Gardening Brings Abundance, Resilience in Difficult Places
Though it’s the heart of the dry season, Angelina bends to tend to the bountiful beans growing in a flourishing patch of earth.
It makes sense that Samaritan’s Purse staffers chose this spot for a training garden, as the nearby stream boasts banks lush with thriving plants. Beyond the river, scrubby acacia trees seem to be the only growing thing for miles.
Angelina is excited to be a part of the Samaritan’s Purse integrated resiliency training programme. The programme teaches people in South Sudan how to thrive even in the face of adversity like drought and conflict.
“I heard that they were giving seeds out at the church,” she said, “so I went there and got seeds and tools and they trained us on how to plant so we could have food.”
Angelina and half a dozen other women are growing gardens and growing in resiliency as well here in Mayom County.
They now know to plant their crops above the waterline, so that when the rainy season hits, precious nutrients won’t wash away with it. In the dry season, they will sow seeds near the rivers so they don’t have to walk long miles to fetch water.
The women are also learning how to pray and to thank God for His provision.
Women in Mayom County and throughout South Sudan are learning how to grow their own food through resiliency training provided by Samaritan’s Purse.
“They told us that if we plant this, the result will be that one day we will not be dependant upon others and we can provide for those in need,” Angelina said. “That’s what I want, is to be an independent person.”
The resiliency training provided by Samaritan’s Purse helps move local communities one step closer to abundance in a land of scarcity. Scarcity leads to desperation and conflict. Abundance leads to connectedness and prosperity.
As the women work together on the same training plot—enjoying a rich harvest—they provide a picture of what a dry and weary land could become.
“I’m very excited about what I am learning to do,” Angelina said. “Now I can go home and do this in my own land.”
Christmas Catalogue
