Sometimes the simplest results are the most profound. Like that of Rusayon Leriari, a 48-year-old widow who cannot hide her joy. ‘I have been able to feed my family of six, sell the surplus to my neighbours and accumulate an income of Kshs. 1,600,’ she says.
Rusayon was one of the 43 farmers identified for support by Tearfund, in rural northern Kenya. She was given a hoe, a rake and a watering can, plus five sachets of kale, carrot, capsicum, tomato and onion seeds. Like the rest of the farmers, she had no previous knowledge of growing vegetables.
Erastus, one of the 10 Agricultural Extension Workers, recruited and trained by Tearfund, was assigned the responsibility of training Rusayon and the other farmers. On her plot of land (14 meters long and seven meters wide) she prepared her beds, followed all the advice and a month later was rewarded by healthy seedlings that she transplanted.
As the vegetables needed to be watered twice in a day, Rusayon had to walk for 1.2kms to fetch water, either carrying it on her back or in a wheelbarrow borrowed form a neighbour. Of course, these trips were all weather dependent; on a sunny day, she made up to nine trips.
The hard work and determination continued for almost a month. After that came Rusayon’s first harvests and clear taste of success. ‘My life is now better,’ she says. ‘I am able to buy sugar, tea leaves, salt and paraffin among other necessities. Before Tearfund came, my life was so difficult, I could not even afford to buy sugar, or any medication for myself or my children.’
Rusayon is grateful to have been supported by Tearfund. As the community has begun to buy her produce so Rusayon’s prayers have intensified. ‘I pray that one day I will have piped water and a storage tank in my homestead. This way I will be able to expand the size of my land and utilise the skills and knowledge accorded by Tearfund.
‘As a result, I will be able to supply vegetables to the growing number of customers and educate my children to secondary school level,’ she says. ‘What more can I say but to thank God for bringing Tearfund to Ngurunit?’
Tearfund’s Disaster Management team has been at work in Northern Kenya since May 2006, starting initially with an emergency feeding programme. Eventually – as the food crisis slackened its grip – the team’s focus shifted to activities that would reduce the impact that future disasters would cause. From kitchen gardens, livestock programmes and the creation of earth dams to income generation for a couple of women’s groups, the team’s work has invested not just in everyday miracles for today, but for tomorrow too.