Message from the Board

Our fourth newsletter is an opportunity to highlight four successful families, two in Tanzania and two in Cambodia, who are progressing along the path to food and income self-reliance.  The path includes the six stages of Accessing Resources, Applying Knowledge, Strengthening Health, Earning Income, Improving Home and Enhancing Education.

In 2013 on the slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania Joseph and Sarah, of the MGA family, were one of the first families the local organic garden shop shared organic growing techniques with, and even helped build an organic garden of their own.  Since then the family has been eating and earning income from the garden.  Water supply for living and for the garden has always been the family’s major challenge.  In 2016, after three years, the garden shop’s community water distribution project brought piped water to the family of nine children.  The future looks bright because the consistent water supply is enabling the family to expand their cash crop growing and raise their income.

In 2014, just down the road from the MGA family, the garden shop assisted Modesti and Bibiana of the MBN family with training and assistance when building their organic vegetable garden.  Since that time they have managed their money with the help of a wooden box to hold their savings.  Money they save in the wooden box was deposited in the local Village Community Bank, known as Vicoba, that the garden shop helped start.  This saving and loan group’s loans are enabling the family to develop three income sources: their shop, farm, and livestock.

In 2014 near Angkor Wat, Cambodia a newly married couple Nat and Check of the KN family were blessed with a 2 year old child, but they were both without employment and very poor.  Husband Nat had recently returned penniless after working for two years in Thailand, because he fell ill and spent his savings on medical treatment and the fare home.  Once home, the local garden shop taught him organic growing techniques and helped him build a garden.  This enabled him to grow vegetables to feed his family and to also earn some income from selling surplus vegetables.  He has now reached the stage of living in a rent-to-own home on 600 sq. meters / 6,500 sq. ft. of land.  He is now planning how he will pay for his children’s school education.

During the same year in Cambodia, Chea and Khoit of the CWC family were scratching a living from their small holding rice farming. Wife Khoit was fearful about future food and money shortages because the previous year’s floods had destroyed their rice crop.  Fortunately, the local vegetable garden shop taught Chea organic growing methods and assisted him with building his own vegetable garden.  A garden that has helped feed his family and earn additional income.  Three years on and Chea is now a highly valued member of the the garden shop team.  He has also used knowledge he gained from his work to turn his family’s small plot of land into an extremely productive area where the family grows various vegetables, fruits and keeps livestock.  The family is now considering applying for a rent-to-own home in the same development as Nat’s family.

All these successful families started from a place of rural poverty.  They began vegetable gardening in order to feed themselves and earn money from selling surplus vegetables.  They have all generated extra disposable income by reducing their food bill and selling vegetables, and invested in additional income generation activities.  Activities that move them closer to raising their children healthy and educated so that they can be trained to earn an income and support a family of their own.

We wish you a very successful 2017.

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