having carried their cultural knowledge across borders and generations, they are excited to have the opportunity to partner with Agros and search for, select, and soon own land where they will live, work, and raise their families in safety. Women talk of raising small animals and selling homemade bread and handicrafts. Men plan for new sustainable ways to grow diverse crops. Children are interested in continuing their education and learning trades. In this 247-acre community, children, women and men are dreaming of the new possibilities for the first time. Where fear and despair once took hold, they can now plan for the future.

I was recently able to spend time in San Jose — one of our newest Agros villages located in the Matagalpa region of Nicaragua. It was an incredible experience. The last time I was with these families (just over a year ago) they were landless and living on approx $2 per family per day. This averages out to about $.25 a day per person. They were growing single-season subsistence crops on unproductive, rented land. With no irrigation and poor housing structures they were at the mercy of unpredictable weather. They were struggling with hunger, health problems, lack of access to clean water, no work or food security, and a pervasive sense of despair.

Today — one year after starting this new Agros village — these same families invited us to a banquet… a feast of chicken, corn, and other food produced on their Agros farm. It was a feast!

Here is what they’ve accomplished over the last year:

• Temporary houses (with latrines) have been built
• An irrigation system with piped water has been established
• The families are planting 8 different crops year-round during three unique growing seasons
• Proceeds from a recent tomato harvest have been invested into cattle worth more than $6,000
• They are storing the surplus of recent corn production, waiting until the prices go up so that they can make additional profit
• 10,000 coffee plant seedlings will soon be planted in order to increase coffee production
• They took out an additional loan from Agros and built a coffee processing machine and a pump
• Everyone is involved in community development activities, the women are actively involved in leadership, and children now have access to both preschool and elementary school

WoW!!!! Talk about impressive! And they did all of this while also being impacted by Hurricane Felix, which hit in September of 2007. I was (and am) blown away. What a story!!!

These families are representative of hard-working Agros families across Central America and Mexico. They are a great example of how the Agros model enables the poor to develop assets, create security, and slowly but surely work their way out of poverty.

This is Land, Hope, and Life at work! Here are a few photos from this incredible Agros village:

We have some exciting developments in Agros Mexico right now with the opening of a new region in Chiapas.  Over the past year we have been working to assess the feasibility of working on the border of Mexico and Guatemala, to start new Agros communities with Guatemalan refugees who fled during the civil war to Mexico.  There are over 6,000 refugees who escaped to Mexico in the 1980s and have chosen to remain and become Mexican citizens.  Most live in poverty and suffer from discrimination for being both indigenous and Guatemalan.  Agros Mexico undertook a feasibility study and in the process identified dozens of potential groups with which we could work, to help the families break out of poverty through land ownership and the Agros model.

The first group that Agros will work with is in its final stages of the selection process, and a piece of land has been identified.  We are working through our village approval process and if all the key criteria are met will be starting this village in late August, including purchasing the land.  Twenty-five families who come from great suffering and turmoil will be given a new opportunity and new hope.

We have also been selected as finalists for the 2008 Global Development Marketplace competition through the World Bank, with a proposal based on the work to be started in this new region of Mexico.  The proposal is for $200,000 to help start two Agros communities with indigenous populations.  Out of the original 1,700 proposals they received, 100 organizations have been chosen to continue after a rigorous review of the applications by 200 development specialists.  Agros was one of them!

The Development Marketplace is a competitive grant program administered by the World Bank and supported by various partners that identify and fund innovative, early-stage projects with high potential for development impact.  Since its inception in 1998, DM has awarded about $40 million (US) to more than 1,000 projects through global, regional and country level marketplaces.  Using DM funding as a launching pad, many projects have gone on to scale up or replicate elsewhere.

The 2008 DM competition sought proposals on the theme of Sustainable Agriculture for Development with sub-themes that address agriculture as an engine of growth, agriculture as an instrument of poverty alleviation and agriculture as a provider of environmental services.  We will now submit a more detailed proposal and are invited to attend the Marketplace Event September 23-26 in Washington, D.C. where 20 organizations from the 100 finalists will be awarded grants.  Both Sergio Sanchez, our Agros Mexico Director, and myself will be attending.  You can see the other finalists here.

