What Exactly Do We Do at SEEDS?
Socio-Economic And Environmental Development Solutions (SEEDS) is a Canadian Registered Charity # 80157 2736RR0001 which has been operating since 2011 and obtained charitable status on October 29, 2013.
Each year varies but most years at least 82%-96% of any donations go directly to (SEEDS) to help people, the environment and elephants. The remaining percentages pay for the rent at our SEEDS Garage Sales Store where we do our fundraising. At SEEDS Garage Sales Store, we collect gently used items from our community, sell them, and proceeds go to our, now, 6 locations in Zambia. We have sent over 6 million seeds so far and have distributed to over 500 families with 5 or more children.
We collect non-GMO vegetable and fruit tree seeds in Toronto Canada, from volunteer donors who save seeds from foods they have bought and prepared to eat. We then dry and package them. These vegetable seeds would have been thrown out or composted so we are recycling too!
We send the vegetable and fruit tree seeds to the people of Zambia, Africa to grow food.
We give these seeds to our beneficiaries in Zambia and in turn they gather fallen tree seeds for our local tree and fruit tree nursery. We plant those trees in communities and also sell the seedlings to help support Elephants. The trees will be planted by our local volunteers and through our Voluntourism tree planting projects.
We work in Mongu, Kalabo, and Sioma in Western Province Zambia, Kaoma in Central Province and Chipata and Ketete in Eastern Province. These cities then distribute the seeds to remote areas which have very little commerce and lack viable seed varieties to sustain their population. In these parts of Zambia, 85% of the population lives in poverty, the highest level in the country. To help alleviate some of the food insecurity in the area due to these high levels of poverty, we collect non-GMO vegetable and fruit tree seeds in Toronto Canada, from foods that have been prepared by our local volunteers. We are hoping to start saving vegetable seeds from local hotels and restaurants in cities in Zambia, thereby providing free seeds to local people who live in compounds in urban areas as well.
When the seeds are dried and packaged they are sent to the Silozi Seed Bank and Ngoni Seed Bank projects in Mongu and Chipata, where they are distributed to locals for planting. In exchange, these local partners gather fallen tree seeds for the tree and fruit tree nurseries that are budding enterprises. These trees are then planted in communities by our local staff and through our voluntourism tree planting initiative. Surplus seedlings are also sold for a nominal fee to help support endangered Elephants. Thanks to the generous donations of our partners and volunteers, we have, so far collected, dried, packaged and sent over 6 million seeds.
By recycling seeds that would have otherwise been thrown out or composted, we are implementing a self-sufficient seed bank & tree nursery that provides relevant training for year round agriculture; improves the genetic diversity of local gardens, farms and kitchens and builds resilient healthy food systems and people. We believe that providing villagers with hardier varieties of vegetable seeds, helps them earn more income and reduce food scarcity in their villages, lessening the need to poach animals and decreases the number of human elephant interactions and conflict. Further, the trees we grow and plant help to reforest communities, provide shade, are a source of food, fuel, fertilizer, and assist with controlling the erosion of the soil.
Our goal is also to sell the local and exotic trees ( pomegranate, peach, plum) to help support elephants, and conservation offices who protect them. If we plant trees now, like Mango, Guava, and other fruit trees, in each village, people will have plenty to eat for years to come.
Unfortunately elephants are only found in Private or National Game Parks so they can be monitored and protected.
If we teach villagers how to plant citrus trees and chili peppers around their gardens, it will deter elephants from raiding their vegetable gardens and avoid elephant conflicts. Elephants don’t like the sour citrus or the hot chilies.
If we provide the villagers with more vegetable seeds, therefore more food and a source of income, we may reduce poaching. Every little bit helps!
If you are interested in coming to Zambia for a 3 week voluntourism trip, which includes two Safari’s, 3 nights at the famous Victoria Falls in Livingstone, and a chance to help those less fortunate; visit our “Contact Us” section on our home page and click on “Voluntourism Trip to Zambia 2020” or email joanne@sendseedstoafrica.org and put voluntourism in the subject line.
Victoria Falls, Livingstone
We have sent seeds and “How to Grow” binders to connections in six cities in Zambia and have established relationships with governments, schools and other echo-tourism establishments to provide trees to them.
Your contribution is helping SEEDS to operate a seed bank to help the needy become self-supporting in Zambia Africa.
By providing the vegetable seeds, people are able to plant, grow, eat and save their own seed. They may sell the fruits of their labours and eat a healthier diet themselves.
We have assembled a team in Canada and Zambia whose sole vision is to protect the environment for the benefit of the public by conserving ecosystems or restoring ecosystems and bio-diversity on a long-term basis. We are helping people to grow better varieties of vegetables, earn a bit of extra income by selling the excess, and selling trees to support Elephants and reforest local communities.
You are helping to raise funds, which help these programs immediately as we send vegetable seeds every three months. We provide “How to Grow” handouts for all of the seeds, both the seeds we send and the tree seeds they provide. It is our goal to grow trees for, food, shade, fuel, fertilizer and erosion control of the soil. We stress that the soil is the key to healthy plants so we teach “How to make a compost pit” and to plant deciduous trees (trees that seasonally lose their leaves), which is most important to replenish the soil.
Thus providing all the many benefits of trees and food to the marginalized peoples and elephants of Zambia.
The purpose of this web site is to provide environmental ideas, “How to Grow”instructions and hope to Zambian people.
I have purposely left the “How to Grow “instructions for our Western Climates in the instructions so anyone can grow any of the seeds listed on this site. Maybe you would like to start saving your own seed?
Give it a try and let us know how it goes!
Tip: For a more detailed version. Download the printer-friendly version here.
Thank you for your support!
Email us at:
Like us on Facebook:
www.facebook.com/sendseedstoafrica
https://www.facebook.com/Siloziseedbanktreesforelephants/
https://www.facebook.com/seedschipata/
Watch some video’s on Youtube:
www.youtube.com/channel/UCH4b_MVXbZVvD_QmFgTEwrQ?feature=c4-feed-u
Send us a Tweet:
Or visit our SEEDS Garage Sales Store at 1 Browning Ave., Tor., On., M4K 1V6 (P) 647 444-5534.
We accept donations of gently used items at our store, sell them and the proceeds go to our charity. Call first if you have donations to make sure we are open in poor weather.
https://www.facebook.com/SEEDS-Garage-Sales-2059410987430815/?modal=admin_todo_tour
Thank you from the SEEDS Team!
