WHY ARPIN LOVES GIFT?
COLLABORATING WORLDWIDE TO BRING INNOVATIONS TO THE IMPOVERISHED PEOPLE TO IMPROVE LIVES
GIFT has been partnering with NGOs and ministries across Haiti, Malawi, and the Philippines, and we’re continuing to support these partners with innovations and new development models.
ADVANCING CLIMATE-SMART, NUTRITION-SMART ORANGE FLESH SWEET POTATOES AND THEIR EDIBLE LEAVES
GIFT researched which crops would provide the most significant amount of nutrition to those suffering from starvation, with the least inputs and greatest efficacy. We share these learnings through tangible farming solutions in Haiti, Malawi, and the Philippines.
We’ve been providing farmers and communities with Orange Flesh Sweet Potatoes and their Edible Leaves to NGOs supporting smallholder farmers and communities, including providing more and more impoverished women with vine cuttings through the tremendous propagation wherewithal of these exceptional plants.
This amazing dual crop offers the greatest nutrients per hectare, including greens which are sparse in the world, and with an exceptionally low water footprint (which is critical given the amount of drought impacting farmers and communities globally). In addition, the Orange Flesh Sweet Potato (OFSP) crops have the capacity to grow more organically than via traditional farming, which is key given environmental concerns and lack of fertilizer access in many parts of the world.
Moreover, the OFSP has the capacity to replace wheat and actually uses less than 1/3 of the amount of water necessary to propagate. This is especially important as Ukraine’s wheat exports have declined close to 35% since the beginning of the war in that country.
Here are videos that, while dated, explain the merits and impacts of GIFT initiatives which we’re continuing to further. We realized that many of GIFT’s friends have not yet viewed these:
GIFT is Working With The Daughters of Wisdom in Malawi to Address Severe Hunger and Poverty
GIFT Supports Fr. Fred’s Ecogenesis in the Philippines with OFSP and Leaves
GIFT Supports Sweet Potato Growth in Haiti to Address Hunger and Poverty
SUPPORTING REGENERATIVE FARMING AND MORE IN THE PHILIPPINES
GIFT has supported Ecogenesis in the Philippines with permaculture farming and gardening, including water and waste management, composting, contouring, keyline design, etc. This supports:
- Wellness – advocating healthy lifestyles in a healthy environment
- Community organizing and community building
- Leadership development
- Stewardship (sound management) of the land
- Ecology-conscious economics, including marketing and eco-tourism
- Mission and spirituality for the building of a One Earth Community
ADVANCING SOLAR AND STORAGE IN THE PHILIPPINES AND HAITI
GIFT has provided for solar and storage, first in the Philippines and, more recently, in Haiti.
MICRO-LENDING AND EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT FOR RAISING ANIMALS
Beyond advancing the climate-smart and nutrition-smart Orange Flesh Sweet Potato and Leaves farming, GIFT has also been furthering economic development for smallholder farmers and communities with micro-lending to support raising rabbits in Haiti – and similarly, we’re now seeking funding to advance a piggery in the Philippines.
LIBRARY FOR INCREASED LITERACY IN MALAWI
GIFT is supporting the development of a new library to be located in the Lunzu Primary School in the town of Lunzu, in the Southern part of Malawi, with a population of ~1,500 students.
WATER FILTRATION IN MALAWI
In Malawi, GIFT is seeking to address impure water that can cause illnesses, hospitalization, and even death by installing a filtration system that can provide 260,000 gallons of water, enough for 75 people over three years.
Learn more about GIFT here.
