When a dream dies, it’s almost like losing a part of oneself. But when God works in powerful ways to revive that dream, your restored hope gives you confidence to walk into a bright future. Sustainable agriculture is the answer.
That’s exactly how Dickens felt…
Death of a Dream
Dickens shared: “I had buried my dream of becoming a vehicle mechanic.”
All his life, Dickens loved tinkering with cars and dreamed of becoming an auto mechanic. When Dickens’ parents died, however, he had to drop out of technical college. He began working in other people’s gardens to put food on the table.
Then, at age 20, Dickens married his wife. Together, they built a small hut in which to raise their family. Unfortunately, life grew difficult when they welcomed their first child. They desperately needed food to feed the baby, but they had no reliable source of income.
When he was out of options to keep his family fed, Dickens received a hope-filled invitation from a local church to start a sustainable agriculture business!
Sustainable Agriculture Provides Hope
Dickens recalled: “When I was invited for training at the church in 2019, I hesitated since I was not a regular figure there. But stories from other people who had been trained gave me hope and courage to go. After training, I was fired up to start growing food for my family. My first and best experience was when I received soya bean seeds from the church. I was able to harvest six hundred kilograms (1322 lbs). I had never seen so much money in my life. I earned 1.2 million shillings ($360). I paid my child’s school fees, bought two pigs, and I also bought maize (corn) seeds which I planted for the next season. Right now, my family never runs out of food!”
Dickens has been working hard since his training! He has expanded his farm and now grows a variety of crops, including peanuts, cassava, soya bean, and corn. Although he sells his cereal harvest, Dickens always keeps his home stocked with plenty of corn flour and cassava. He has also started construction on a better house for his family!
Restoring his Dream through Sustainable Agriculture
Sustainable agriculture has revived Dickens’ dream of becoming an auto mechanic.
Dickens explained: “Although I grew up in a grass and mud house, I want to give my children a better life. When the house is done, I will be able to resume my longtime dream. I have always wanted to do vehicle repair and maintenance, but because of lack of money, I was never able to complete the course. But now that I can work hard and pay tuition, I must resume.”
Dickens is increasing his savings. Doing so gives his family a better quality of life.
Dickens continued. “I want to diversify my income streams as we have been taught. That is why I have pigs and I grow crops. And very soon, I will be a mechanic! I am sure with the knowledge I have now, I will achieve it. I used to worry about where to save my money because one time, our hut caught fire and all my savings perished. But now that the church has also helped us to start saving groups, I know my savings are safe.”
Make a Dream Come True
Bright Hope believes that sustainable agriculture is the answer. When Dickens’ dream came back to life, his hope was revived. Thanks to our amazing Allies, the local church in Dickens’ community provided the support and training he needed to pursue his calling and build a sustainable future.
