Potential released in Soya Bean planting!
Ok so we are not denying things are very, very tough in Kenya at the moment…… but we must celebrate the good things that are happening too. Last time we were there, in March just before our lockdown, this amazing group of people, decided to form a team called ‘PottersHeart Dgara Community Teaching Team’. We’ve been there three times now, it is one of the poorest areas we work in. These folk were resettled by the government several years ago, the land very different from their homeland, is dry and sandy. Inhospitable for building their traditional mud and straw huts, and not the best for growing, especially as they have no water nearby at all. There are five tribes both resettled and indigenous in this area, and when we first arrived they were always fighting, stealing and generally preventing any progress in any family. We did a Liebust session with them, and witnessed such forgiveness and breakthrough, and although life is still very tough there is breakthrough.
One of the problems is very poor nutrition, children especially showing all the classic signs of malnutrition. We did a lot of teaching on this, trying to help them think outside the box as to what they could grow. Soya bean does grow in this area, but none of them had ever given it a go, they had never been taught about the protein in this bean, or how good mashed soya bean is when weaning babies. This group listened and learnt well, but then comes the exciting bit. When we left they kept meeting together, sharing what they had learned with many others in the village. Because the soya bean idea was completely new to them all, they decided to grow a trial patch, proving to others it would work. In the photo we can see them all weeding the patch, and we can see how strong the plants look. This is just one piece of gold amongst the teaching, that will change and transform lives. It has released potential in people who had no hope, they have discovered that they can and will find their own solutions. Let’s keep praying that this crop is the first of many that grow strong and fruitful.
Linden x