The full participation and involvement of the people we serve is fundamental to the mission of Agros. Paola, a 19-year-old woman from Cajixay, Guatemala, has worked as an Agros promoter since 2006. Her passion to improve the lives of the poor has helped many women in Guatemala. She is currently studying Social Work at the University of Santa Cruz.

“Agros began to work with Cajixay in 2002, and I have seen many changes since then, both in the lives of my family and in the whole community. My family has its own house for the first time!”

In November 2006, Agros offered Paola a job as a promoter of the textiles and weaving project. “I teach women how to improve their products and how to sell them more effectively. I work with all the Agros villages in the area, including Cajixay. It is a privilege to help the women in my own community. I am even teaching my mother!”

With the money that she earns, Paola pays for her studies at the university. “I work Monday through Friday for Agros, and I attend classes on Saturdays in Santa Cruz del Quiché. Saturdays are long days; I leave my house at 4 in the morning and return at about 10 at night, but it is worth the effort.”

Paola is studying social work, and her dream is to continue helping the people in her community and in all of Guatemala. “I love my work!” she says.

Paola’s deep conviction to help the poor are reflected in these words, “I want to urge all you who read this - fight to improve your lives. And if you don’t have your own struggles, fight to improve other people’s lives.”

This is a time of great celebration here at Agros as we announce the beginning of two new villages, Villa Hortencia I in Guatemala, and Nuevas Esperanzas in Nicaragua. Over 150 families are now beginning a new life of hope and opportunity.

Agros Village #35 Nuevas Esperanzas, Nicaragua
This community, formerly known as El Naranjo, waited for years to have the opportunity to own  land.  Their primary sources of income and food came from growing basic grains on rented land and working as day laborers on sugarcane and coffee plantations.  Fathers and sons would leave their families behind for months to work in the plantations, struggling to provide enough income to survive.  After so many years of living in devastating poverty, these 36 families are now able to stay together throughout the year, learning new skills to develop agricultural business projects on land they will one day own.  Journeying through the Agros development process, these families will learn to diversify their crops and economic activities, building the necessary infrastructure to ensure growth.  In a way that just wasn’t possible before, they can now seize opportunities for literacy, healthcare, education, and economic sustainability.  You can read more about Nuevas Esperanzas here.

Agros Village #34 Villa Hortencia I, Guatemala
After decades of war, hunger, and profound struggle, one hundred and twenty Quiche families now have the opportunity to flourish.  The 36-year civil war in Guatemala was devastating for the villages in this region, leaving families marginalized, displaced, and forgotten. In 2006 the Guatemalan Land Fund gave these families rights to 688 acres of land in Villa Hortencia.  While this was a hopeful first step, the land they received was rocky, dry, and not very productive.  Lacking the necessary agricultural knowledge and support, the families continued to struggle.

Agros began working with the families in Villa Hortencia last June, exploring a variety of ways to provide assistance.  Last week the Agros Noemi committee approved the long-term support that will be used to provide agricultural training and community development, maximizing the potential of these families to work their way out of  poverty.  Click here to read more.

The story of Agros is written by people who dare to overcome their limitations with hope and hard work.  These are people who, when given encouragement and opportunity, stand up with strength and hope that their dreams can be fulfilled even after poverty has worn their hearts away. 

This is the story of Mario, a leader of the Agros village Brisas del Volcán in Honduras.

For most of his life Mario rented land to grow corn and beans to feed his family. Making less than three dollars a day, he struggled to provide for all their needs. “I was constantly in debt at the local market, so any money I made during the week was already spent.” Whenever his family ran out of food, Mario would go into the mountains in search of bananas or roots to eat. “We had to make sacrifices because we didn’t have any money.”

One day Rosa, Mario’s wife, heard about Agros and after meeting with the Agros staff, she and Mario began to search land for their community. “We approached landowners, but they didn’t believe that we could afford to buy our own land, so they would chastise us, calling us ‘dirt-eaters,’ and dismiss us.”

But Mario and Rosa would not give up. In 2006, they organized a group of families and started Brisas del Volcán. “We were so happy when we started this village. We began by producing the coffee that was already growing in the fields and then we learned new ways to improve the production of basic grains.”

