June 2021
Reflections on Growth and the Future
By: Sherry Manning, Founder and US Executive Director

Seed Friends and Family, 

You may have noticed a hiatus in our newsletters over the last few months. This is not because we have been inactive. In fact, quite the opposite! As a team, as individuals, as a growing network of seed savers and advocates, we have been looking within, reorganizing our structures, and taking the time needed to build better systems. We also continue to get the right people on the team to lead us into our future. This has been an important process as we move from a small start-up non-profit to a more robust organization ready to meet the challenges and demands of our mission and our times!

I am thrilled to share some of the highlights of these important steps with you all: 

  • Launched our Joint Board of Directors with Philippines Leadership. This has been a desire for a long time and we are so excited to be leading the way with this new governance structure.

  • Welcomed two new team members in the Philippines, Efren and Sarah! (Read more about both below).

  • Thanks to the generosity of a long time donor, we have secured a very generous multi-year gift that is providing some stability and opportunity to dream big and expand our impact in the coming years!

I have been spending time in deep reflection, looking back at all that has happened as an organization since the seeds of what is now Global Seed Savers/Philippines began to germinate 15 plus years ago in Tublay, Benguet. It is there that I fell in love with the land, the Cosalan Family, and the kind people of Tublay and beyond. This is also where I saw the tremendous possibility of helping communities build the futures they desire to see.

Throughout this entire process it has always been the relationships with people, restoring connections to culture, and sitting in deep reverence for the land and all that it provides that have guided our work and my passion for building this organization. These will continue to be center points as we move into this next phase of our growth and I am humbled and honored to see our movement continue to expand, widen its network, and remain grounded in our purpose!

Seed Onward!

Sherry Manning
Founder and US Executive Director 
GSS IN THE NEWS
How Saving Seeds Can Improve Food Security in the Philippines
In this interview with Inkline, Philippines Executive Director, Karen Hizola, talks about how the simple act of seed saving can lead to food sovereignty.

Veggies and fruit seeds
History, Resilience, and Seeds
Listen to our founder and US Executive Director, Sherry Manning, as she relates to Diana Opong how her experience volunteering at a farm in Tublay, Benguet led her towards the path of the seed.

Saving Seeds for the Future
In this episode of The Seed Podcast: Transforming the World, Sherry discusses the life-giving nature of seeds, and the issues that revolve around the farmer’s ability to save and replant them.

INTRODUCING OUR NEW
BOARD AND STAFF MEMBERS
BEA MISA CRISOSTOMO
President, Philippines Board of Directors

Bea has been running Ritual, a sustainable general store, for 10 years now. Previous to that, she had been doing nonprofit work in the field of youth and sustainable development. Her interests are in biocultural diversity and historical ecology. She is passionate about less-waste retailing and also local and heritage crops and products.

Learn more about Bea's initiative at https://www.ritual.ph/.
LEILENE MARIE CARANTES-GALLARDO
Secretary, Philippines Board of Directors

Lei belongs to the Ibaloi indigenous cultural community of Baguio-Benguet. She presently works as a public prosecutor with the Dept. Of Justice, Philippines and is a certified vinyasa yoga instructor.  

To learn more about Lei's background, visit the website.
EFRENLITO CABBIGAT
Philippines Program Manager

Efren is a social worker by profession and has held a variety of roles throughout his career. He has been a direct service provider and has extensive program management experience.

Efren was the treasurer of GSSP's founding Board of Directors.

Check out this new blog post to get to know him more: GSSP Community, meet Efren. You can also visit the website to see Efren's full profile.
SARAH MAE SABADO
Marketing and Communications Manager

Sarah is a social scientist by training but has delved into various other passions including spirituality, personal development, education, agriculture, and regenerative development. She has trainings in Waldorf teaching, organic agriculture, permaculture design, and life force nutrition.

Learn more about Sarah by visiting the website or this blog post: Hello GSSP Community, I am Sarah.
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