Our Programs

Fighting Poverty & Malnutrition (FPM)

This community program seeks to help families that are in need through one or more of its six components based on needs:

Animals for Others

              Family members in various communities receive gifts of piglets (1 or 2 piglets) and chickens (3 chickens); along with some feed (100 pounds of corn or 6 sacks of pig feed) for the animals, cement and gravel to assist in building their pig pens.  They are expected to pass on two animals to someone else in need when their animals have their young ones. 

Animal Husbandry

              All the recipients of animal participate in animal care and management training.  This includes disease prevention and control, facility care and maintenance, feeding of pigs, teeth clipping, and castration of piglets.  Information brochures have been created for each of these topics. 

              This includes the distribution of sugar cane, mulberry, and nacedero cuttings to farmers to grow and use alternative feed for pigs.  The teaching of administration of vaccination to pigs to all our program participants and non-participants is a main area of focus. 

 Food and Nutrition 

              This program’s family participants, in the two rural communities, are engaged in eating healthy discussions.  The growing of fruits and vegetables trees will be the main activity. 

Water and Sanitation

              The children in the six communities that are involved in pig and chicken rearing, fruits and vegetable growing will discuss sanitation topics.  There will be a good sanitation practices poster, song, poetry and skit competitions open to the students of these six rural schools. 

Agriculture Education

              The Agriculture Officer will provide the farmers of the Toledo District with the necessary agricultural information. 

 Agro-Industry

              Provide technical assistance to agro-industry entrepreneurs.

Market Connections (MC) Program

Market Connections (MC) program encourage and support men and women to use their indigenous skills, and other entrepreneurial cultural activities to make a living. The MC program encompasses the following components:

• Capacity building training
• Connecting people to markets for their products
• Product Improvement

Information Sharing Program (IS)

Over the years many men, women, youth and children from urban and rural communities have frequented SEO Development Center seeking all types of information and support. They seek information in all areas such as local education, health, economic, agriculture, land issues, governance, community development, human development and personal issues. We have provided the necessary support, information or referral direction. We will continue to provide this valuable service.

Fundraising Program

Our organization is able to carry out it's work through the generosity of our local and international supporters. The work of the fundraising program include the following:

• Annual Luncheon Date
• Sale of SEO T-Shirts, Polo shirts, stickers, indigenous craft items
• Speaking engagements
• International Fundfrasing
• International Cultural Immersion Work visit:
  • Work along with community members constructing their pig pens & chicken coops.
  • Assist in the teaching dof art and craft, physical education and health science in community schools.
  • Visit with a Maya family and enjoy a traditional Mayan meal.
  • Be a part of a fun Get-Together which includes ethnic food, drinks, music and dance.

 

Volunteer and In-service Training Program

All volunteers (local and foreign) participate in orientation training activities.  The main focus is on information sharing about SEO, understanding the situation of the poor, the importance of team work, cultural sensitivity, volunteer job description, and policies and procedures of SEO.  Personal development issues are also addressed.  The volunteer leaders will do additional training in leadership and conflict management.

Other major areas of focus

• SEO produces its newsletter twice a year.
• SEO facilitates components of the parish’s cultural immersion program.
• Facilitates and supervises High School Scholarships
• Revolving Loan Fund

 

There is ongoing integration and collaboration with other agencies, community programs and projects.  The SEO programs is being implemented in Punta Gorda Town and other rural communities in the Toledo District.  Our Manager, Agriculture Officer, Marketing Officer and our team of community development volunteers spearhead the implementation of SEO programs.  In each community there is a Program Promoter volunteer who serves as a SEO community facilitator.