Agros has also given them financial and technical support for sustainable agriculture. “This is helping us succeed and pay for our land.”

Two years into this journey, Mario’s village is producing organic coffee, raising cattle, and diversifying their crops.

“Living in Brisas del Volcán has transformed our lives. Owning land has improved our relationship with God and with people. I was even able to provide for my daughter’s education, who graduated with a technical degree in management. I have food to eat, I’ve paid off my debts and I have money in my pocket to pay for our everyday needs. I see a whole new realm of possibility for my life, and I realize that I am capable of reaching my goals. Working with Agros has given me hope and a life of opportunity for my family.”

In the 1800’s a K’iche Mayan man left his home in Quetzaltenango in search of a new life.  Don Pablo Itzep Utuy settled in the beautiful region of Ixil, Guatemala in a little village then called Asich.  There the mist clings to the green hills and the soil is rich for planting.  Ten families were living in the village at the time and they welcomed him into their community.

The village of Asich grew, as did the family of Don Pablo. When he passed away, Don Pablo left his portion of the land to his son, Don Nicolás. Don Nicolás continued to live on the land with his family until the year 1981 when the unrest and violence that had been spreading through Guatemala for twenty years finally reached the Ixil.  It was a time of terror for everyone.  Throughout the Ixil over 200,000 men, women, and children were killed in a literal genocide.  Entire villages were destroyed, forcing families into exile and despair.  Don Nicolás, his family, nearby neighbors — they all abandoned their houses and moved away together, hoping for safety in numbers.

Many years of hardship passed before Don Nicolás and those who fled with him were finally able to return to their land.  Upon returning after the war, the land land was given a new name. They called it “San Nicolás” after Don Nicolás himself, and the area became its own village. There was not much to return to, however. Many of the houses had been burned to the ground. Very little was left. They began to rebuild their homes, but huddled them together under order of the Guatemalan military. This was so  the soldiers could keep a close watch on the village families. The military also implemented civilian patrol groups, requiring the men to carry weapons and “protect” the people from guerrilla soldiers and the “rebels” living in the mountains. Life both during and after the war was very hard. The people were poor and resources were scarce.

In the 1990’s the war finally and officially ended and military soldiers relinquished their control over San Nicolás. Little by little the people worked to rebuild their community. In the year 2000 Don Nicolás purchased more land, adding to his family’s holdings.

In 2004 the partnership between Agros and San Nicolás officially began.  Agros purchased a plot of land for cultivation not too far from San Nicolás and the families are  working towards paying for the land — one day they’ll own it outright.  With the help of Agros the people have also learned to diversify their crops. They now plant a variety of fruits and vegetables. This is the third year that San Nicolás is cultivating peas, actually exporting them to other countries.  This pea project enables the families to pay back their land loans, buy cows or other animals, or start up other small businesses.

With Agros’ help the families of San Nicolás have gained access to potable water and have created a running water system, as well as now having efficient cook stoves and and composting latrines.  This all contributes to the communities health and well-being.

Today, Don Nicolás is 88 years old. His dream is to live to see 100, and like his father before him, leave behind a home and legacy for the next generation.  Don Nicolás is a living example of ‘Land, Hope, and Life’ becoming real.

We have a new opening at Agros for a Major Gift Officer:

GENERAL FUNCTION:  Initiate and cultivate relationships with potential major donors (individuals, businesses, and family foundations) who have the capability of making significant financial contributions to Agros International; maintain and build strong relationships with existing Agros International major donors; and professionally and effectively ask for financial gifts to fund the mission and program of Agros International.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & ABILITIES:

• Minimum of 3-5 years major donor fundraising experience
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal
• Effective combination of being people-oriented, detail-oriented, and direct enough to ask for large gifts
• Capability to develop and maintain long-term funding relationships
• Strong organizational skills and the ability to meet deadlines
• Proficient computer skills (Microsoft Office and Blackbaud’s “Raiser’s Edge”)

PLEASE CLICK HERE for more information.

Agros International is pleased to welcome its new Director for Agros Honduras, Joel Martínez.

Joel Martínez Durón is a certified Agricultural Engineer with a Master’s Degree in ‘Generation of Development Projects’ and a background in Business Administration and Organizational Development. Joining Agros as the Executive Director of Agros Honduras, Joel’s twelve years of experience directing development projects in the field will greatly contribute to the families in Agros Honduras communities.

