In the informal settlement of Dagoretti in Nairobi, many parents wake each morning knowing they must earn money that day. If they do not, their children may not eat that night. For Fridah Moraa, this pressure is constant. She is a recently widowed grandmother and the sole provider for her family. Rent, school costs, water and food all depend on what she can earn. Fridah lives with her children and grandson in a rented corrugated metal shelter. There is no running water and space is extremely limited. To support her family she sells vegetables at a market stall. With no refrigeration or storage, she travels long distances to buy produce, six days a week. Some days she earns enough. Some days she does not.

Fridah’s situation began to change when she joined Imarisha Kilimo, an urban farming project run by Christian Aid’s partner, Beacon of Hope. At first, the idea felt impossible, ‘I was wondering, where can someone farm here?’ Through training, tools and seeds, Fridah learned how to grow food in small city spaces. She learned how to use cone gardens, make compost and conserve water. At the end of her narrow alley, she now tends her own urban farm. She grows kale, tomatoes and indigenous vegetables. Some feed her family. Some she sells. It’s more than food; it means stability and choice. She can plan and help her family.

At Holy Trinity our young people will be hosting a coffee morning in the workshop on Saturday 16th May to fundraise for Christian Aid’s work. There will be a Fare Trade stall. Please come along. In addition, there will be envelopes for any donations you feel you could make. Alternatively go online to www.christianaid.org.uk to find out more or donate there. 

Thanks, Julie