Pastors Connect Zimbabwe
Pastors Connect involves 70 pastors in Bulawayo, Masvingo and Irisvale in Zimbabwe. It aims to bring together likeminded pastors from different churches for fellowship, spiritual support and economic empowerment. COVID-19 made churches and pastors even more economically vulnerable and Pastors Connect is building economic safety nets for pastors. It also provides spiritual support for them and their families. Leadership conferences and gender-based violence awareness workshops are equipping pastors to address emerging challenges in their churches and communities. The project is led by Pastor Mkhululi Sihlola, who also leads Family Life Projects Trust.
Part of the economic empowerment is through farming projects and E3 funded a second-hand refurbished tractor in 2023 to facilitate this and expand the agricultural activities of two other E3 partners – Family Life Projects Trust and Scripture Union. Thanks to the tractor, 600 families will be able to plant more corn and vegetables, which will give them a sustainable source of food and income. That will mean food security for these communities.
E3 grant: £4,000
The gift of a tractor…
The agricultural projects are already helping people earn a living and put food on the table, but cultivating the land is hard work and takes many hours for each person. Most were hoeing the land using old tools, which is labour intensive and limits how much land they can cultivate and reduces the time available for ministry, family life and other tasks. A tractor:
Increases the amount of land being used.
Speeds up the preparation of the land.
Reduces the cost of production thereby increasing household incomes through the sale of surplus produce.
Helps households who could not afford to hire a tractor before to make use of their land.
Enables Scripture Union to feed more children living on the streets and reduces the cost of feeding the children living at the safe house.