Meet Suzanne and Earl de Berge, Founders of Seeds for a Future
“We knew from the start that we wanted a self-help program for families. A program where they could build their own futures and create success, using the skills and confidence gained through knowledge-sharing and education.”
In 2004, Suzanne and Earl de Berge volunteered at a Pre-Classic Maya archaeology site beneath the village of Chocolá.
Working side-by-side with people from the modern-day village kindled their interest in helping their new friends have healthier and more prosperous lives.
Joined by other archaeology volunteers, they formed Seeds for a Future, a US non-profit in 2007. The field headquarters for Seeds remains in Chocolá to this day.
The founding concept was to form a modest-sized program to develop new, effective and practical strategies for addressing the problem of chronic malnutrition and food insecurities of mothers and their children among poor rural families -- strategies that would be taught and applied at the household level and which, after field testing, could be replicated in other poor rural communities.
The Seeds for a Future Program continues to grow thanks to an amazing local staff and contributions from around the world.
Suzanne de Berge
A graduate of Antioch College, Suzanne combines her liberal arts education with an interest in science, native cultures, and the natural world.
When her husband established the Behavior Research Center (BRC), she joined him to handle administrative and organizational functions, eventually becoming President and CFO.
She also fulfilled several civic appointments and was active in both arts and community groups.
Suzanne's interest in traditional culture and women's issues finds expression in her work as President of Seeds for a Future.
She designed the basic goals and structure of the overall program and oversees US and Guatemala operations, including management and performance of the program in the field. Suzanne also has primary responsibility for financial affairs, needs assessment, administration of grants, and forward planning.
Based on her work with Seeds for a future, Antioch College honored Suzanne with the Arthur Morgan Award for Service to Community in 2013.
Earl de Berge
An Arizona native, Earl is a poet and photographer, writing eclectically on everything from the desert to war, poverty, hermits, brigands, fools, danger, and life passages.
A social scientist by training, he founded Behavior Research Center, Inc., where he created and was Editor of the respected and widely published Rocky Mountain Poll for 35 years.
He is currently assembling a biographical novel about an iconoclastic poet, while continuing to write his own poetry and a series of short stories about desert animals for children.
Co-founder of Seeds for a Future, Earl’s early focus was on assisting the small-hold farmers to stabilize and increase their income by integrating cacao into their agricultural plots.
His strong commitment to supporting women helped Seeds for a Future shift its emphasis toward programs with a direct family impact. This allowed Seeds to work for rural women’s equal rights to education and influence, within a culturally positive framework.
Earl is responsible for many of the photographs which document the work and success of families which have participated with Seeds for a Future over the years.
Join the Seeds Community Newsletter!
Seeds for a Future's unique approach dramatically increases health and opportunities every day.
Our monthly communication shares with you the latest insights, updates, videos, and resources of the Program's participants and the Seeds Team.
