Hope Spot 7 – What will you grow?

do you ever watch Gardening Australia on the ABC?

If you don’t, tomorrow night (Friday at 7.30pm) you should.

Not to learn the tips of the trade the Gardening Australia team will share …

Photo: Gardening Australia

… but to meet one of your fellow ALWS supporters, Paul Sabel, and his two good friends Rex and Claire.

You’ll see Paul featured on Gardening Australia not just because of his gardening skills (though if you get Paul started on compost and hothouse and organic fertiliser, you better set aside a couple of hours for all the knowledge he has to share) …

…but because of what Paul, and Rex and Claire, (and Paul’s wife, Annette, who has sadly passed away) have grown in the lives of the people you help through ALWS.

For more than 20 years, they’ve been propagating, watering, weeding, packing into trailers, setting up at weekend markets and country shows, sorting and sharing and selling, plant after plant after plant …

… raising more than $540,000 to help thousands of people, like Mrs Manjou Daugaura, from Kailali in Nepal, to grow a better future!

Through ALWS, Manju received training in home gardening, and savings and business. She is now part of a Women’s Farmers Group, with 22 members.

You won’t see Manju’s story on Gardening Australia, so let me share it with you here:

“Before this training I was doing fishing and daily labour in construction of houses – carrying bricks and sand to plaster houses.  

It was long hours. I would wake up early in the morning, cook food for our family, get to the construction site on time. If I was late, the contractor would not pay me.  

The work was hard. I had to carry a heavy load and it was not a safe work environment. I would then have to cook food for the family when coming home late. I used to feel unpleasant about working hard and being tired.  

We used to do traditional farming, but since the training we are producing more and earning more.  

We didn’t used to divide the land into plots – but now we do.  

We use plastic to stop the weeds. This saves time. And it is easier to get the water into the trenches. 

I no longer have to go to my husband to ask for money. I am helping with the household expenses. This is something I can do for my household.  

Before I had to ask my husband for money. I couldn’t buy the clothes that I wanted or the food that I wanted. I can also now support my Mother-in-law so she can be independent too.  

I am happy with the changes. 

I used to have a lot of stress not being able to fulfil the needs of the house and family. Now I can do that it makes me feel happy.  

This has changed my life and also the community.  

If we can lease more land, we can grow more vegetables and involve more women. I would like to see it grow to 20-25 women and include the other deprived women.  

The males in the community appreciate our work. They ask us to teach other women. And the men are also interested in it too. They think they should also be learning something like this.  

Before this training when we were just doing daily labour work, no one asked us to be a member of any groups. Now we are asked to be on committees in the community and at the school.  

Before we were never asked our opinion. Now they want us in their groups and want our opinion.  

Photo: ALWS

Since being in the group, I have learnt many skills of growing vegetables which were unknown before. Since I have participated in the training, I am more confident and can speak in front of people which I couldn’t do before 

I am very happy.  

I would like to thank you for supporting us to improve our life. Without this my life would be limited to labour.  

I would like to thank you for supporting me to get this opportunity.” 

Manju 

This is the garden you grow through ALWS.

Much more than plants and vegetables – you grow people’s lives. Especially people like Manju, who are too often forgotten.

People like you, and Paul, and Rex and Claire, are a precious gift in places like Kailali in Nepal …

… and I’m hoping the Gardening Australia segment tomorrow night – Friday 7.30 on ABC – can show people in Australia the power of your kindness and love to change lives.

(I haven’t seen the segment – that’s why I’m ‘hoping’!)

Whether the gift you can give is $5 or $540,000 … for 20 years or for the first time ever … or forever through a gift in your Will … I thank you for all you grow through ALWS.

You’re a blessing ALWayS!

PS: If you miss Gardening Australia on Friday night at 7.30 on the ABC, you can always catch up later on ABC iView. Happy gardening!

PPS: All of us at ALWS are heartbroken by the tribal massacre in PNG earlier this week. It hurts when what the world sees in the media is only the violence – rather than the beautiful, generous, compassionate spirit of the people of PNG. If prayer is one of your callings, please join us in our prayers for peace.

PPS: If you haven’t yet completed your ALWS 2024 Supporter Survey, you can do so here. Thank you!