Moshi, TZ – LMK Family’s garden success – 28 Feb 2014

The LMK family has overcome flood, drought, and illness to maintain a productive garden for almost one and a half years. Their hard work has been paying off and they were recently approved for a Better Lives Experimental Loan to start a cow milking business.

The family’s garden is one of the oldest in Kindwitwi. The father is one of the gardening programs most vocal supporters and he has helped bring other community members into the program. About six months after planting their garden, the LMK family’s garden was wiped out by a flood. The family found a new, safer location and built a new garden, which they planted just in time for the long dry season – the most difficult for food-growers in Tanzania. Throughout all of this the family worked hard to keep their garden as productive as possible so they could reap the benefits of healthy food and an additional income.

Another struggle the family has persevered through is the illness of one of their eldest sons, M. M has struggled with a brain problem for over a year now. As a boy M was hardworking. He learned to tend livestock from his father and decided he wanted to tend livestock to make his living. His father gave him a plot of land to graze his cattle and build a house and M began working to create a good life for himself. He began building his house but, before he could finish, fell ill with a brain disease that left him completely unproductive and reliant upon his family for everything. M has remained ill for over a year now, despite attempts by the family to find treatments for his disease. This has been a difficult financial drain on the family and they are thankful for the small income of their vegetable garden which has contributed to the treatments.

Currently, the family is trying to finish M’s house in hopes that we he will get better. They are also overcrowded in their current house so they will all benefit from the extra space. The other children are pitching in to fill the void left by M’s inability to work. They are tending his livestock and selling the milk and meat.

The family experienced another difficult period in December of 2013 when both parents fell ill after an allergic reaction to a malaria medication. Malaria is an enormous drain on productivity in Africa as a whole, and the LMK family’s experience is a good example of how this disease can wreak havoc on otherwise productive projects and families. Malaria.com explains:

“It has been estimated that malaria costs Africa $12 billion USD every year, including the cost of health care, days off school and work, decreased productivity, and loss of investment and tourism. Malaria in Africa slows economic growth and development and perpetuates the vicious cycle of poverty…. Close to a million people die each year from malaria; over 90% of those live in Africa, and the great majority (86%) are children under five years of age.”

In October, 2013, the family’s garden received the highest ranking out of all gardens in Kindwitwi. Just two months later, after their bout with malaria, the family’s garden was hardly productive. It takes much longer to bring a garden back to productivity than it does for the garden to go into disrepair. The family has only recently got their garden back to a more productive state.

After so many struggles and so much hard work the family is hoping their most difficult days are behind them. M is beginning to show signs of improvement, their livestock and garden continue to produce steady income and nutrition, and they are optimistic about their new cow milking business venture.

If things go as planned the family is planning to finish M’s house and pay off their loan.