Diocesan Field workers in Niassa teach new skills
Diocesan Field workers in Niassa Diocese (Mozambique) are known as ‘adeptos’ -this word means ‘fans’ like soccer fans. Their job is to empower members of different congregations and then to stand back and cheer and encourage from the side. The parish of Messumba learned about food security from their ‘adepto’ Tomas Bola.
In the beginning it was difficult for people to believe in the teachings about improving their economic management and the improved production of crops, because they still didn’t believe that transformation was possible. Based on an exchange visit with Malawi they saw the advantage of using new agricultural techniques and practices for improved development. In a meeting they held, they decided to focus on vegetables, and the chief made a plot of land available . They then had a meeting with the adepto (diocesan fieldworker) to ask for help with seeds and other materials and then they began to implement what they had learned.
As a result, the community has a collective garden with tomatoes, onion, cabbage, and lettuce. There are
also about 17 people who are using the techniques on their own. The community no longer has a lack of vegetables, and they are able to sell part of the greens to raise money to pay for a treadle pump.
Diocese of Niassa