Growing Food and Building Stoves results in Requests for Teaching Weekly
Simon Njeru, East African cooperative, reports on how the results of our bio-intensive gardening methods and rocket stove designs for homes are spreading in Kenya. While many in Kenya farm, the innovative methods that our ministry has been able to introduce has led to much better yields. Several years ago, Simon and his brother Reuben began building rocket stoves: an alternative to cooking over open fire that reduces smoke, reduces the need for firewood, and prevents burns. Since that time they've installed more than 400 stoves across Kenya. Both of these projects have given our cooperatives a platform to educate those who inquire in hopes of bettering the health and lives of their families - an education free of charge for those who need it most.
During a particularly hard season of blight, Reuben began rescuing his plants one by one by carefully bagging unaffected soil in potato sacks. When his project was successful, he helped several others in his village to save their plants as well!
Surely due to the spreading of the news about our teachings of new methods of growing good food which have no chemicals for not using the fertilizers/insecticides but using organic materials, as well as farming a small portion and still receiving good yields--people are calling us almost three times a week to have us explain them how these methods works! From there we make some appointments with them. Usually, they're getting this information from other people we have helped who have successfully implemented our teachings, with the gardens as well as the stoves.
I have seen people change their perspective because the demand of rocket stoves /double dug beds is going up all the time. The recipients of both are confessing that these methods have benefited them a lot for they are saying that they had been using many firewoods but with this they are using very little. When we come to see that they have grown food well, they're also testifying that they are not suffering certain side affects anymore, like heartburn among other things.
Many times we do these services for the common people who have gotten the information from those who have already received the services from us. We ask some questions and are able to see whether we should do this for them (like for a widow), if they have no help, or if it's something that they can learn and implement themselves. We do this for free no payment for we do it to the poor people.
People are saying that they are able to get much yields from their little portions of lands, unlike they ever have before. They're even able to sell some of their firewood because their stoves don't use as much of it -- so they actually have an excess! I have been watching people change their perspective. The demand of rocket stove /new agriculture method is going up all the time. The recipients of both are confessing that these methods have benefited them a lot.
Moreover, they are saying that this is wonderful ministry, for it teaches people how to have long life and live well compared with other ministries, which don’t care about people's lifestyles. We teach these things for free for we do it for the poor people. We are so happy to do it. It's truly saving lives.
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