Prior to his role with Agros, Joel served as the Director of Program Development in Morzán Yoro for World Vision Honduras.  Joel led the strategic and operative planning process for the program, as well as comprehensive monitoring of the program’s impact.  He directed a team of field staff providing health, education, and economic development projects to the targeted population.

Joel was also responsible for administering the World Vision sponsorship program that generates 50% of the program’s funding. With his depth of experience and networking contacts relevant to the work of Agros, Joel will be a tremendous leader as the Honduras team continues to bring land, hope, and life to impoverished families in Honduras.

Welcome Joel!

Partnership with Agros means more than loans and projects. At Agros we define poverty as ‘broken relationships’, and for the rural poor you can measure this. Relationships are broken as men and young boys leave their families and work for months in coffee or sugar plantations, or when mothers migrate to other countries seeking jobs… relationships break down for the poor when economic, health, education, environmental, cultural structures all break down.

Our development model is focused on restoring broken relationships, in ways that can be measured. We do this not by offering charity, but by empowering families to work their own way out of poverty. Attitudes and outlooks are transformed as opportunities are offered and families steadily create new realities of hope, organization and participation. Here is how Andrés, from the Agros village ‘Espinal Buenavista’ explains it:

Andrés is an indigenous Tsotsil from Bochil, a municipality of Los Altos in Chiapas, Mexico, and when he moved to the Agros community ‘Espinal Buenavista’ he dedicated himself to working the land and using micro loans (enterprise loans) offered by Agros to raise livestock, particularly pigs.

“Agros has always been honest with us, stating very clearly from the beginning that they are not a charity; they provide us with loans and training.  The truth is they have followed through on this with us.”

Andres and many others in Espinal Buenavista are being given an opportunity to use their skills to help their families escape poverty. Though his community has worked with other organizations, no other NGO or governmental organization has provided the scope of opportunity that Agros has. “We feel a strong, trusting relationship with Agros - with the field staff, directors, and partners. Agros is a flexible organization, the first that has made it easy for us to use long term loans and community organization to improve our lives.”

Andrés concludes, “Our community is now open to building relationships with people outside of Espinal Buenavista - this is new for us. We are united, and everyone participates and enjoys coming together for meetings. In this way, we are organized and the families are truly happy… we are content.”

The Agros Development Model enables entire communities to fundamentally break the cycle of poverty for generations to come. With the support of Agros, a group of families from Aduana Dos, Nicaragua, is writing a new chapter in a history previously marked by poverty and lack of opportunity. The following report was written by field staff in Nicaragua:

The families from Aduana Dos, Nicaragua, have displayed an impressive degree of leadership throughout their plantain project. Management skills, accountability, and decision-making have allowed them to grow higher quality crops. The success and growth is impressive.

During this project the families have demonstrated positivity and an entrepreneurial spirit. Seventy-five percent of the families are marketing their crops allowing them to generate more income than originally projected. The news about their success is spreading throughout the region and as a consequence, neighbor communities have started to grow plantains in their home gardens as well. In all of our countries the Agros model impacts not just the village where the model is implemented, but also in neighboring communities as well.

It is important to note how much the women in the community have been absolutely key in the success of this project. They leave their homes early in the morning to sell and market the products in neighboring villages.

“We are grateful to Agros for the opportunity of being part of this project. We have recovered our self-confidence. We can work our land, and most importantly have food to eat with our children.” - Audelys, Aduana Dos.

I recently had the opportunity to take Claude Nikondeha, founder of the Amahoro Network, to see our work in Nicaragua. Claude is from Burundi, and he is interested in contextualizing and implementing the Agros development model in East Africa. This is what Claude shared with his network after our trip:

Dear friends,
Last week I had the opportunity to travel to Latin America for the first time. I arrived in Nicaragua to learn first-hand about the work of AGROS INTERNATIONAL. Upon my arrival, I immediately recognized that the people of Nicaragua are wonderful people with the most beautiful language, living a simple life of caring for each other and the land that God has given them. As I walked through their communities and witnessed the pride in their agricultural accomplishments, I was impressed with their eagerness to work hard to bring about lasting change in their villages. Their joy was contagious, and I found myself infused with deep delight with each encounter, with each story told and each meal shared together. Cultivating and owning your own land, is good news, indeed!

