Integrating U.N. Refugees into the Southern Arizona Community, Barbara Eiswert, executive director, Iskashitaa Refugee Network

The Iskashitaa Refugee Network works to integrate United Nations Refugees into the Southern Arizona Community. The Iskashitaa program works to combat hunger by integrating refugees and other immigrants into the community. They address both food insecurity and food loss in urban environments. Their Mission includes educating the public, enhancing the local food system, minimizing food waste and boosting food security.

About our Speaker: Barbara Eiswerth is the founder and executive director of the Iskashitaa Refugee Network. She has been a resident of Tucson since 1992 and worked as a research geologist specializing in GeoSpatial Information Technologies with the US Geological Survey. After ten years working extensively with technology transfer in Latin America, she pursued a career as an environmental scientist working at the Office of Arid Lands, Arizona Remote Sensing Center. Her work included projects in East and West Africa. In 2003, after receiving her Ph.D. from the University of Arizona, Eiswerth founded Iskashitaa, a community-based organization that soon focused on assisting UN refugees. The programs have evolved from harvesting a few thousand pounds of fruit to an annual harvest of over 50 tons of fruit, nuts, and vegetables from backyards, local farms and orchards.