Empowering Dreams, Building Futures

April 22,2026

Dear Friends;

“Knowledge is like a garden,

if you don't cultivate it you cannot harvest it.”

This African proverb emphasizes that gardening and learning require consistent labor. It is the season to prepare land for planting and the beginning of a new semester. Now is the time to support community efforts to feed both the mind and body of all members of the Shitungu community. 

The people of Shitungu are successfully addressing the ongoing challenges of a short planting season and increased food prices at the market. Their persistence is paying off by forging new, important partnerships with the One Acre Fund and Bukura Agricultural College. In addition to sharing expert information soon organic gardening, the One Acre Fund has provided seeds for planting vegetables, fertilizer and chickens to expand a poultry project. Each community member was also gifted 50 grevillea tree seedlings. Grevillea trees are fast-growing, evergreen trees known for their unique, nectar-rich flowers. The flowers, shaped like toothbrushes or spiders and attractive foliage. They thrive in full sun, can grow to 130 feet, require well-draining soil, and are drought-tolerant once established. 

Seventeen villagers took a field trip to nearby Bukura College and learned a great deal about environmentally respectful ways to improve their gardening techniques and use fuel efficient stoves.

 Introducing Patrick Chandi

Patrick is married and the father of one child. His choiceto live in the village of Shitungu is to avoid the commotion of a large town and enjoy being closer to nature. He enjoys small scale farming and the opportunity to raise some of his own food and a few animals. HIs commitment to clean water and maintaining a healthy environment is reinforced by participating in the community driven environmental projects. 

Patrick works in the soap factory and in the Shitungu quarry. This hard worker is always seeking self-improvement opportunities. He has expressed gratitude to KVEO for providing food security, encouraging entrepreneurship and supporting projects that bring all villagers closer toward self sustainability. 

His hope for the future is to have a hospital in the village. The KVEO supplied first aid corner along with a strong attendance to the volunteer first aid training has improved the villager’s response to various accidents and illnesses. However significant, these improvements are not enough.

Do Good: We thank you for your support of KVEO and making sure that the villagers of Shitungu continue on the path toward self sufficiency. Donate KVEO.org 

Thank you !

Joyce

How You Can Help

• Visit Our Website – Learn more about KVEO’s mission at shitungurises.org
• Share the Link – Spread the word through social media (Facebook, Instagram, and Bluesky.
• Donate – Every contribution makes a difference. Please consider contributing to help meet Shitungu’s immediate needs for food, education and work.

Together, we can uplift Shitungu and create lasting change. Thank you for your

support!

With gratitude,

Joyce

Joyce Lisbin, Ed.D.

The Board of Directors and the people of Shitungu

ShitunguRises.org