The vision of Agros is “to restore hope and opportunity to the world’s poor.” In other words they go after what Jesus called ‘the least of these’ and give them tangible hope in the form of farmland. For the last 25 years, Agros has been doing rural community development in Latin America with a simple but very transformative process — building self-sustaining and thriving communities.

While mistakes have been made, it is success that thrives as Agros creates communities with land, local leadership, homes, and a spirit of generous hospitality. Their work is a visible manifestation of God’s good news to the impoverished people of Latin America.

I went to Nicaragua hoping to be inspired for ‘the least of these’ in my own homeland of Burundi. Indeed, the rural farmers of Nicaragua inspired me beyond what any book or essay on rural development could have ever done! These are people who are getting their ‘first chance’, their first real opportunity to build a home, own land, run a business, lead in their village and experience the goodness of God’s provision. Their industrious and gracious spirit reminds me of my African kinsmen, and I feel like I have got a glimpse of hope for the countryside of Burundi.

For many years I have looked for a way to sustain healthy development in a rural setting and a communal culture. I believe this is it, this is what it can look like! Agros offers a paradigm that offers me hope; it is a model that can deliver real transformation on the ground. This model allows communities to grow, leadership to develop and opportunity to spring up like wild flowers. I have seen what is possible in Nicaragua, and I believe that it is possible in Burundi and across rural Africa. By partnering with the poor and making land, agricultural knowledge, community development and leadership training available to them, good things can grow. This can be good news for Africa! This summer while my family and I spend time in Burundi, one of the things we will be exploring will be a potential local NGO who can partner with Agros to bring this opportunity to the poor of Burundi.

Amahoro,
Claude Nikondeha

On June 2nd, 2008, Nathan Hawkins joined Agros as the new Service Team Coordinator. Nathan is originally from Minneapolis and has lived in Mexico, East Tennessee, and most recently New Orleans, where he helped with rebuilding efforts after hurricane Katrina. He met his wife Joy in Tijuana, and together they moved to Seattle on November 2007. We’re truly excited to have Nathan join us.

Quoting the words of Frederick Buechner, Nathan describes his vocational calling as an intersection between “the place where deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.” Nathan adds, “I truly believe one such intersection for me is this opportunity to serve with Agros. I am so grateful to be joining you. I look forward to developing friendships and serving diligently alongside everyone at Agros and the many partners Agros counts as friends.”

Tara E. Leung will be leaving us on June 13th to pursue a masters program in International Development at Tufts University in Boston. She has worked and served with passion, excellence, and commitment.

Our very best wishes to Tara and a warm welcome to Nathan!

Distress and struggle are circumstances we all face during our lifetime. For some of us this looks like illness, life transition, or the loss of a loved one. For many others, these struggles are related to the uncertainty of having food on the table, a place to work, the loss of home, or the daily impossibility of living with simple dignity because its been stripped away.

Whatever the degree of our struggle, we all can relate to the relief that comes with tangible opportunity to overcome desperation. This is the story of José Ángel and his journey to fulfill his dream.

“We used to live in a community called Pancasan, on a little plot of land that belonged to my mother. However, four siblings plus our wives and children shared this place, so I decided to look for a piece of land where I could settle my family. When I began my search it was hard to find a loan to buy a plot of land. That is how I ran into people who told me about Agros. I thought it was a great opportunity and Agros staff visited me and invited me to a meeting where they explained their development model to us. I thought it was a good process so I signed up for the project. Nine months later, with the support of service teams who visited us from the US, we began building a well for drinking water. It was a beautiful and unforgettable experience.

After the well was finished, we began building our homes. Although a difficult endeavor, it was an extraordinary experience, and we continued persevering, motivated by the hope of finally having a beautiful and decent home!

We moved to our homes in June of 2001, and until this day I cannot fathom that I have a house when I see it. It seems that it is not mine, because even when I always dreamed of a well-built and beautiful house I could not imagine the possibility of owning it because I come from a very difficult economic situation. I am grateful to God -who used Agros - to make the dream of my life come true.

