I wept when I received this news from Dan: “Hello, Madam Joy; with deep sorrow, I announce the death of our beloved child from the Buwambiidhi FARM STEW group. I hope you remember that child when we visited that village in the sugarcane plantation. We had come for the training today. Unfortunately, we found sad news–we are now attending the burial.”

Why am I tearing up even now? Statistically, Jovia is one of the millions, yet her death was personal to our FARM STEW family and to me. After a few months of FARM STEW training in the Buwambiidhi community in Eastern Uganda, many small kitchen gardens had started to produce food. Villagers diligently cultivated the area around their homes. Sadly, much of what we taught regarding Farming couldn’t be implemented, though, because the land surrounding the village was dedicated to growing sugarcane instead of growing nutrient-dense foods.

Multi-year contracts from multinational companies are tempting to impoverished people, but they often lose more than they gain. That’s why our Enterprise training is so important!

When I met Jennifer, one of the participants from the village of Buwambiidhi, I was immediately concerned about her baby's hair. The precious little girl, named Jovia, had red patches of fuzz, rather than what should have been a full head of black hair. The difference revealed a child who was severely malnourished. I asked Dan to help Jennifer and me talk about my concern. After learning that Jennifer was feeding Jovia mostly corn porridge, I could assume Jovia was lacking protein, iron, Vitamin C, which would help with iron absorption, and B-vitamins as well.

Jennifer resisted, in part because she could not imagine that her plump little Jovia could be malnourished. “Isn’t her size a sign of my good mothering? ”she asked.

I recommended that Jennifer take Jovia for a medical check-up, advised her to breastfeed on demand, and started feeding Jovia a variety of cooked and mashed locally available high-protein, plant-based foods. The next week, Dan returned to train, and they transplanted vegetable seedlings. He focused intensely on nutrition, our Meal training. But it was too late for Jovia.

Jovia got sick and died a few weeks later. The Bible says that “The Life of the Flesh Is In the Blood” (Leviticus 17:13), and it’s true. Without healthy food, we can not make healthy blood or have healthy bodies. FARM STEW is designed to equip families, like Jennifer and Jovia's, in extreme poverty to have an abundant life.  

Our mission is designed to address the heartbreaking fact that in sub-Saharan Africa, 5 children under the age of 5 die every minute. Most are nameless, and their deaths will never touch our lives. But Jovia is different. We know her story and her name. That is why we’re dedicating our E-Learning FARM STEW Basic Course to her memory.

‍

FARM STEW empowers families to grow nutritious food, prevent diseases, generate income, and deepen their faith. Families worldwide experience hope and abundant life offered by Jesus.