Mt Kilimanjaro, TZ – Family halfway to goal of helping all four children through school – 30 Apr 2019

The GMK family is half way to their goal of putting all of their children through school. So far two of their four children graduated from secondary school. Education, hardwork, and ingenuity are the critical inputs for the family’s success.

The GMK family started an organic vegetable garden with Lishe Bora in 2015. Mr. GMK had some background as a veterinarian and livestock expert. The family combined organic vegetable gardening practices from Lishe Bora, local knowledge about growing heirloom crops, and experienced raising livestock. This combination has yielded a highly productive small farm that has consistently provided both food and income for the family. In 2018 the family paid 3,200,000 TZS (USD $1,391) in school fees, all with income earned at their farm.

It has not always been easy for the family to meet their income goals. When they first started their vegetable garden they had a lot of customers and even expanded beyond the original 12 beds. Eventually, more neighbors started vegetable gardens and their customer base shrunk. Now, the family primarily grows vegetables for home consumption as a way to save money. In 2017, a family member returned from many years away and requested part of his land back where the GMK family was farming bananas. Again, this created a challenge for the family to overcome.

Lishe Bora garden shop manager Mary Shayo has spent time with the family, helping them plan how to deal with these challenges, as well as other challenges and opportunities that arise.

“We usually learn about these challenges through our mentor visits,” explains Mary, “so if I hear about a major challenge I will go and meet with a family and discuss ideas to deal with that challenge.”

The GMK family’s oldest son, Oska, does small jobs in Moshi and around the village and is still looking for full time employment. Their daughter Midian is a teacher. Jonathan is in Form 6 in his final year of school and Monica (who is actually a niece that the family has taken in) is just starting school in Class 1 this year.