On the horizon for FFC

Dear friends,

We hope this letter finds you happy and healthy. My mind is continually filled with thoughts of you and the great people we partner with around the world.

Like all of us, our friends in developing countries are impacted by this global pandemic. With their resources so limited, there is no better time than now for them to benefit from a sustainable livelihood. Exploitation and abuse often intensify in times of hardship, so we’re continuing to press forward to find creative solutions in the midst of all this change. That said, we’re excited to share that we have several exciting projects on the horizon, and new farm applications are continuing to reach our desk.

We’re eager for the opportunity to travel again responsibly, but in the meantime we are checking in with current farm managers, finalizing future farm plans, and continuing to gain momentum for our local initiatives.

On the horizon for FFC

1. Nepal Farm #2

The time has come for a second farm build in Nepal! We’ve seen great success with the first farm we built in Nepal back in October 2018 for Five14Nepal, a local freedom company based in Kathmandu. As we hoped, this farm generated great interest in aquaponics farming among many people in Nepal seeking solutions to poverty and human trafficking. We’re excited to empower eager communities in Nepal by creating a healthy and sustainable food source. It’s what we do!

We have tentatively set the date for the next build to launch on October 14th 2020. This farm will be for Glory Children’s Home, a small orphanage with ten children (six boys and four girls) that are being lovingly cared for by one incredible family, the Golays.

For years the Golays witnessed orphaned children being taken advantage of by a woman in their neighborhood. This woman established an orphanage and kept all of the money (given mainly by Americans) for herself. Unfortunately, orphans can be big business in Nepal. Tired of seeing these children exploited and uncared for, the Golays exhausted their life savings to provide the children with clothing, food, and other necessities.

Eventually the government audited the orphanage and discovered the corruption. Just 12 hours after the audit, the government registered the orphanage under the Golay family. They have been officially caring for these kids since 2016, but unofficially for much longer. The family has very limited resources, so we plan to build a farm that will enable the children’s home to be self-sufficient and even grow produce to sell in the marketplace. 

2. Belize

For the past year and a half, we’ve had our sights set on a multi-phase project in a little Belizean village called Gales Point. The time has finally come to begin phase one of this exciting project, so here’s a little backstory on the village.

Gales Point was established in the early 1800’s by first generation African slaves fleeing from their colonial “slave masters” to live in a self-sufficient community free of colonial influence. Rich in African culture, Gales Point maintains many cherished traditions like storytelling, culinary arts, and a unique ceremonial drum rhythm called “Sambai.” It’s a beautiful heritage that deserves to be seen and preserved.

Fishing and farming has always been the main source of livelihood for the villagers, but over the past several decades this has become an unsustainable way of life. With very few jobs available in Gales Point, villagers have been forced to leave their families and travel to the nearest towns and cities to find work. The village has seen a rapid decline in overall health and a significant rise diabetes, theft, vandalism, and the exploitation and abuse of women and children. The population has declined from 500 to less than 300 in the past two decades. Those who still live in Gales Point are in great need of new ways to make a living.

We have a two-phase plan to partner with this extraordinary community.

Phase one is to team up with the village council to renovate the run-down community center, which has great potential to be a tourist destination and generate investment and awareness for the village. Phase two will be building a farm at the community center that will provide a continual source of food and income. We hope to complete both of these phases by the end of 2021.

If you would like to donate to either of these projects specifically, you can do that here. Just write “Belize” or “Nepal” in the comments section. 

From the bottom of our hearts, thank you.

Bucky Buchstaber, Executive Director