Sparrow farm to grow vegetables for hospice
Dorcas Aid supports organic farm through donations.
There is a new addition to the Sparrow Ministries family – an organic farm.
Sparrow Farm, with the support of Dorcas AID, is a food-growing and training facility that complements the work done by the medical team at the Sparrow Hospice and the social workers at the orphanage. Food grown on the farm is entirely organic, with absolutely no chemicals or artificial fertilisers used in the growing process. Patients are taught how to grow food for themselves when they go home using methods that support Sparrow Ministries’ philosophy of healthy food to support medical treatment. Food-growing methods taught here keep in mind that growing space is often limited so that people like Patience Mbeba* have a good chance of duplicating what they have learned at home.
Mbeba has greatly benefited from the project. She’s a glowing example of how, if treated early, those with HIV/AIDS can make an almost full recovery. Patience understands that as long as she is responsible with her diet and takes the medication prescribed by her doctors, she has a good chance of living a full life. “The people here at the Hospice and on the farm helped me to understand that my food is important and that my medication will work better if I eat healthy food. Now I can grow spinach, broccoli, tomatoes, beetroot and cabbage” she explains.
“This is something I wish everyone could do,” she continued. “It is very difficult to find a job these days and if more people grew their own food they would be healthier, and fewer people would be hungry at night. I thank the Lord every day for the help I’ve been given here”.
* Name changed to protect the identity of the patient.
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