My life has changed, my mindset has been transformed — my situation has been improved. I’m grateful and very hopeful. Thanks be to God, and thanks to Agros!

My name is José Ángel and Modesta is my wife. We have four children and we have a great vision for the future of our community.”

This is from the Agros Office Manager, Kathy Kautzky:

Office Needs:
It’s been several weeks since we moved to our new office in Belltown. Thank you all who have helped us make this space our new home! We are still in need of a few items:

• Coat racks
• Small size bookshelves
• Kitchen cart (our counter-top is limited in space, our floor space is much more)
• Deck furniture (yes, we have a wonderful outside deck space!)
• Plants – (in good condition) indoor, medium to large, easy to care for
• Photo Frames (all sizes!)

If you’d like to donate any of these items please contact Kathy Kautzky at kathyk@agros.org or call 206.528.1066

Volunteer Opportunities:
We are currently in need of a volunteer who can help us at the reception desk answering the phone and greeting our visitors primarily on Wednesday and Friday mornings.

If you are available during those days or at any other time, please contact Kathy Kautzky at kathyk@agros.org or call 206.528.1066

War, poverty, systemic injustice… these are forces that work to steal the dignity and hope of so many. Here at Agros, it is our mission and passion to challenge the hopelessness and despair that exists for so many. This following is a story about a group of families in Mexico striving for land, hope, and life. They have a unique story, and yet nevertheless also represent the thousands upon thousands of families across Central America and Mexico who face the same struggle — people who are skillful, hard working, with hope and faith in abundance… and yet who lack fertile land and tangible opportunities. The following was written by our International Program Assistant, Christina Cummings.

The readiness of the group was felt throughout the room. Anticipation and hope mixed with desperation from previous dead-end after dead-end. The number of women, children and men that traveled to meet together at the end of a hard workday… the posture of each perched forward on the hardwood benches their own hands had constructed… the questions speaking to their hunger for change and fear of yet another false hope… it all spoke loudly of not only their history of marginalization and poverty, but also their desire for dignity and hope.

These twenty-five Guatemalan refugees were naturalized in Mexico after over twenty years of living on the outskirts of society. They gathered to meet with Agros to discuss the needs and hopes of their families. Currently, they are living on land that is entirely too small to support a healthy community and sustainable growth. “We’re going around in circles on this land,” says one woman in the front row. Even so, most have extensive experience in worm-composting, non-traditional crops, livestock, and other skills passed on from their ancestors. They simply do not have the land needed to grow the most basic crops to feed their families.

Racism and neglect are other issues this group faces, highlighted in their 10-year struggle with the Mexican government to connect their community to a local water system. One frustrated man recalls politicians’ visits — where packages of campaign materials were dropped off in their community while obvious, urgent needs are ignored. Abandoned by both the Guatemalan and Mexican governments, they feel like citizens of “not here nor there.”

Despite the struggle, these families have not given up. As part of a network of over 50 neighboring communities, they are united in their vision for a better future and are meeting together regularly to organize their search for land and opportunity.

Agros defines poverty as ‘broken relationships’, and this can be seen in how families are often forced to live apart, with the men forced to work on plantations, or in other parts of the region. One wife and mother, left behind as her husband was forced to look for work elsewhere, shook with emotion, “Here, the women work even when their husbands are gone; we take on the men’s responsibilities. But it scares me to think about what will happen to us if we don’t find land to work.”

At the end of the meeting the families filed out with hope and determination in their eyes. Conversations will continue as the families and Agros staff continue to explore the possibilities of launching a new project together.

Virtually every Agros village starts this way… with conversations, relationship building, and desire. Because Agros is committed to long term transformation, the process takes time. However, after 33 projects in 5 countries, it is clear that a modest investment in these families will reap enormous rewards. Land, agricultural training, relationship… hard work, commitment, faith… the ingredients are there. It simply takes a willingness to challenge despair and hopelessness.

We have a new open position here at Agros. Please feel free to forward this to any interested candidates. The position closes April 14.

Following is an abbreviated version of the opening. You can read the full job description here.

Service Team Coordinator: Primary Description
Coordinate service teams and donor vision trips, including all the logistics and preparations for these trips, in coordination with team leaders in the US, Agros Resource Development staff, and staff in the country offices.

