- Social Innovation Fellowship
Award Year
Sustainable Harvest International (SHI) focuses on training farmers in Central America to engage in practices that promote environmental sustainability and reforestation, while, at the same time, advancing their standard of living and overcoming poverty. SHI provides the farmers with necessities like saplings, farming tools, chicken wire, and a sustainable approach to agriculture free of charge and without compensation from farmers. Because they rely solely on grants and donations, the organization is unsustainable and their growth is limited.
The goal of this initiative is to promote broad systematic change within the rural banking system in Panama. I will achieve this by helping Sustainable Harvest International reengineer its banking strategy. With Rural Banking, farmers have both empowerment and more innovative lifestyles while relieving the financial strain on Sustainable Harvest International through the loaning systems to create a more sustainable and expandable program.