Stories
Discover real-world stories of communities overcoming poverty and deforestation! Plant With Purpose, a Christian non-profit, shares examples of environmental sustainability and stewardship from all around the world. These stories show us how faith, resilience, and sustainable practices transform people’s lives as well as their environment. As rural families overcome poverty and heal the planet, embrace empowerment, renewal, and hope.
Sustainability, Tanzania
Resti: "I was able to diversify my income and secure a brighter future for my loved ones.”
Resti is a 52-year-old wife and mother of four from Tanzania. Resti used to be a smallholder engaged in Tanzania farming, who relied on agriculture and small business to make ends meet and pay for her children's education. One day, she heard about Plant With Purpose from their facilitator at a village meeting and church. […]
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Burundi, Environmental Restoration, Living Sustainably
Salvator: "I used to worry about ever being able to reach a point of long-term sustainability."
Before I joined a Purpose Group, it was very hard for me to meet my needs because of lack of money. I couldn’t even find enough for basic necessities like medicines when a family member fell ill, school fees for my children, or food for the difficult time between harvests. The loans I was able […]
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Meditations, Mexico
A Forest Grows...
Because of the limitations posed by the pandemic and my focus on our work elsewhere, it has been five years since I have visited Mexico, which made my recent trip very emotional, and life-giving. In 1994, accompanied by our Dominican director, Eldon Garcia, as well as our most influential donors and board members, Don and […]
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Uncategorized
Dallas to the Dominican Republic: A round-the-globe look at Plant With Purpose
It continues to be a busy and fruitful time for Plant With Purpose with many members of the team engaged in various activities around the globe. Here's a quick look at some updates from our various partners around the world.
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Uncategorized
Colorado to Chiang Rai: A round-the-globe look at Plant With Purpose
With big dates on the calendar like Easter, Earth Day, and Arbor Day, April is typically a full month in the Plant With Purpose community, and this year was no exception. Our U.S. team made an appearance at events from D.C. to Dallas while our international partners celebrated milestones and planting seasons. In just a […]
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Living Sustainably, Thailand
Meepu: "I have already seen the difference after planting fruit trees and bamboo."
Meepu, mother and spouse to six children, is a farmer and cook in the MaeTaChang Watershed of Thailand. She felt hopeless because of how expensive and unsuccessful her plant's growth was due to old monoculture farming techniques. She tried countless experiments cultivating different seeds that all died due to lack of knowledge of how to […]
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Climate Change
What to watch this Earth Month!
Check out Plant With Purpose's staff picks! Eden's Pick My Octopus Teacher My Octopus Teacher is about a guy who befriends an octopus and watches/documents its life cycle. It gave me a new perspective on the way people can have a significant and impactful relationship with other members of creation (it also made me cry!) […]
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About Our Work, Meditations
Would Jesus Be An Environmentalist?: An Examination of The Nature Metaphors in Jesus’ Parables
Mustard seeds, lilies, grains of sand, fig trees, and sparrows. The parables through which Jesus taught were often driven by nature-based metaphors. Jesus was raised in a tradition that had a strong understanding of Earth’s connection to God. Joseph predicted crop failures and droughts through dreams given to him by God. David searched for messages […]
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Tanzania
Azina: "I no longer had the fear of trying"
Azina joined a group called Plant With Purpose five years ago because her neighbor in the Saseni Watershed of Tanzania convinced her to because Tanzania poverty offers very few options. Her neighbor explained that the group manages their money well with the help of Plant With Purpose staff and Facilitators. Azina was impressed and believed […]
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Tanzania
Asanterabi: "I was able to save money that I used to build my new house."
Asanterabi is 58 years old, married to Luciana, and they have five children (three boys and two girls). They are also blessed with two grandchildren. They live in the mountains of Tanzania, where their livelihood in farming was threatened by soil erosion. He has been an active member of a Purpose Group for seven years. Before […]
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About Our Work
Causes, Effects and Solutions to Environmental Degradation
Environmental degradation is an increasingly pressing issue that affects us all. It is caused by a variety of factors, ranging from human activities to natural disasters, and its effects can be devastating. Many of these effects cause further degradation, which means that environmental degradation’s impact works in a downward cycle. Fortunately, there are solutions, and […]
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Environmental Restoration, Thailand
Seeding Change
Planting trees and helping farmers grow more crops is part of Plant With Purpose’s core work, but these activities depend on the health and availability of seeds. Right now, the global seed supply faces a number of problems. There is currently a lack of access to diverse and locally adapted seed varieties. This is due […]
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Mexico
Juana: "We plant so that the field does not lose its life."
Juana is a single mother of three children living in a rural community in Oaxaca. She is a member of a Purpose Group that works to improve the lives of rural communities through sustainable development projects. The Mexican farmer has been working with Plant With Purpose on several projects, including the poultry module, fruit orchard, […]
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Burundi
Severin: "My production of beans and corn have almost tripled"
Severin is the president of his Purpose Group located in the Nyakijanda watershed of Burundi. He is a 60 year old Burundi farmer who has accomplished a lot, applying innovation to his work on the farm. “I am so delighted to be a member of my Purpose Group in Burundi,” he introduces himself. “I am […]
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Uncategorized
Follow Jesus in coal country and in a warming world.
by Kyle Meynard Schaap Larry was the last holdout. Years ago, the local coal company had purchased mineral rights from the inhabitants of Kayford Mountain to blow it apart – to tap the coal seams and bleed the mountain of its precious payload. One by one, Larry’s neighbors had sold their rights and moved – […]
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