Innovation for Community Empowerment
Like many Zambians, John was a farmer. He, his wife, and their seven children lived in Petauke, Zambia; a rural town near the border with Mozambique. Surrounded by arid savannah, John tended to his many acres of corn.
Despite his hard work, John struggled to provide for his family. He couldn’t afford to send his children to school; neither could he afford the kind of house they deserved. But John persisted, searching for a way in which he might improve his family’s fortunes.
Most in John’s community only farmed during the wet season. But John? He wanted to farm year-round.
Innovating for Year-Round Income
Upon attending a training program offered by a local partner of PW, John began to irrigate his fields. Through his grit and innovation, John was able to grow lettuce, bananas, cabbage, and more during the off-season. With this consistent, year-round flow of income, John was able to save money, send his children to college, and build a new home.
John’s Servant Leadership
John has always had a vision for flourishing, for his family and his neighbors. A true leader, he formed a local farming co-op so that he could uplift people in his community. And in time, the co-op helped to found Chakulya Grain Company (CGC), a local partner of Partners Worldwide.
CGC operates a grain storage facility which helps to overcome a perennial problem for local farmers: without adequate storage, farmers must immediately sell their harvest—no matter the price—or risk losing it to the elements. Now, local farmers like John can store their grain in the facility and wait to sell until the price is best. And with the support of a global network of passionate Business Affiliates, these farmers are surrounded by a community of believers eager to see them succeed.
When the facility needed a temporary manager, John stepped in to fill the position. In this role, John continued to use his talent and compassion to bless those in his community and fight for their well-being.
Blessing Others
Today, John continues to farm, selling surplus produce at his son’s convenience store. In addition, he continues to serve as a leader in his community, working as part of a global network to see that all have the opportunity to thrive. On behalf of the co-op, he’s helping develop a soy mill, which will greatly benefit local farmers by enabling them to turn their soybeans into value-added products such as chicken feed or cooking oil. For them, the best is yet to come.
Your support for Partners Worldwide makes these stories of redemption possible. Thanks to you, entrepreneurs like John can overcome their challenges and transform both their families and their communities.
