Plan of Action

Gardening Metaphors:

Our goal is to teach children how to garden in a small place near their home or village. We will work with other nonprofit organizations that have had success in developing highly productive gardens while minimizing space. We will teach children the most effective way to utilize their portion of the garden and to maximize the harvest.

To qualify for the garden programs, each child will need to be involved in SSW. To be involved in SSW and the gardening program the child must have PTSD, or be at risk of future violence or poverty.

To continue receiving support from SSW, a child must keep a yearly garden, and go through proper training on how to grow and maintain a successful plot. They will also be required to give a portion of their crops to others in need. Each year a child participates in the program, he or she must introduce one friend to the SSW gardening program.


Garden Teaching Example:

We will use some of the metaphors listed below to teach the children how the garden relates to their own life, and to help them understand how they can overcome adversity.

Teaching Lessons for the Children

Garden Object

Possible Metaphors

Soil

Mind

Sun

Hope

Water

Mental Food

Weeds

Negative influences

Good Weather

Family, Friends, Mentors

Bad Weather- Storms

Adversity, Violence

Fruit

Achievements, Education

Children’s Books –Promoting Literature:

We’ll promote children’s books that teach principles of hope, resilience, and optimism. These books will wish comfort, bring understanding and act as a “teddy bear” to the mind of each child. Each book will be unique to the difficulty every region will encounter. Books will be translated into the children’s native language

We are constantly expanding our library of children’s books. These books will fuse into our specific theme, and will teach valuable life lessons to the children.

By the year 2011 we would like to involve the children in literature and illustration contests so that they can tell their own stories. We hope to one day publish a book with collections of stories from children in specific regions throughout the world.


Support of Women:

Seven Still Waters considers mothers and women to be extremely important. Because women also suffer deeply from traumatic events we want to reach out to those who have become victims of violence. We will do our research and explore opportunities that will aid women and single mothers. Our goal is to start implementing programs by 2010.


Overcoming Hostile Environments –Specific Cause:

We set up specific missions that target a specific cause.

  1. We identify the challenge.

  2. We create a Plan of Action to overcome their challenge.

  3. We put in place or support local infrastructure.

  4. We put a long term timeline in place to make certain that the children can overcome the hardship or traumatic event in their lives.

  5. We encourage the students to give back to the program and to be involved in and support SSW.