World Vision is delighted to send you our Executive Briefing for Economic Empowerment. You are an integral part of our work to end extreme poverty by 2030, so we want to keep you updated on our progress!
Postcard from THRIVE Tanzania
Christopher Shore - Chief Development Officer, WVUS Economic Empowerment
“Thank goodness we never stop learning!” Joseph Toindepi, World Vision’s THRIVE Program Director was talking about our team in Tanzania, and how they have been pleasantly surprised at how and why smallholder farmers are changing what they grow.
One of the big changes underway is the move away from low value crops like corn (maize) and pigeon peas into bananas. Bananas were first introduced in the Babati region by the THRIVE program as an income diversification and food and nutrition security crop. However, bananas are proving to be quite profitable – at least when the sales and marketing is done right.
Interestingly, the movement from low value crops to bananas is happening spontaneously. World Vision did not lead this change.Word of mouth, or farmer-to-farmer learning is spreading the news that there is a better way to make money. One challenge for World Vision is to keep up with this change and help farmers learn how to work together and sell together in order to get good prices and not be taken advantage of.
Bananas are not grown from seed. They grow from suckers that emerge from a mature banana plant. Once planted, bananas take about 9 months to mature. Once mature, the banana “tree” produces a bunch of bananas per month, but only once on a branch. This way of propagating banana plants is why one village has been expanding banana production – farmers are teaching their neighbors and giving them the starter plants.In the village where World Vision began this work, 75% of the 600 farmer families now grow bananas. By selling together in a “Commercial Producer Group”, the farmers are able to work with larger buyers who pay better prices.
Click HERE to watch a video to learn just how much farmers’ incomes have grown.
Maria the Sunflower Farmer
Watch this video telling the story of Maria the sunflower farmer in Matufa - from our friends at the Great African Food Company in Tanzania.
Zambia (November 3-10, 2018) with Christopher Shore and Bob & Sandy Hoover
Kilimanjaro Climb plus Tanzania THRIVE (February 2-15, 2019) with Vinh & Leisle Chung
Fork to Farm Event - September 6 - San Francisco, California
Christopher Shore Regional Tour - September 24-26 - Minneapolis, Minnesota
Christopher Shore Regional Tour - September 27-28 - Madison, Wisconsin
Strong Women Strong World – November 30, 2018 - New York, New York
Strong Women Strong World– December 7, 2018 - San Francisco, California
South Florida Economic Empowerment Summit - January 26, 2019 - Naples, Florida
Every Last One Conference – March 8-9, 2019 - Carlsbad, CA
THRIVE / Building Secure Livelihoods Forum - April 1-5, 2019 - Lilongwe, MALAWI
Prayer Requests
PRAISE
For AMAZING Vision Trips to Tanzania, Rwanda, and Malawi!
REQUESTS
For Jim van Peursem, one of the donor leaders of the One Vision Technology Fund and volunteer at the Great African Food Company (GAFCo) in Arusha, Tanzania – Jim needs surgery to move his “funny bone” nerve. This is planned for August 27 in Nairobi, Kenya. Pray for great wisdom and discernment for the surgeon and recovery for Jim.
For the Fork to Farm event in the San Francisco Bay area, September 6.
For a full Vision Trip to Zambia in November.
For the event planning for the South Florida Economic Empowerment Summit in January.
World Vision is a Christian humanitarian organization dedicated to working with children, families, and their communities worldwide to reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty and injustice.
In 2017, 85 percent of World Vision's total operating expenses were used for programs that benefit children, families, and communities in need. Learn More.
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