Widows Learn to Farm God’s Way

Thank you for helping our spiritually-based approach to farming become a powerful solution to food insecurity

Many of the widows and abandoned mothers we serve rely on farming to provide all their food and a small amount of income for their families. Living in rural areas, they have few ways to earn money. They may work in their neighbors’ farms, wash people’s clothes, or do other menial tasks, but often these sparse earnings don’t cover all their needs, leaving them struggling to pay school fees or even the rent on their small, barely furnished residence.

One of our goals is to help these women become self-sufficient. We do that by purchasing small plots and constructing small mud homes to provide housing security for them. Wherever we construct a house in these rural areas, there is always a small plot nearby that can be farmed. Increasingly, our local ministry partners have received training from our Farming God’s Way (FGW) program and have passed these skills on to the women we help.

Jackline (left) standing in the middle of her well-blanketed pineapple plantation. She is looking forward to her harvest!

Jackline, a widowed grandmother in Uganda, received a small business grant of just $135, which was enough to help her upgrade her floundering pineapple plantation. She needed help with the weeding, purchasing and adding fertilizer, and acquiring mulch. FGW relies heavily on “God’s blanket” (mulch) for improved soil management. The grass she is using is provided free in her neighborhood, which is a great blessing; Jackline needed only to pick it up and transport it to her farming plot. Our partner then trained Jackline and her family in the methods of FGW

Not only is FGW helping Jackline learn new ways of farming, but also she attends a FGW God’s Love Group. Such groups provide sound biblical teaching and a community of believers who help each other both to cultivate their farms and to grow in their faith. Jackline is anticipating a plentiful harvest that will supply her needs for the year. She expects to double her profits. Where once there was a scant harvest, Jackline’s bountiful collection of pineapples will enable her not only to feed her family but also to sell her produce for income. 

Jackline, a widowed grandmother in Uganda, received a small business grant of just $135, which was enough to help her upgrade her floundering pineapple plantation. She needed help with the weeding, purchasing and adding fertilizer, and acquiring mulch. FGW relies heavily on “God’s blanket” (mulch) for improved soil management. The grass she is using is provided free in her neighborhood, which is a great blessing; Jackline needed only to pick it up and transport it to her farming plot. Our partner then trained Jackline and her family in the methods of FGW.

Thank you for your investments that provide jobs and the creation of small businesses. In combination, farming and selling has become a wonderfully effective, holistic approach to lifting women and their children out of poverty in Uganda and Kenya.