Plant With Purpose was founded in 1984 as a response to environmental degradation that led to migration of farming families from the countryside into urban slums in the Dominican Republic. Since then, they have expanded their work to eight countries: Ethiopia, Tanzania, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Mexico, and Thailand. They are a Christian organization with the mandate to reverse deforestation and poverty in the world by transforming the lives of the rural poor. They choose to work in places where poverty and environmental degradation are closely related, realizing that the most vulnerable families are often the ones who feel the impacts of environmental degradation first. We focus on regenerative agriculture, reforestation (sometimes tree planting, sometimes agroforestry, sometimes farmer-managed natural regeneration, etc), savings groups, and engaging local community institutions in community-wide change.
Plant with Purpose’s country partners are locally incorporated and staffed by national experts, many from the communities where they work. Their collaborative and participatory culture has led to a host of innovations, including pairing savings groups with regenerative agriculture and reforestation training. Recently, they have focused their work within key sub-watersheds to maximize ecological, economic, and social impact.
Plant With Purpose is honored to join the Global Evergreening Alliance to collaborate on restoring degraded lands worldwide. They have partnered with several alliance members independently over the years and are pleased to join the group in working towards this important shared goal. 