At Sunshine, we are deeply blessed to witness, time and again, the powerful transformation that takes place in people’s lives through our projects. Unlike many acts of service where the impact remains unseen, here we often get a front-row seat to the change. One of the most impactful initiatives was not part of our original vision at all. It was born entirely from the community itself. The idea didn’t come from us; it came from the people we serve. And in that, we were reminded that some of the most meaningful breakthroughs happen when we listen and follow their lead.
The participating families in our Sunshine Villages Project in Muchenguentava planted their first cashew saplings three years ago. It takes a sapling three to five years to begin producing cashews for harvesting. Once this harvest begins, the families will be able to increase their annual income by a multiple of 100 (9,900%)! But when your family has no employment (or even the most remote chance of a job), no money, no food, and nothing to sustain their daily lives, three to five years can seem like an eternity. To help sustain our families through these initial years, we provided seeds for planting. The funding for these seeds came through our generous donors and supporters. This was all part of our plan.
A community garden was never part of our original plan. But it was part of theirs. Members of the village approached us with a vision to clear a section of land near one of the water wells we had installed on the community cashew farm and begin a shared garden. They asked for nothing more than a chance to work the land together. Knowing that nothing can grow under the hot African sun without consistent access to water, we didn’t hesitate to give them permission. With hope in their hands and water at their feet, the garden was born.
A few months after the seed planting took place, we had the pleasure to visit this garden. As my husband and I drove through the dry, brown, barren, dusty land, we came upon a green oasis. There were dozens of people of all ages- men, women, children, elderly. All were working together to water, weed, and tend the beautiful garden they had created. This was not a garden where each family had their own plot that they worked individually and harvested produce from. This was a true communal effort. Everyone worked together. Those who worked then shared in the benefit of their efforts. Don and I stepped out of the car to fully take in this amazing scene through our tear-filled eyes.
We witnessed joy. We heard singing and laughter. We saw healthy, well-fed children running between the rows and rows of produce. We saw people of all ages working alongside each other to provide life for them and their families. This work is a multi-generational effort.
Our staff is right there beside them. Victor and Chambule offer hands-on support, sharing agricultural knowledge, and guiding each step of the process to ensure that every seed planted has the best chance to thrive. By working together, we’re helping them turn effort into abundance and transform hard work into lasting harvests.
We were called over to join a group of people that had formed, standing with the precious, life-giving water well behind them. They shared their gratitude through song and presented us with arms full of lettuce and kovi, harvested just that morning. Our eyes again filled with tears. May I tell you that there is no more humbling of an experience in this world than to be gifted with food by people who have no food! It is at times like this that I am thankful for my husband’s gift of speaking. I would have sobbed my way through any attempt to thank these people for their offering to us.
This was July 2024. Fast forward to April 2025. We had a visitor from the US. We took him to see our Village Project in Muchenguentava. After spending time at the mini factory, we headed out to the community cashew farm. We first showed him the growing cashew trees, saving the community garden for the grand finale of the tour. We drove to its location, stopped the car, and sat in stunned, silent disbelief.
The garden was gone, taken over by the bush. It was as dry, brown, barren, and dusty as the bush that surrounded it. We were devastated. We were dumbfounded. We were speechless. We were embarrassed.
We returned to the mini factory to ask our staff what had happened. That’s when we learned the truth. Keeping a garden alive through the peak summer months simply isn’t possible. The relentless African sun scorches the soil, making it impossible for anything to grow. Ahhh... suddenly it all made sense. And yet, the explanation brought us no peace because it meant that for majority of months each year, our families would have to go without fresh vegetables, a vital staple in the Mozambican diet.
There is a very simple solution that will provide for them…a shade cloth supported by wooden poles. Simple, but as with all things, it comes at a cost. $3,000 USD.
If you are reading this now, you probably ate three meals yesterday, plus snacks. You will eat three meals today, plus snacks. You have no concern at all about providing food for your family. Yet 8,000 miles across the ocean, our families do not have this luxury. They go for days, weeks, months at a time without food to sustain them. And all it takes is a simple green shade cloth and some wooden poles. The resilence of the Mozambican people never ceases to astound me. How soft we are. How privileged we are. And we don’t even realize it! Yet we were determined to help… so we committed to seeking out a donor for this need.
In the meantime, the late summer planting season arrived for 2025. Once again, with the help of our supporters, we were able to raise the money to provide each of our 120 families with seeds. They were purchased and distributed by our staff. The people got to work, again clearing the land that had been taken over by the bush and planting a new batch of seeds.
Their work has paid off in what is now a life-giving, green garden flourishing in the middle of the dry, parched land around it. Not only do the families now have enough food to nourish themselves, but they’ve also grown a surplus, allowing them to sell produce and generate income. They have gotten more efficient and productive in their skills.
During our visit last week, the people again blessed us with enough lettuce and kovi to feed our family for days and days...What an honor and privilege it is!
While everyone gathered off to the side to listen to Papa Don speak, I noticed this little one sitting quietly among the garden plots, completely absorbed in playing with a small cashew tree. I couldn’t resist slipping away to capture the moment. It felt like a glimpse into his future. He has no idea yet, but the very tree he’s playing with today will one day help provide income for him and his family. It is a simple, powerful picture of hope taking root.
Sooooo much good happens in this garden. We wanted to see this life-giving effort continue throughout the entire year, not just the months of May through September.
Here is the good news in all of this…Just as the planting and harvesting season for this year is drawing to a close, we were incredibly blessed to receive a donation from the Living Water Church in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Their generous gift will provide the materials needed to build a shade cloth over the garden! We just received word of the donation and will soon travel to Muchenguentava to share the news with the community. What a celebration that will be! We can already imagine the joy as the people receive this gift of hope and possibility.
This is the Sunshine Approach… a long-term, holistic model that restores dignity, creates opportunity, and brings lasting hope to individuals, families, and communities.
This garden began with nothing more than a dream. A dream born in the hearts of the people themselves. What has grown from that dream is a living testimony to perseverance, community, and partnership. We’ve watched dry, brown soil turn green, hunger turn to harvest, and despair turn into hope. And now, thanks to the incredible generosity of Living Water Church, this transformation won’t be limited to just a few months of the year. With the shade cloth in place, the garden will continue to thrive year-round, feeding families, generating income, and empowering a new generation.
If you’ve felt moved by this story, we invite you to become part of it. There is always more ground to cover, more seeds to plant, and more families to serve. Together, we can ensure that hope continues to grow season after season, life by life.
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