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When FARM STEW arrived in Kambaule Village, people were skeptical. Faith Kamtugwede, a wife and mother, chose to participate anyway, and soon she had a more efficient cookstove, a tippy-tap for clean hands (pictured), and compost to grow vegetables. Using a small loan from the newly organized Village Savings and Loan Association, Faith started raising chickens and applied FARM STEW methods to keep them healthy.
Today, Faith’s flock has grown from just one chicken to a plan for a hundred, her home has been transformed, and neighbors visit to ask for her secrets. Faith tells them the secrets are all in the FARM STEW recipe!
Discover the rest of Faith’s inspiring story in this video: farmstew.link/Enterprise2Q2026
In Kamantian Village, high in the mountains of the Philippines, Norlita Batbat remembers when both clean water and the Water of Life were scarce. As a child, water was so limited that her grandfather would place a little water in his mouth and spit it onto their hands so they could “wash” without wasting this precious resource.
When FARM STEW trainers arrived, they introduced practical ways to improve health while conserving water, including the simple tippy-tap handwashing station (pictured) that cuts water use by over 90%, using about 21⁄2 tablespoons per wash instead of about 2 cups. Today, Norlita and her husband, Julius, love their tippy-tap.
More importantly, they have also learned about Jesus, the Living Water who brings lasting hope. What was once a daily struggle has become a story of better health, renewed dignity, and transformed lives through Christ.
Mr. Macario, one of FARM STEW’s most faithful participants, is in his mid- 60s. He lives in the Primavera community in the mountains of Panama. Since the first day of training, he has attended every class without missing a session.
During a lesson on the importance of drinking water, Mr. Macario asked many questions about how water benefits the body. After learning more about hydration, he decided to put the lessons into practice. He began drinking more water each day, always boiling it first, and started preparing water with nutritious moringa leaves in the mornings.
For years, Mr. Macario had suffered from headaches and severe back pain. Despite many visits to the health center, he found little relief. He and his family assumed it was chronic pain that would never go away.
But as Mr. Macario consistently practiced the habits he learned in class, especially drinking a proper amount of water, he noticed his pain gradually decreased.
Today, Mr. Macario carries a water bottle with him every day and remains committed to caring for his health. He is grateful for the knowledge he has learned from FARM STEW and his experience is inspiring everyone in his family to adopt healthy habits.
Just a few months ago, you would have seen bare earth surrounding the homes in Uganda’s Bukaya Central Village; the women who lived there spent considerable time and effort each day sweeping away debris and keeping their yards clean, without realizing that these empty spaces could help feed their children. Families in the village ate meals of cassava or sweet potatoes with little else, leaving children without nutritious variety.
Everything began to change when FARM STEW trainer Joanita arrived with the love of Jesus and a simple question: “What if the solution to hunger was already in your yard?”
At first, villagers were doubtful. But curiosity slowly grew. And a villager named Mama Sarah chose to step forward as a local volunteer and mobilize others. With guidance from Joanita, Mama Sarah and a few neighbors prepared small garden spaces and planted the seeds that FARM STEW gave them.
Within just three weeks, families began harvesting fresh green vegetables to add to their meals. For the first time in a long while, children were eating nutritious greens alongside the low-nutrition cassava. Soon, more families joined in, planting spinach, kale, peas, and other vegetables around their homes.
Today, Bukaya Central is alive with gardens, transforming once-empty spaces into a steady source of nourishment and hope.
This transformation can happen in more villages. Through village sponsorship, you can bring FARM STEW training to new communities, equipping families with the skills, seeds, and knowledge to create thriving gardens and lasting change. Learn how to transform a village at www.farmstew.org/village
In Bangladesh, FARM STEW’s Virtual Learning Community (VLC) is making a meaningful difference among Bangla Help teachers and staff who serve vulnerable children and families in slums and brothels.
Seventy teachers from six Bangla Help Schools and partner projects are attending and learning practical skills in gardening, nutrition, family health, child safety, and human trafficking prevention.
“I am learning many things about how to produce good food and eat good food,” participant Sumick Mollah said.
Teachers report being inspired by lessons. They especially appreciate the combination of practical instruction with biblical values. Several teachers have already begun teaching their students what they have learned. Others emphasize teaching human trafficking prevention in their communities, as they now recognize how poverty increases vulnerability while biblical wisdom offers protection.
