A new Approach to Farming

Our gifts for Mission & Service change lives around the world. Our global partner the National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK) is addressing the problem of severe drought by creating a conservation agriculture program. The conservation agriculture model uses mulching, crop rotation, and minimal tilling, combined with water harvesting and management, to move toward the ultimate goal: local food security.

The NCCK works with Kenya’s National Drought Management Agency and advises the agency of needs in drought-stricken areas. The agency then reports to the national government on areas where help is needed. The Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO) is doing trials and experiments on technologies in partnership with the NCCK to determine the varieties of drought-tolerant maize and legumes that are the most suitable for growing in parts of Kenya. The NCCK/ KALRO partnership started as a result of Mission & Service support of conservation agriculture. Now they share best practices and enjoy a collaborative work relationship.

Farmers appreciate the support this project has received from Mission & Service. In Tharaka Nithi County, a place characterized by perpetual food insecurity, more than 800 households have participated in the conservation agriculture project. These households “will forever be grateful to the partnership between NCCK and The United Church of Canada,” says the NCCK’s General Secretary Peter Karanja.

If Mission & Service giving is already a regular part of your life, thank you so much! If you have not given, please join me in making Mission & Service giving a regular part of your life of faith. Loving our neighbour is at the heart of our Mission & Service.