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AgriStewards, MOHI, Farming God’s Way, agriculture, Lodwar, Turkana, Joska, Ndovoini

AgriStewards and MOHI: Radical change and abundance!

Written on . Posted in Kenya, Missions of Hope.

The Farming God’s Way agricultural team from AgriStewards, Lebanon, Ind., returned to Kenya this spring to assist with the Missions of Hope International (MOHI) farms, and found many things to cheer about, according to team leader Brian Smith.

AgriStewards, MOHI, Farming God’s Way, agriculture, Lodwar, Turkana, Joska, Ndovoini
Cosmas, left, the MOHI Agribusiness manager, and Brian Smith of AgriStewards led a team to plant a new field at MOHI’s Lodwar, Turkana, campus.

Starting from scratch: Lodwar, Turkana

“Never have I witnessed such a radical change in one week like I witnessed in Lodwar,” said Brian.

Due to the high temperatures and limited rainfall, very little food is produced in Lodwar. MOHI had invited the team to help put a farm into production to help feed their school children. The land had been fenced in and a well had been drilled when the team arrived.

“Upon our arrival, they were still cutting and digging up roots from the thorns and trees that had been growing there for years,” said Brian. “When we left, drip irrigation had been installed on nearly one acre of land and half of that was planted with kale, spinach, cabbage, tomatoes, onions and watermelon.

“Cosmas, the MOHI Agribusiness manager, did an amazing job of directing 20-25 day-laborers each day, and kept an eye on the four Americans trying not to wilt in the 102-105-degree heat!” added Brian.

Joska and Ndovoini: Praising God for His abundance!

“The last few years had been disappointing in regard to the production levels at Ndovoini,” said Brian. “We just couldn’t seem to get to the same levels as Joska. In early 2019, God brought it to my attention that we had not prayed over the land at Ndovoini like we had at Joska, so we gathered up the staff and students to pray.

AgriStewards, MOHI, Farming God’s Way, agriculture, Lodwar, Turkana, Joska, Ndovoini
MOHI students, staff and AgriStewards team members prayed together over the fields at the Ndovoini farm on the school’s campus.

“God showed up in a big way!” added Brian. “From September to November 2019, Ndovoini farm fed 17,000 people with Sukuma Wiki, a beloved Kenyan dish made from kale, spinach or collard greens.”

Back in Nairobi, Brian and team had a good meeting with the Missions of Hope Health Team.

“Our goal is for the farms to work hand-in-hand with the Health Team to improve the nutrition of the school kids,” said Brian. “We will begin some experimental plots to grow more beans (to increase protein and iron) and possibly passion fruit or cantaloupe (for vitamin C) to see how the farm can help.”

agriculture, AgriStewards, Farming God’s Way, Joska, Lodwar, MOHI, Ndovoini, Turkana