They have faced personal upheaval. Militias burned their homes and raped or killed their loved ones.
Now these families who have fled their African villages because of the conflict in the Darfur region of Sudan are receiving help – in an innovative way.
They're working. And it's helping their community sustain itself.
Read more about the "Cash for Work" program, and why it may be a model for other disaster relief.
World Concern teaches poor rural families basic sustainable agricultural techniques to ensure a stable food source.
For many years, families have relied on slash-and-burn agricultural techniques, resulting in depleted soil and low yields.
While in the past families could often move in search of new land every few years, now because of land pressures they have to stay in one location and learn how to sustainably and productively farm their property.
We teach techniques such as using “green manure,” which is putting plant materials back into the soil. People learn to plant tree seedlings to nourish and protect the land, and growing forage grasses specifically for farm animals, such as goats.
We also help women’s farming cooperatives work together to market their agricultural products and get the best prices, like the women in Bolivia who started a dairy and began making cheese and yogurt to increase their incomes.
