A few years ago, Claude and his family fled from the civil war and gang violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo and resettled in Tanzania. They had to lay new roots and restart their lives from scratch. In 2022, Claude was invited by Church World Service, the outreach arm of the World Council of Churches, to join a sustainable gardening program that provides refugees with the skills needed to grow their own food while simultaneously teaching invaluable lessons including leadership, gender equality, and environmental protection.
Thanks to his previous experience planting trees, Claude excelled in the program and was soon invited to become the leader and supervisor of one of the nurseries. Since joining the program Claude alone has planted over 1,000 trees. He told us, “This is my hobby and my passion. To feel peace, I have to plant trees. Without this, I have no peace. Planting trees in this program brings me joy.”
Local CROP Hunger Walks provide crucial funding for these efforts. The Monroe CROP Hunger Walk will be held on Sunday, October 27 at 2 p.m., beginning at Monroe United Methodist Church on Maple Avenue; 25% of funds raised will go to local food pantries and the rest to hunger fighting and disaster relief efforts in places like Congo and Tanzania.
If you would like to register to participate in the Walk or to volunteer, please email Fred Schuepfer at fredsc@juno.com.
Fred Schuepfer
Monroe