Aarons letter from Moazambique
Dear Atonement Lutheran Church,
Alda, Mama Janeta and their neighbor at their new well (with garden fence in back)Thank you so much for your generous contribution to help us improve the water security of those we work with in Southern Mozambique. We are extremely appreciative of the outpour of donations that you have gathered and we’d like to share a bit of what we and the community have been busy doing and also what is planned for the coming months.
We read in John that Jesus is the Living Water who quenches our thirst for eternity; here in Mozambique this image is especially poignant as we see just how much water IS life here. When it doesn’t rain, there are very few crops to be harvested. We are seeing the consequences of drought this year, as many families who depend on their farm for their subsistence needs are struggling to feed themselves. Having a source of water nearby truly has the potential to transform lives.
Late last year a local church that we partner with in Manjacaze, called Ministerio Centro de Louvor (Center of Praise Ministry), identified the most urgent needs of its members. Some members of the church had just succumbed to HIV/AIDS and it was believed that their deaths were hastened by a lack of quality food. The church’s response was to help the families, especially those who have members living with HIV/AIDS, develop nutrition gardens in their yards. As this would only be practical with a source of water close by, wells were a necessity in the plan. Mozaic has assisted the church’s team of volunteers to be able to get them to a point where they can run the program on their own. This has consisted of agricultural and financial management training. Mozaic believes strongly that the project ownership must rest with the local community and thus the leadership of this water and nutrition team have been the directors of the program. Although this may be a slower process, the fruits of local empowerment are well worth the wait. The first of eleven nutrition gardens was constructed in April of this year and the church team is currently in the process of building the remaining few. As of now, three of the six wells have been constructed and the rest are soon to be built.
Atalia in her ‘Garden of Eden’One of the main highlights for me this year has been to see the fruits of this project in the lives of the beneficiaries. Atalia is a young mother who cares for her orphaned brothers and sisters. She received a garden with the food and water security project and within a couple of weeks she had expanded it by 50% and had turned it into a Garden of Eden, an oasis in the midst of our arid surroundings. By having a well and a garden she and her siblings were able to eat nutritious vegetables and sell excess products in the market. God has blessed her for her faithfulness. I’ve included a picture of her in her garden below.
The first phase of the water and food security project consisted of six wells and eleven gardens and was made possible by a $3000 donation from a donor in South Africa. If you agree, we would like to put the money that you donated towards the second phase of the food and water security project. The hand-dug wells are the most expensive component. Other expenses include putting reed walls around the gardens (to keep out the abundant domestic animals!), obtaining cow manure and procuring vegetable seeds. The first phase should be completed soon, upon which the leadership team will choose the next group of beneficiaries to receive a well and garden. It’s an exciting time and God is at work.
Once again, we thank you so much for your generous giving to help us continue the ministry in rural Mozambique. You are a blessing to many.
In Christ,
Aaron Iverson