WORLDSHAPERS!

Social Entrepreneurs "Rebalancing" Society
Theme of this Website
Purpose of this Website
Social Entrepreneurs
Social Enterprises
Building Community Wealth
Invest Locally
Government Entrepreneurs
Greens
Entrepreneurs vs. Managers
Cooperation vs. Competition
Dynamic Governance
Balance & Survival
Leadership Sustainability
LeadershipSustainability2
Utopians?
Utopians2
Thought Leaders
Thought Leaders 2
Thought Leaders 3
Thought Leaders 4
Educating Worldshapers
Educating Worldshapers 2
Educating Worldshapers 3
Educating Worldshapers 4
Educating Worldshapers 5
Educating Worldshapers 6
Educating Worldshapers 7
Redesigning
Redesigning 2
REBALANCING
Case 1
Case 2
Case 3
Case 4
Case 5
Future Visions
Thoughts
Inspiration
My Story
About Us
Contact Us
Webmaster's Note
Site Map
What You Can Do!
Case 5: Enabling Prosperity/Microlending & Redistributing Land
 
Agros
Since 1982, the Agros Foundation has helped families in Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Honduras, and Chiapas, Mexico build self-sustaining and thriving communities. Our development process is simple but powerful. We are a Seattle-based, non-profit organization that extends loans to purchase farmland, and partners with farmers in applying sustainable agricultural practices, all in the goal of enabling these families to create, develop, and eventually own their own sustainable village. Agros currently supports 24 developing communities and has helped nearly 4,000 people build new lives for themselves by facilitating land ownership and providing technical assistance, training, capital loans, village infrastructure, and volunteer work teams to support the work and vision of community members
 
 
The components of a successful Agros village include:

1. Community Organization
Help families define a vision for a new community and develop the local leadership required to create a self-sustaining, thriving community.
2. Land Ownership
Work with families to identify and purchase agricultural land on credit and use their payments to purchase land for other new communities.
3. Community Education & Training
Create opportunities for adequate healthcare, education, adult literacy and spiritual growth.
4. Housing & Infrastructure
Implement community and individual construction projects such as houses, schools, irrigation systems, latrines, infrastructure and community centers.
5. Sustainable Economic Growth
Develop agricultural production and support income-generating activities through microenterprise loans and technical training.
6. Passing on the Blessing
Give other communities the opportunity to own land through repaid loans and empower them to dream of a brighter future for their children.
 0-2 years3-5 years5+ years
Family Selection Process Technical Assistance & Training Microenterprise Development 
Small Agricultural LoanStewardship of Land & Resources Human & Social Development Programs 
Strengthen Organization Leadership DevelopmentRepayment Perpetuates Cycle 
Passing on the BlessingEconomic Sustainability  

The Development Process Requires a 7-10 Year Investment.