Smallholder farmer Canhemba Lastone and his wife have seven children. For years, Canhemba relied on traditional farming methods, but he struggled to coax enough from his land to provide for his family’s basic needs. He felt hopeless and could not imagine a future where his family could journey away from poverty.

In 2023, Canhemba had the opportunity to join a project facilitated by World Renew’s local partner, the Reformed Church of Mozambique. Through this initiative—focused on improving the livelihoods of vulnerable families—he began learning new approaches that would transform both his farming and his outlook.

“I learned new farming techniques such as soil conservation agriculture and preparation of organic compounds, [as well as] matters related to gender-based justice,” Canhemba shares. With changing weather patterns affecting his region, he now recognizes the importance of protecting the soil. “Soil conservation agriculture, because it conserves moisture in the soil, protects it from erosion and creates microbes that promote renewal.”

Putting these techniques into practice, Canhemba is already seeing promising results. As he looks ahead to harvest season, he expects this year’s yield to be twice as productive as in the past. Where he once struggled to grow enough for his family, he now anticipates having a surplus.

“I planted two hectares of corn, and the harvest will be enough to have corn flour for the next twelve months, so we can have surplus to sell,” he says. “With this amount we can purchase other products that are very necessary in our home.”

Once weighed down by uncertainty, Canhemba now looks to the future with renewed hope. Smiling, he shares, “My dream is to have an irrigation pump, either fuel or pedal, to increase my production.”

Thank you for helping to make stories like Canhemba’s possible—journeys where despair is replaced with hope, and where families gain the skills and confidence to nurture their land and provide for the future.

We pray that farmers like Canhemba will experience strong and fruitful harvests, even amid changing weather, and that they will continue to see the benefits of sustainable practices grow. We also pray for encouragement, vision, and wisdom for those who walk alongside these communities, so that hope will continue to take root and flourish.