Well, I can't take credit for the idea. That was some bloke from the UK, and there it seemed to work quite well too. I guess an important part was to wrap in a bit of PR, connect with the food bank or some other charity organization who receives the food (along with all the helpers, not to mention the owner of the tree), later team up with a local school to use the material (lots of fruit) to teach making jams and preserves. Looking like a "serious organization", you won't be seen as just a bunch of weirdos looking for free fruit... On the other hand, as the Hungarian example shows, the best organization (including media exposure) didn't help one bit. :-( But oh well, it was worth the try.

Okay, please don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to suggest you apply all this to your situation in Surinam, I'm just relating my own experiences. So I wish you the best luck with canvassing the neighborhood for unpicked fruit, and hope to find receptive folks. And hopefully the occasional mango and coconut will turn into bucketfuls of chutney for the whole town! Wouldn't that be something? ;-)