Community gardening projects can be an effective part of missional work, fostering partnerships between the church and the communities. The participants grow their own vegetables and fruits, enhancing their access to healthy food. Regular gardening activities foster connections and address social isolation. Gardens contribute to local biodiversity, improve air quality, and promote sustainable practices. Individuals gain skills, confidence, and a sense of ownership, fostering both personal and communal growth and spiritual growth
Organising harvest festivals celebrating their achievements, promoting fellowship and sharing meals together.
Missional work demands a spirit of shared responsibilities. The garden of Eden, as depicted in in the Bible, holds significant relevance and beaty that continues to resonate with us today. The garden of Eden shows that the mission of God is within his creation. He could talk to Adam and Eve in the garden. The story of the Israelites is about the promised land. It is on land that we find our survival and joy. The garden represents a place of spiritual fulfilment and communion with God. Our moral and spiritual human dignity is centred on the gift of land.
Tariro and I have a strong conviction that when you want to help a poor person teach him or her to fish, give him or her the necessary tools for fishing than to give him or her the fish. Hence, we came up with gardening initiatives projects. Yes, for a short-term measure alleviating someone from hunger you may give handouts, donations or put food in the food banks. The only problem with short term measures, it will not last, it creates a depended syndrome which will be difficult to deal with.
We would appreciate a few people who may want to walk with us in this journey of empowering poor people in our communities through doing something with them which will give them ownership and a better living. I have used the word gardening because of its significance in the bBible and in my home context. In my home area we have enough land, but our biggest challenge is drought and equipment to start this kind of a project.
Our people would happy if they are assisted to put up some allotments with irrigation and tunnels. This will protect them from sorts of abuse by the politicians who give them food for vote buying. The gardening project will protect the vulnerable from being abused by the rich people who want cheap labour from the marginalised without paying them well. The gardening projects will protect the poor from some of the charity organisations who are using the poor for fundraising and grab the money for their personal use. let us put our prayer in action as we support any project which results in someone gain dignity and self-relance. Think about it, pray about it, participate in it. Missional work is about participation in God’s mission the world.