Garden Project show that the benefi ciaries fl uctuate, but an esti- mated 120 people are helped by the eff orts, including the families who receive the food care packages from the garden. Working together, the women
Morwa Moloi from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Botswana (ELCB) fi lls a watering bucket at the water tank in the garden.
Hunger. “T e monthly stipend helps me to buy food and clothes and to meet other needs of the fam- ily,” she said. “We help other people who are in need with vegetables from the garden.” Although the garden is enthu-
siastically supported by the com- munity in Manyana, it’s not without challenges. Because of the drought, “water
is a big struggle,” said Philip Knut- son, who regularly visits the two churches and the garden site as part of his work as ELCA regional repre- sentative for Southern Africa. “T e garden becomes a target.” Goats and birds fl ock to the
garden for its well-tended vegetation as the drought stops the grass in the area from growing in full. Knutson said some of the work entails chas- ing the surrounding wildlife out of the garden plots. People also retrieve water from
the well on the church property where the garden grows. T e church serves as a central location for many in the community for this reason. Despite the drought, the lat- est projections for the MALUDI
Author bio: Pinther is an alumnus from Augsburg College in Minneapolis and is now a writer living in the city.
February 2016 39
‘The [churches] are not working in isolation, they
are working with the com- munity, in the community.’
from the two churches “have made it a success,” Knutson said. “[T e ELCA’s] role is minimal, they are the ones organizing this.” Project organizers work with
Manyana’s social worker who determines which people are most in need. Knutson said the social worker and local government clinic appreciate the cooperation from the church. “T e [churches] are not working in isolation, they are working with the community, in the community,” he said.
When Basiami Molefe of the ELCB (left) and Gomolemo Molefe of the ELCSA fi rst con- nected with the MALUDI Garden Project, they did not want to work with each other because they were from different churches. Now they work together to care for people in need in the community.
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