Required skill set:

• Bilingual-Spanish and English, written and spoken
• Be able to agree with and live out the Agros values (click here for more)
• Interpersonal and relational skills
• Demonstrated spreadsheet (Excel) skills
• Excellent organizational skills
• Attention to detail
• Good oral and written communication skills
• Experience working with budgets
• Experience working with logistics
• Experience traveling in Latin America

Supervisor: Service & Education Manager

Please send your CV and a cover letter to International Program Assistant Christina Cummings (christinac@agros.org) by Monday, April 14, 2008. Thank you.

Nueva Palestina, Mexico, was established as an Agros Village in 2007. Here is a story of two community leaders whose initiative has helped an entire community break free from the cycle of poverty.

Sebastián and Margarita have lived in Nueva Palestina, Mexico, for the last thirteen years. Like so many other families in the Chiapas region, they were forced to flee from their home in 1989 due to religious persecution. They lived the next six years as internal refugees, struggling to support their family on day-laborer wages.

As indigenous people without land or a community in which to settle, Sebastián and Margarita suffered from discrimination and marginalization until 1996, when the Mexican government offered land. During this time, Sebastián and Margarita tried to break free from the grip of poverty but the dream of a better life proved elusive.

In 2005, Sebastián heard about Agros from a friend in a neighboring Agros community, San Pedrito, and for two years Sebastián worked with his own community to form a partnership with Agros. Their hard work paid off and now Sebastián and Margarita are serving as leaders in Nueva Palestina, encouraging all to participate in the organizational and development process.

“I’m happy to have helped my community,” says Sebastián, modestly referring to his faithful leadership as the President of the Ejido Commission, a collective of land owners in Mexico. In order for another community member to take on a more significant leadership role, Sebastián has recently stepped aside as president of the Commission. “I am helping my brothers and sisters so that together we can get ahead,” Sebastián says.

Margarita, just as modest as her husband, has also made a major impact on her community’s development. Just a few short months ago no one in Nueva Palestina knew how to embroider the elaborate clothing that is traditional to their heritage. Margarita has led a passionate, organized group to receive sewing workshops from Agros staff, obtain enterprise loans, and to purchase two sewing machines!

The women are currently producing beautiful clothing, eager to learn new designs and improve relationships with new markets.

Margaria and Sebastián both are true servant leaders.

The move is now officially complete. The Agros Seattle staff started working at the new office on Monday (3/17/08).

Special thanks goes out to Agros Office Manager Kathy Kautzky for shepherding, facilitating, and managing what has been a mammoth undertaking. She has managed this process with efficiency and remarkable grace.

Please note: our phone number will stay the same, however our new address is now:

2225 4th Ave. 2nd Floor
Seattle, WA. 98121

First — many of you received our in-house staff newsletter in your email inbox today. This was an unfortunate accident and we sincerely apologize. Like many of you, here at Agros we work hard to diminish SPAM and ensure that only essential email enters our own inboxes, and so we apologize all the more for the mistake! We can assure you that this will not happen again.

Second — Agros is saying good-bye to the U-District and moving to our new office in Belltown on March 15th. You can help us in a number of ways:

Before the move:

• We need people on call who help us move acquired furniture into our new office.
• Do you have a truck available to share? We need volunteers with a large pickup truck or large enclosed vehicle on an “On Call” basis to help get the furniture we are gathering picked up and delivered to the Belltown office.
• We need Boxes and Packing materials.

Day of the move: Saturday, March 15th

We will be organized in three teams, you can be part of one of them:

U. District Team
7:45 am - Food Hospitality
We need a couple of volunteers to bring and set-up a continental-style breakfast for the volunteer crew. This would include items like coffee, bagels, and fruit.

8:00 am - We need strong volunteers at the U District office to load boxes (and some furniture) into the moving truck, and to also help clean up once the office is empty. Your friends/family are welcome to join us.

Belltown Team
10:30 am - We need strong volunteers at the Belltown office around 10:30 am to unload the truck, attend to security doors and elevators, and deliver items to designated offices. Boxes and offices will be labeled in advance.

