St. Bart’s Mpawa Village Project
A PARTNERSHIP:
St. Bart's Love’s Harvest
Episcopal Relief & Development
Mpawa Village Mothers’ Union, Anglican Diocese of Upper Shire, Malawi
Love’s Harvest Mpawa Village Project is a new Global Outreach Initiative of St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church. Beginning in 2010, Love’s Harvest and Episcopal Relief & Development, working with the Anglican Church in Malawi, will begin a nationwide food security program to help the rural poor grow the food they need. The Mothers’ Union in each village is the coordinating organization for the project, and St. Bart’s will partner with the Mpawa Village Mothers’ Union. This mission focuses on one village at a time. Attached please read the latest Mpawa Village Report. [14 pages with illos]
By establishing Permaculture Agricultural and Animal Husbandry Projects in small villages, this undertaking increases the abundance and quality of the foods in the villages, feeds the orphans, and creates micro-agricultural and animal husbandry businesses which also increase the economic strength of the village. For the best results in the least time, Love’s Harvest runs its projects with an intensity of resources. Based on organic farming systems designed to be sustainable, Love’s Harvest Kitchen Gardens consistently produce nutritious foods within ninety days.
Love’s Harvest Mpawa Village Project will be run by Agnes Mkoko, Mothers’ Union Coordinator for the Anglican Diocese of Upper Shire. Father Martin Mgeni, Director of the Leonard Kamungu Theological College Permaculture Farm, will offer oversight and guidance, and Pastor Joseph Chiwawa will be the Permaculture Teacher for the Mpawa Village Project. During 2010 Pastor Joseph, an outstanding instructor, will be teaching in all four dioceses for Love’s Harvest. At the lovesharvest.org website, you can see him and others on the Love’s Harvest video.
The budget for the Love’s Harvest Mpawa Village Project is $4500: Permaculture Teaching, Pastor Joseph-$1000; manure, tools, watering cans, seeds and fruit trees-$1000; Mothers’ Union Coordination Expenditures-$500; animal purchases-$2000 (Chickens-$1, Goats-$30, and Pigs-$75).
Located in Central Eastern Africa, the country is one of the poorest and most densely populated in Africa, yet Malawi has a stable government and a strong Anglican Church. Rich in water and fertile soil, the region is known as “The Warm Heart of Africa.” Because of its high rate of HIV-AIDS, half the children in rural villages are orphans.
Although our goals are modest, Love’s Harvest projects address the United Nations Millennium Goals on hunger, health and gender equality.
Every Act of Love Lasts Forever”
--The Reverend F. M. “Buddy” Stallings, Vicar
