Yandang was stuck. He's a farmer, but everything on his land had stopped growing. The soil was getting worse and the rain became increasingly erratic. But the glory of God never fails…
Yandang* lives in Chad with his wife, Nadji, and their seven children. He remembers a time when the rain was plentiful and the harvest was abundant. But years of bad farming practices made the soil less fertile, and several species of plants disappeared. Combined with the climate crisis, which brought changing weather patterns such as less frequent rain, things began getting worse.
‘Even I, personally, did not see the importance of the trees and other natural resources around me, but only the space to make a big farm mattered to me,' says Yandang.
Rooted in the word
His church was a Tearfund partner, and they began sharing a different story with him.
‘I saw the wonders of God through Bible studies and I realised that God is good and he gave me everything. He made the earth available for me to cultivate and protect the trees as it is said in his word,' shares Yandang.
Yandang was then invited to take part in training on composting and how to protect the environment. He was shown new farming techniques to help him achieve better results. ‘That's how I started planting trees all around my compound and at the same time protecting other species in my fields.'
Branching out
All of this had a remarkable impact on Yandang's life. Now everyone comes to him for advice – something he never saw coming. ‘I have never been consulted, considered or respected as someone important… When my trees became visible, some people came to me for advice, and this gives me joy.
Now Yandang produces seedlings for not only his plantation but others too. He's planted more than 30 trees of different varieties: Neem, Acara, Cacia, Mango, Guava, Cashew…. They are bearing fruit and he's looking forward to harvest time, when he can sell the fruit and invest the money to help his family.
PLEASE PRAY
Take a moment to reflect – like Yandang did – on the wonders of creation and how it impacts your life, and the lives of those around the world. If you are able to, you may want to go on a walk in your local park or sit in your garden to do this.
