Farming

Grace Farm

The current farming activities are vegetable, orchard and crops plantation for the use of Grace Village. In order to be adequately productive we are obliged to have sufficient water. 2009 was the year to ensure a good water supply for vegetable, fruit and crop production, sadly this hasn’t yet been finalised as we complete the building of yet another reservoir.

There is a barn with four milk cows that supply milk to our children. The dairy products are used at the village, thus saving money from buying these items. We would like to see the agrarian side developed into a bigger herd and that the farm produces more crops, vegetables and fruit. For this we are training the older lads for the development of a farm cooperative that they run and provide us with 50% and they market 50% for their own needs. Thus initiating the income generation activities leading to a sustainable village over the next decade

Women Headed Householders (WHH)

Together with the Women’s Affairs Office we are establishing unique Women’s Associations where women from the area can grow vegetables, fruit trees, and grasses for fodder and market these, thus enabling them to create income for themselves towards a sustainable future and means whereby they can provide for their families despite the absence of their husbands or partners.

To date we have one up and running and two more being established with a fourth one to start after the rainy season. The plan is to establish up to eight of these women headed householder agricultural centres.

We have changed our strategy, Abraham’s Oasis must see evidence of engaged and active women on assigned land BEFORE we start to help, then as we understand the women’s plan and the women themselves let us know what they want, we will work along with them providing funds in instalments after staged results are evidenced.

As all our projects these activities are based on funding, personnel and acts of God, which may curtail our work, given the current financial crisis.