Through the VLC, you are equipping 900+ leaders with practical tools that bring lasting wisdom.
James was an alcoholic. Although he has six children, he was not truly a father to them. His small charcoal business paid only for things James wanted to buy.
In early 2025, FARM STEW training came to James’ village and he joined. The lessons on Temperance and Enterprise made a big impression on him. He saw how he was wasting his life and causing his family to suffer. He realized he was also wasting a lot of money.
With God’s help and the support of his FARM STEW friends, James chose to give up his old way of life. Rather than buying alcohol, he started saving his small income from his charcoal-making business.
Later, in Sanitation lessons, James learned about the importance of clean air for good health. He realized that in the process of making charcoal, he was constantly exposed to smoke that could lead to respiratory diseases. He realized that he didn’t want to die early, leaving his family behind.
He wondered what other work he could do. The answer was already there, thanks to the Farming lessons. There was a great demand for vegetables in his community, so James decided to plant a large garden near the river. He began saving his earnings with our new Village Savings and Loan Association.
This year, through his sales and savings from his garden, James has managed to buy a water pump that will help him irrigate and expand his garden enterprise.
James’ wife and children are happy with the peace that has come to their home, and they are grateful for the lessons FARM STEW has brought to their family.
Carina and Irma say that their grandmother used tree bark during menstruation—but that will not be the case for their daughters. Through FARM STEW’s training and 736 Days for Girls menstrual hygiene kits, women and girls in remote villages in Panama are gaining knowledge, dignity, and confidence.
In Alto Camarón and Chacara villages, 30 girls and 11 of their mothers received menstrual hygiene kits. Many women in these communities have never received guidance about puberty or menstruation. As a result, a girl’s first period often brings fear, confusion, and shame.
Carina remembers, “No one explained it to me. I was surprised by my period. I hadn’t talked to my daughters about it either. I felt too embarrassed to talk about it. Thank you for teaching us about this.”
Irma shared a similar experience: “My mother never explained it to me. I was ashamed to talk about it with my daughters, but now I am going to share [this information] with others.”
Marlene added, “When I was a girl, I had to use rags. Thanks to this project, now we can take care of ourselves.”
Thank you for sharing knowledge, dignity, and confidence!
Lorraine Hume’s belief in FARM STEW comes from her own experience. She was raised in Mexico by missionary parents, and later she spent years living and working alongside families in Zambia, in southern Africa. There, she learned that real change happens when you follow the simple method that Jesus used when He was here on earth: first, meet people where they are and build relationships, next share practical solutions, and then invite them to get to know Jesus.
That’s why FARM STEW immediately made sense to Lorraine when she heard about it. Though its approach may seem simple, she knows firsthand how effective it can be.
Today, Lorraine shares FARM STEW’s recipe with everyone she can, believing each person has a unique circle of influence. One person she connected with was a kind-hearted Catholic woman who regularly serves others by visiting nursing home residents.
After hearing about FARM STEW, this woman was impressed and wanted to give, regardless of what church FARM STEW was associated with. That conversation reinforced what Lorraine already knows: simply sharing a ministry’s story can inspire others to join in and make a big difference. We invite you to do it too!
People often ask me, “What is the secret behind FARM STEW’s impact?”
After seeing transformation in villages across 25 countries, I can tell you it is not a secret ingredient, a new technology, or even a large financial investment. The real secret is helping people discover that many of the solutions they need are already within their reach.
When families learn to grow food in small spaces, save seeds, improve sanitation, drink clean water, start simple enterprises, and support one another through savings groups, they begin to see themselves differently. They move from dependence to confidence, and from scarcity to stewardship.
Most importantly, they discover that God has given them abilities, resources, and purpose. As hope grows, practical change follows.
Your support makes this possible. You are not simply funding projects—you are helping families uncover God’s recipe for abundant life and equipping them to transform their own futures.
Thank you for being part of this life-changing work.
FARM STEW International is a not-for-profit, 501(c)3. Donations are 100% tax-deductible. We are 100% donor-based and do not accept or apply for any government funding. -FARM STEW equips families to exit extreme poverty and embrace abundant life.
