ECHO has joined forces with Project Mercy, an interdenominational Christian organization in Ethiopia, to establish a fruit tree nursery for the 70,000-member community of Yetebon.
Funded by the Sanibel Community Church, ECHO is sending over 330 fruit trees - 26 species – including mangoes, avocadoes, blackberries, raspberries, and sapotes.
“The trees are all high quality commercial fruit trees,” says Tim Watkins, ECHO’s Tropical Fruit Nursery manager. Each variety was specially chosen for its quality, marketability, and ability to extend the growing season.
Tim will be accompanying the shipment to Ethiopia on September 9 and staying for two weeks to help launch the project. Sarah Hendershot, an intern at ECHO in 2004, will be joining the team on September 14. She will work with Project Mercy in Yetebon for the next six months to ensure the nursery is a success.
On September 8, ECHO staff and members from Sanibel Community Church joined forces to prepare the trees for shipment. All soil, insects, and contaminants were removed from the plants and the roots were soaked in a packing gel that will preserve them for the long trip to Africa.
