GIVING CODE: ACM1608

REGION: Global

THE NEED: $150,000.00

Of the very poorest people living in our world—those scraping by on less than $1.90 a day—70 percent live in rural communities and depend on what they can grow just to survive. By helping smallholder farmers increase their yields, you are helping families put food on the table and provide for their children with dignity.

As a member of Growing Hope Globally, Nazarene Compassionate Ministries is part of a unique partnership that provides a way for individuals, churches, and communities in the U.S. to respond to world hunger in practical, tangible ways. You can engage in lasting, sustainable solutions through a Growing Project.

A Growing Project brings together congregations, community groups, farmers, and agribusinesses. Together, you can donate or rent the use of land, purchase or secure donations for inputs (seeds, sprays, and fertilizers), or volunteer your services to produce a crop or other marketable commodities such as apples, beef, dairy, or olives—the possibilities are endless!

At harvest time, a crop is sold locally, and the proceeds go to support one of NCM’s church-based, locally led agriculture programs that address hunger and food insecurity at a community level. The goal of these programs is to produce sustainable solutions so that when a program has ended, the community will continue to reap the benefits long into the future. With that in mind, programs often focus on training smallholder farmers in techniques that improve yields or provide for a more nutritious diet. Sometimes programs help participants obtain inputs, tools, or livestock and may also include related aspects, such as improved stoves for cooking, better access to clean water, or nutrition education.

Participating in a Growing Project is a great way for individuals and communities to use their time, talent, and resources to contribute toward lasting solutions to hunger.

Nazarenes around the U.S. have joined this effort and are doing some inspiring things. A youth group in Marysville, Washington, is growing sweet corn. A farmer in Montana is growing canola, wheat, and corn. A church in Circleville, Ohio, is getting donations for garden vegetables. A group in Bucyrus, Ohio, receives donations of grain at a local elevator and hosts a yearly hog roast. And a farmer in northwest Missouri contributes his skill and equipment to farm with donated seed, fertilizer, and land.

Currently, Growing Projects fund programs located in Zambia and Rwanda. In Zambia, farming families are increasing their yields through conservation agriculture training, and in Rwanda families are growing bananas and kitchen gardens as a way to put food on the table and also earn income.

Will you partner with farming families in areas struggling with poverty to cultivate hope? To learn how you can be involved in a Growing Project, email info@ncm.org.