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Sowing the Seeds of Stability
The future looks brighter today than it has for a long time, according to Beatrice, a resident of Palaka, a small village along Lake Victoria in western Kenya. Like many women in the region, Beatrice lost children to AIDS and is now responsible for the care of her grandchildren. For years, her only assets were two acres of land, which she and her husband cultivated for their income. However, they simply couldn’t earn enough to feed all the children and make ends meet.
Through a partnership with the Ecumenical Church Loan Fund, Episcopal Relief & Development provided Beatrice and a group of women in her community with training and seed money. They were encouraged to grow sunflowers, as sunflower oil is a daily staple in the region, and the process for extracting the oil requires only a small investment in a simple machine.
Half of Beatrice’s land is now devoted to growing sunflowers. She can sell both the sunflower oil and the sunflower seeds for income. Together with the other women in her group, she learned to place bee hives in close proximity to the sunflower fields, allowing them to extract flavorful honey and sell it locally. For Beatrice, Episcopal Relief & Development’s assistance has brought her financial stability, progress and hope for her grandchildren’s future.
