Becoming Farmers Through MOHI

Hailing from the humble village in Molo, Joginder and his wife, Roselyne, found themselves caught in a daily struggle to make ends meet, living one day at a time. Each morning, Joginder, a farmer, would rise early to search for manual labor before tending to his farm. Meanwhile, Roselyne set out in the wee hours of the morning in search of casual work. This daily routine was so they could provide for their 7-year-old son, Wyne.

Wyne, like many other children, longed to attend school but his parents were never able to afford the requirements to join. Little did they know that their connection withMission of Hope International (MOHI) would mark the beginning of their transformation journey. They first learned about MOHI through a MOHI social worker dedicated to improving the lives of needy families in their community. The social worker, after hearing their story, advised them to enroll Wyne into our Molo Coram Deo Center.

“At first, we thought it would be expensive for us to admit our son to the school, but to our surprise, MOHI does things differently from other schools,” Roselyne says. She spoke of how it was less stressful for them to come up with such an affordable amount of money for commitment fees; MOHI not only provided school uniforms and books for Wyne but also two meals a day. 

Roselyne believes that their son is now in the best environment to get an education. She adds, “Whenever my child gets home, he shares with us what he was taught during the day, he reads books for us, he is knowledgeable. Whenever he gets sick, MOHI provides medication for him, and whenever my child has a problem, his teachers reach out to us to find out how things are at home. My son’s future is bright.” Spiritually, Roselyne says their social worker often visits along with a pastor where they share the word of God.

While attending a meeting at the school, Joginder met Julius, a staff member at Molo Coram Deo Center, who later introduced him to microfinancing. Recognizing the opportunity, Joginder decided to consult his wife. “We were told how microfinancing works, so we thought we should start by saving some money until we qualified for a loan,” Joginder explains.

After six months of saving they qualified to secure a loan. Joginder and Roselyne had already made up their minds on what they wanted to do. “We decided to buy a dairy cow that would produce milk and manure,” Roselyne said. She had always longed to venture into farming. The dairy cow they acquired provided manure for her crops, which came in handy for her vegetable planting. She was now able to sell vegetables from her garden alongside the milk that the cow would produce.

Joginder no longer goes out seeking casual labor. He has become a full time farmer, taking good care of their dairy cow, ensuring that it is adequately fed to produce milk. They sell the milk, and use the earnings for school fees and other family expenses.

“My life has generally changed since I met MOHI. Other parents in the community want to bring their children to MOHI or have access to knowledge on how they can change their lives through MOHI, like us,” Joginder shares. He speaks of how they have become financially disciplined, urging other loan recipients to use the money wisely because it is meant to help them improve their standard of living.

Today, Joginder, Roselyne and their son revel in the rewards of owning their own business. “Now we thank MOHI for giving us the opportunity to own our own business. We don’t need to look for casual labor anymore. Owning our own cow was beyond our wildest dreams. We are our own bosses,” Roselyne proudly exclaims.

Joginder and Roselyne's journey, started with their son's education at MOHI. But more came along that has transformed their lives. They have transformed from struggling to make ends meet to successful, small-scale farmers and business owners, all thanks to the opportunities, support, and education provided by MOHI. Their story has become an inspiration to others in their community, showing that with determination and the right support, positive change is possible.