11:30 am - Food Hospitality
We need a couple volunteers to order and set up food for the volunteer crews at the Belltown office. We need a couple volunteers to clean up the food after lunch.

Finish Team
Sunday, March 16, Noon - 4 pm
We need flexible volunteers who could be available in case we need help with all those loose end items which couldn’t get covered on Saturday. We will only need volunteers if there are last minute needs to make sure Agros is up and running for Monday morning!

If you are able to volunteer for any of the above, please contact Kathy Riper at kathyr@agros.org or 206.528.1066 to let her know what day(s) and time you are available.

Office Needs
We are also looking for Office furniture! We are specifically looking for:

• Desks 5 - 6 feet length (we need several of these…).
• Desk Chairs in good condition.
• Two-shelf book cases.
• Conference Table - modular.
• Kitchen Table to seat 6 (30-36 inch wide).
• Contemporary track lighting.
• Coat racks.
• Plants - indoor, medium to large, easy to care for.
• New Coffee Maker.
• Kitchen cart (our counter-top is limited in space, our floor space is much more).
• Deck furniture.

Our Former Office Space in the University District is Available!
The space is about 2600 square feet. Contact Jean Ingebritsen for details at jeani@agros.org.

In order to better serve the mission of Agros the Seattle office will be relocating to a new space on March 15, 2008. We’ve worked hard over the last several years in our current office space to maximize resources and accommodate a growing organization. For Agros, organizational growth is driven by a determination to meet the enormous need of struggling, landless, rural poor families.We are committed to meeting that need with passion, resourcefulness, and conscientious stewardship.

After many months of diligent searching, we will be moving to the corner of 4th and Bell, in Belltown. (For those of you outside of Seattle, Belltown is a neighborhood north of downtown Seattle, and south of the Space Needle).

Driven by a desire to be as economical and wise as possible in our selection we spent nearly a year looking for the right space. This office in Belltown is by far the most economical option of all the spaces viewed and it also allows us room to expand without over-committing resources. The building itself is owned by a non-profit housing management organization which operates residential units for elderly and disabled people on the upper floors, and is in a neighborhood that is full of other non-profits and service related institutions.

As a staff we’re excited for not only the move, but also the ongoing growth opportunities ahead of us. We realize that fundamentally, growth means more families having the opportunity to escape the suffering of extreme poverty, and building new lives for themselves.

We’ll soon have an open-house event at the new space, and we look forward to seeing many of you there.

Nuestra casa es su casa.

Trace Bundy, a world renowned guitarist and a passionate Agros supporter, will be releasing his newest DVD recording on Monday, March 10th at the Triple Door in Seattle.

The album “Missile Bell” is named after the story of an Agros village in El Salvador called San Diego de Tenango. Tenango’s history is laced with hardship and displacement. During El Salvador’s civil war, the villagers fled the country, surviving the war in Honduran refugee camps. They returned years later to find their land destroyed and occupied. With the help of Agros, the 18 families were able to purchase property and embarked on a new life together. The families, filled with gratitude and deep faith, postponed building their own homes in order to build a church and hold a service of thanks. But they needed a church bell. So they went searching and found an old missile casing leftover from the war - perhaps similar to one that destroyed their village in the first place - and they hoisted it up on a rope, transforming it into their bell.

Their missile-turned-to-bell speaks to the power of redemption: ugly become beautiful, dead things alive, old things new. Trace took that image and wrote a song called “Missile Bell” playing ugly, dissonant chords in a way that becomes harmonious. He plays it as a proclamation of peace and a testament to the villagers in El Salvador.

Trace and his wife Becca have recently committed to a six-year Journey with a Village partnership with a new village in Guatemala called “Villa Linda”. It is their desire to use their platform as artists to advocate on behalf of the poor and marginalized. Partnering with Agros has been an exciting way to make that vision a reality. The story of Tenango’s Missile Bell continues to impact their lives, their work, and their faith.

We invite you to come experience Trace’s music at his DVD release show, and particularly to hear this song “Missile Bell” and remember the families of Tenango.

Triple Door Mainstage
216 Union St. Seattle, WA
Monday, March 10th 7:30 pm
$10 advance / $12 at the door
206.838.4333
All-Ages - doors at 5:30pm
Tickets Available HERE
www.tracebundy.com