World Vision handing out supplies to women farmers. Photo courtesy of Miriam Cameron Cannon
On a blistering 100 degree day, we find ourselves in the okra fields under blazing sun on one of the many hills surrounding the town of Gemena. We are joined by more than a hundred women who have come to show off their fields and celebrate receiving tools and seeds from World Vision for their work. La Foi is a local non-governmental organization that has been working in partnership with World Vision to promote nutrition and health through agriculture. Mama Paula is La Foi’s Founder and Director. With her sweet smile and strong spirit, she presents tools and seeds so these women can provide more efficiently for their growing families
The majority of Gemena’s population survive on subsistence agriculture. This program addresses one of the major challenges for children and mothers in Gemena – malnutrition. Teach women about good nutrition, and then women will change what they grow in order to meet the nutritional needs of their children. Mothers of sponsored children participate in these courses so you can know your sponsored child’s life is changing through the new skills and information that their parents have gained through this training.
Today was a celebration, with singing, dancing and laughter. Not to mention some “fashion shots” as women posed for our photographer. These women celebrate because of an opportunity to improve their lives, and they celebrate because they are in it together. They celebrate because they and their children have not been forgotten, but invested in.
