Love's Harvest 2010
Helping the rural poor of Malawi grow the food they need on their own land.
Today was spent in beautiful Thylo Parish, site of the gorgeous tea plantations. We didn’t know there could be so many different shades of green! Our first stop was Kalinthulo. Pastor Joseph was very impressed. The kitchen gardens were quite far along, with lovely designs and a good variety of plants. The walk to the demonstration garden was a bit of a work out but it felt good to really stretch our legs and scramble up and down the muddy hillside. Though still mostly conventional agriculture, there is fantastic potential for this garden to shift to Permaculture. The women in the project have a rota to work in the garden, coming every Tuesday and Thursday mornings. We helped unearth some Irish potatoes, and asked about the community’s plan for the food they would harvest. Modesta Amadeya, one of the project leaders, told us of the village’s widows, orphans and HIV + members who will be cared for. Modesta gave a detailed reporting of the money earned by selling vegetables thus far. The next step is for the women to begin valuing the produce based on what they would have spent, in time, energy and money, had they bought the same vegetables in the market.
The women performed a hilarious drama about Permaculture, and one young woman read a poem. We received an official report sitting outside under the trees, learning that membership in the Anglican church was increasing as a result of the Love’s Harvest One Village at a Time, that the spirit of giving and sharing was strong, and that they were happy to be able to help the vulnerable and needy. The women then presented us with many gifts of papaya, bananas, beans, greens and cassava.Fr. Willard Kamandani told us that Kalinthulo is a typical Thylo village. There is 23% HIV + status at the district level, and in the remotest places the number is even higher. It means a great deal to the parish that they can help those in need.
We stopped to see some fishponds on the way to the next Thylo village, called Mchenga. This OVT is a project of St. James’ Madison Avenue. We begin this time with our formal meeting in the nursery school which was serving as a church, with another wonderful drama, this time with children, moving testimony from the chief and head man who are extremely supportive, and the good news that the men in the parish are working hand in hand with the women. The project secretary thanked God for those who gave the funds for the project and asked that we bring the message that it is not taken for granted. The demonstration garden and the kitchen gardens were wonderful, creatively designed and thriving. And we were thrilled that the women had started a fruit tree nursery!
Each kitchen garden was more beautiful than the last and we concluded our day with a meal and prayers. These two projects in Thylo are moving very well. Both have set their sites on expanding to include women beyond the initial group and both have stirred a great spirit of enterprise and confidence in the community. It was a wonderful day, and we returned to Pedro’s to meet Leeanna Varga of St. James’ who will be leading a youth group trip to Malawi in ten days time. She’ll accompany Love’s Harvest for the next few days and it was great to be with her.
