Sustainable Farm Trains Future Farmers and Fights Poverty

Rife with malnutrition and poverty, Kamina is one of the poorest areas in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. To fight poverty and hunger, Kamisamba Farm, a mission of the North Katanga Conference, provides training in agriculture and sustainability.

Kamisamba Farm is a living legacy of the late Sierra Leonean United Methodist Bishop John K. Yambasu. It was his hope to make a way for all people to have access to food.

The sustainable farm is home to multiple programs and training for other farms and interested individuals. Some of the topics include innovation and green practices, farming, and agriculture for financial security. Each year, the farm accepts two people from each district in the North Katanga Conference to be trained on the farm and return to their district to share what they learned in an effort to create more farms. United Methodist missionary and agricultural specialist Lorraine Charinda, the is the director of the farm, said the farm also provides training opportunities for women.

The farm has a staff of 50 people which includes a chaplain, police and medical staff. United Methodist Fellow, Honest Baraya from Nigeria is also serving, learning and working at Kamisamba Farm.

In addition to producing a variety of crops including soy, corn and sugar beans, it also provides seeds for other farms; these seeds are identifiable by their pink color. Fishponds, pigs, cows and chickens are also part of the farm. Recently, an egg incubator was donated to the farm through the generous contributions of Stonybrook United Methodist Church in the Olentangy District.

In August Lorraine Charinda will be in West Ohio to share more about Kamisamba Farm. For more information, contact Mariellyn Grace at mgrace@wocumc.org.

Click here to learn how you can partner with Kamisamba Farm.

Written by Amy Graham, Communications Specialist