Farm and Feed

The seeds of a brighter future.

If there is any sort of silver lining of the aftermath of a volcanic eruption, it’s what happens to the ground. The phrase ‘rich volcanic soil’ is overused to the point of cliché, but in Goma, it is entirely true. In Goma, seeds tossed onto the ground sprout trees, plants pop out of every corner, and some of the world’s freshest, sweetest, and most nutritious fruits and vegetables are available at the market.

Using a plot of empty land on the outskirts of Goma, and an old workshop space at the center, in 2014 CAMME created the Farm and Feed Project, an agricultural training course for youth to learn proper farming and livestock management. Beginning with 3 chickens, today the project has 6 pigs, 25 chickens, 10 rabbits, and large fields of amaranth, sweet potato, cauliflower, and tomatoes. Every day, young adults work the fields and feed the animals under the mentorship of local farmers and CAMME staff, learning how to properly manage a crop and a herd also keeping up with cleaning, valuable skills for their future. Fully integrated with other CAMME programming, every month, families in the Orphan Services program are allocated a portion of the eggs, vegetables, and other products.

Much more can be done, however. With your support, CAMME can expand the program far beyond its current scale, buying cows, sheep, and more chickens, using more land for the crops, and most importantly, training more children to provide for their future in a healthy and sustainable way.