There is a community on the edge of the Lowveld in Eswatini (Swaziland). Pastor Omo Ndlovo oversees a church of amazing people there.

Years ago with the help of an international outreach team this community started a vegetable garden. All of the infrastructure needed was supplied – irrigation (including a pump, water tanks, piping, and taps, etc.); fencing; and training in gardening and management.

It is normal in a rural African community that such an investment goes to waste after a few years. As soon as the investors are not involved anymore, interest stars to dwindle, and less people are interested in the project until no one is left to keep it going.

But the ladies from Pastor Omo’s church, lead by Flora, Omo’s sister, though kept on keeping the garden going when the rest of the community stopped helping. They also went to get more training yearly to be able to work and manage the garden better. They kept it going for over a decade. They successfully used the income they generated to sustain the garden and infrastructure. 

Why were they so committed?

  • They were feeding widows and orphans from this garden
  • They were getting an income selling the produce to big markets, and even to a national distributor
  • It was a benefit for the whole community
  • They were really good at it

They ran into a problem when the water pump for the garden broke down. Not being able to get water to the garden, the project slowly died down. They did try for a while keeping a much smaller garden, watering it with buckets, but that didn’t work out well enough.

The only plan for keeping the feeding scheme going was for the ladies to each keep a small garden at their homesteads. These smaller gardens are very well kept, and really looks good. But they are feeding less children than they used to, and they don’t get the income they used to get from the markets and national companies.

I believe that replacing the pump they lost is a good investment for this community. They have already proven that they can keep this a sustainable project. With these ladies being so sold out to make disciples I’m convinced this would be a kingdom investment, and that this is good spiritual soil.

According to the company that looked at the pump it will have to be replaced. The cost they were given for a new pump was R22 000.

Could you please assist in some way?

Thank you.

Coralie & the MVSA Team