History

Fighting hunger for 50 years

Self-Help International (SHI) devotes its efforts to alleviating world hunger and poverty by providing opportunities to farm families that promote self-reliance. Since its inception Self-Help has served as a vessel in which training, education and opportunities are carried to poor farm families in developing countries so that they can have better lives.

Founder, Vern Schield, established Self-Help as an ecumenical, non-profit 501 (c) (3) organization in 1959. Raised on a farm during the Depression, Schield observed hard working farmers in developing countries unable to get ahead due to limited means and inadequate farming practices. He developed a small, sturdy, simple tractor called the “Self-Helper” that was built and shipped to nearly 50 countries around the world over thirty years. It was a significant beginning for Self-Help’s work with farmers.

 

As time and world conditions changed, Self-Help began fulfilling its mission from a new angle. It discontinued tractor production, turning to Ghana, West Africa at the request of Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Dr. Norman Borlaug, to devote its efforts in training farmers in agricultural development at the grass roots level. Training and education include: benefits of growing Quality Protein Maize (QPM) as seed to increase yields, and to improve diets; improving cultivation practices; introducing post-harvest technology; providing marketing tools and the concept of savings; and providing basic instruction in nutrition and family healthcare.

 

In 1999, the women’smicro-credit enterprise program began, which is designed to empower women through increased income through businesses. In 2005, an infant-preschool children’s feeding project began using QPM porridge with pinches of barley malt in an effort to alleviate malnutrition.

 

Working in Ghana since 1989, Self-Help carries out its mission in cooperation with the Ghanaian Ministries of Agriculture and Health and other non-government organizations. Self-Help currently works with Ghanaian farm families from more than 50 rural communities in 19 of 20 districts.

 

In 1999, Self-Help added Nicaragua to its program using Ghana as its model. Training and education mirrors much of Ghana’s programs. SHI introduces, promotes and grows its own Quality Protein Maize seed to improve crops and nutrition for Nicaraguans; women’smicro-credit enterprises increase income; and a children’s feeding project targets malnutrition.

 

Self-Help works closely with the Ministries of and related to Agriculture and Health. Combined efforts have increased QPM production from 5 farmers in 1999 to 20,000 farmers eight years later, with numbers continuing to increase.