The University Teaching Hospital of Butare (CHUB) gifted us 5.24 hectares (13 acres) of land to grow organic food for our beneficiaries. We used organic agriculture methods to transform the land into a productive chemical-free farm. Our farm produces over 40 varieties of crops—largely within the fruit, vegetable, and starch families—in order to provide our beneficiaries with a balanced diet. Recently, we have started implementing bio-intensive methods to increase yield and move toward feeding more and more patients.

Methods of organic agriculture, and bio-intensive farming, are gaining prominence in Rwanda. Over 80 percent of the population work as farmers. Most face the following challenges: maintaining healthy soil (our soil is very clay-heavy), accessing water during the dry season, and producing enough food, as family farms divide and shrink with each generation. Farmers rely heavily on predictable rainfall patterns, but the wet and dry seasons have become erratic due to climate change and leave families vulnerable to poverty and malnutrition.

After experiencing these challenges ourselves and observing them in our communities, we dedicated a piece of the farm to sustainable agriculture trainings. We hope to combat malnutrition and boost farmers’ resilience to changes in climate and land access by teaching organic, bio-intensive farming methods.

If you are interested in volunteering on our farm through WWOOF, visit our page: https://wwoofindependents.org/user/430371