Community gardens in Mozambican village provide an answer to Covid restrictions, supported by Hands at Work
Covid restrictions are still strong in many regions where Hands at Work are based, particularly in Mozambique and Zimbabwe.
With many individuals unable to support themselves by making a living buying and selling (currently forbidden under Covid rules), Hands at Work saw how crucial it was to develop Community gardens at many of their care points across Africa.
Some of these gardens have been enabled by the donations of Filling Stations members, such as Turning Point Church in Forres who have recently begun a partnership with Hands at Work and the community of Matsinho B in Mozambique.
The gardens are crucial to the Hands at Work care points, as well as practically providing for the community.
- The gardens provide a source of food for the Hands at Work care workers and primary caregivers.
- It can give them a source of income too. For example, Hands can also buy back surplus produce to feed the children at the care point, thus keeping the money in the community.
- The gardens are really valuable in helping build a sense of community and unity amongst the care workers.
Farai Gunhe, African leader with the Regional Support Team for Zimbabwe and Mozambique talks about the community gardens in Mozambique, including the one in Matsinho B.
Farai calls us, as The Filling Station to stand with them and pray for their communities:
“We are still at Level 4 in both Zimbabwe, and Mozambique, whereby schools and churches are still closed.
This has brought a limitation for catering. Even with this situation, we are grateful that our care workers here remain strong and continue to commit themselves in coming and cooking for our children.
We have seen also, our primary care givers coming to serve alongside our care workers. We’ve seen also the church leaders coming to serve alongside them too. This is so encouraging our communities.
However, some of the primary careworkers and caregivers – most of them, they live by buying and selling. And this is no longer happening because of Covid restrictions and for the past three months, no-one has been able to sell.
But, the interesting story is that the community gardens our careworkers have been able to grow, is bringing them together, and bringing a unity among the community.
And when we talk of community ownership, this is well practiced by the church leaders as they are taking full responsibility to advocate, to come and to support the care workers, at the respective care points.
So, brothers and sisters, I just want to encourage you to stand with us and to pray with us.
As the schools are not yet open, our children are also still vulnerable to early marriage. When the kids are not busy, so many things happen. But we just want you guys to stand with us and pray with us, so that they will be protected.
We also want to stand with our care workers, that they would not give up, but that they would continue serving, as they are doing right now.
It is so encouraging, despite this tough situation, there is not even one day where our care worker have failed to come and cook for our children. This is incredible!
So will you stand with us to pray for our communities, Zimbabwe and Mozambique, and their careworkers?
Would you like to help support a community garden and help communities like Matsinho B survive during imposed Covid restrictions? Find out how to donate here.
