It sounds a little like magic, but turning corn into cassava
is actually more about partnership.
Perhaps we can start with this question:
How does a Canadian help a Rwandan who is struggling to have enough food
for the family? The answer is
partnership. Canadian Baptist Ministries
(CBM) is a member of the Canadian Foodgrains Bank (CFGB). In Rwanda, CBM is partnered with the
Association of Rwandan Baptist Churches (AEBR).
Amongst the many projects that we do together is an effort to help
several villages in SE Rwanda who struggle greatly with lack of rain, poor
soil, etc. For several years, a Food
Security project has been run in that area through CFGB, helping train farmers
in new techniques which greatly increase crop yields. There have also been a couple of times over
the last few years when a Food Relief project had to be organized for three or
four months to help people who were close to starvation. These projects, which are run out of the
local Baptist churches, are bringing compassion and long-term hope to hundreds
of families who were among the poorest of the poor. So, to go back to the original question,
Canadian farmers are able to help Rwandans have enough to eat through a
partnership. It forms a chain which
looks something like this:
Canadian
farmer > CFGB > CBM > AEBR > Rwandan
farmer.
While serving in Rwanda, we have had opportunities to see
some of the Food Relief and Food Security work which is making a difference in
remote villages in Rwanda. However
recently we had the chance to pay a visit to a field that sits at the beginning of
that process. Greg Jones, who owns
Riverrun Golf Course outside of Truro, decided to turn the 8 acres that had
been the driving range over to CFGB to use to grow corn.
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| The corn growing on Greg's land |
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| The golf course next to the corn |
Husband and wife team Ian McHattie and Brenda
Leenders are the NS reps for CFGB. Ian
is serving as the farmer of that field, planting and tending the corn. Brenda visits churches and individuals,
encouraging other people to help sponsor the project, covering as much of the
farming costs as possible.
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| With Brenda and Ian, NS reps for CFGB |
Also with us
that day was Randy Stanton, the Atlantic rep of CBM. Once the crop is harvested, the corn will be
sold and CFGB will turn the funds over to be used overseas by partners such as
CBM. (That money will also be multiplied
through a 3:1 matching grant by the Canadian government!) Back in Rwanda, we will get to see those
funds being used to train farmers in sustainable techniques that allow them to
provide for their families as they grow crops such as cassava. That day in Truro was a great experience,
especially since those of us who were there represented the different links of
this amazing chain.
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| Randy, Laura Lee, Ian, Darrell, Greg |
So, it’s not magic, but it really is possible to turn corn
into cassava if enough people are interested in working together in
partnership.
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| From corn in Canada... |
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| ...to cassava in Rwanda that is 10 times the normal size! |