Volume 44 Issue 3 Stories
Intern Spotlight

Intern Spotlight: Lindy

Share on

Each one of us has been given a different story. My journey has not always been straightforward, but I know none of it will be wasted. 

It began with getting a bachelor’s in horticulture, becoming friends with international students, and then teaching. These and other circumstances led me to engage in cross-cultural agricultural work. 

When I found out about the ECHO internship, it seemed like the perfect place to grow my agricultural skills so that one day I could serve others. Gaining experience in cover
cropping, making biofertilizer, learning about agroforestry, and making some really good friends have been highlights of my internship. The Lord in His kindness surprised me with a great blessing here at ECHO.

Having a piece of land to experiment with has helped me envision what it might be like to be a small-scale farmer. There are many different management techniques that could be recommended to farmers, but they know better than anyone else what their goals, resources, energy, needs, and limiting factors are. I want to remember that as an agriculturalist, I will always be a learner, especially when entering a different culture. This is one of the values I have gained from my time at ECHO. 

“I want to remember that as an agriculturalist, I will always be a learner, especially when entering a different culture. This is one of the values I have gained from my time at ECHO.”
— Lindy

As I get ready to leave ECHO, I’m looking forward to serving others in a new setting knowing that God’s promises go with me. I will be spending the next 10 months in Mexico learning language and cultural acquisition skills. The program is designed to teach me how to learn languages, even those without a written alphabet, in order to be able to communicate clearly with the people among whom I will one day live and work. I am trusting that this next step will prepare me well for my next steps ahead, and I am looking forward to entering this next season.

Feature

Fueling Innovation Across Africa

“A technology that is never used has an efficiency of zero.” As we share knowledge resources and learn from those we serve, we are fueling innovation for small-scale farmers across Africa and aroundthe world.

From David Erickson, President/CEO

Welcome to a new issue of<i>ECHO News</i>! In a number of these stories, you’ll see words like “observe,” “test,” “trial,” “research,” and “study”. For us, these aren’t academic or passive activities. Rather, they are vital elements of our work and witness around the world.

Forty Years of ECHO Interns

Dr. Martin and Bonnie Price arrived at ECHO’s Fort Myers property on June 18, 1981. The internship program started later that same year with the arrival of Elise Hansen. This June, ECHO welcomed its 277th intern!
In Their Own Words

In Their Own Words: Joyce Charles

My name is Joyce Charles; I am a mother of two children from Arusha City. Through this training I will be able to produce these vegetables for my family’s use and also for sale to increase income from selling of produce since during the dry season it becomes difficult to find seasonal vegetables.
Feature

Growth in ECHO’s Internship Program

Eight new interns arrived at ECHO Florida as a cohort in June. Changes to the internship program add new learning opportunities including a graduate certificate.

Nutrition and the Garden

With support from ECHO, a rehabilitation center for children recovering from corrective orthopedic and plastic surgeries in Tanzania uses their flourishing garden to feed 200 people each day and teach household nutrition.
Feature

Local Research for Global Impact

Storing fresh produce is not a task most people put too much thought or energy into — using a container and tossing it into the refrigerator will suffice. But for one farmer in Burundi, his method of storing freshly harvested tomatoes was far from ordinary.
Intern Spotlight

Intern Spotlight: Lindy

“I want to remember that as an agriculturalist, I will always be a learner, especially when entering a different culture. This is one of the values I have gained from my time at ECHO.”