started this project many of the farmers were malnourished, sickly and wore shoes with holes as they could not afford to buy new shoes. The transformation in their lives has been quite dramatic. The farmers now have food security and there is no more hunger. Those I met at the farm all looked healthy and strong and none of them wore shoes with their toes peeping out. ALFA Project has enabled them to purchase household goods

and items like plates, utensils and new furniture which they had not been able to afford earlier. Many have even added extensions to their houses, said Sally. They are all able to send their children to school and pay the school fees. They no longer have to sleep in cotton bales at night as they now have blankets to keep them warm in winter. Some have purchased goats and chickens and earn extra income from the sale of their goats, chickens and eggs. Most importantly, they can have dignified burials and bury their dead decently, in coffins, by paying fees to the Burial Society. They expressed their gratitude to the church for the support we have

given them and asked us to not forget them and to remember them in our prayers The farmers I met seemed genuinely happy and satisfied with

their lives. They were proud of the garden plots and the vegetables that were thriving. Besides the economic benefits there has been psycho-social support. Work has restored dignity and facilitated participation in social circles and this has reduced stigmatization. It has earned them respect from their extended family and neighbors. There has also been a spiritual transformation. Many people have given their lives to God as their lives have been transformed economically and physically. “The spiritual rebirth is helping behavior change,” said Sally, which is a key element in stopping the spread of HIV/AIDS.

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SUPPORTING Green Environ Agroforestry

he Green Environ Agroforestry Project with the Emmanuel Baptist Church in Warren Park, on the outskirts of Harare in Zimbabwe, is sponsored by Baptist World Aid. Between 1990 and 2010, Zimbabwe lost 327,000 hectares of forest cover every year. In that time the country lost 29.5 percent of its forest cover, or 6.5 million hectares. This has serious implications for the nation in terms of soil erosion, loss of habitat for wildlife, loss of indigenous trees and plants and increased pollution as trees help filter clean air. Increased soil erosion also leads to desertification and affects agriculture production in the long run. The project aims to address the problem of deforestation and soil erosion by introducing the concept of agroforestry.

The project aims to address the problem of deforestation and soil erosion by introducing the concept of agroforestry.

(Continued on next page) JANUARY/MARCH 2016 7