Many of you will remember that ACDI Lusekele, the Baptist agricultural extension program working in the central Kwilu River region, launched an experimental credit program helping farm families to buy pre-germinated seed of high-yielding oil palms.Cooperating farmers' associations with 250 member families received over 9,000 seeds at the end of September and established nurseries.The goal is to have about 65 hectares of palm oil plantation established by the end of the year.

Four months into the project, the farmers' associations are still enthusiastic about their prospects despite the hard work.I just returned from visiting the farmers' group at Milundu about 20 kilometers south of Lusekele, spending a good half-day working with Philippe Kikobo and Philo Bidimbu, Lusekele's two main extension specialists, and the nine members of the Milundu Association of Luniungu Fishfarmers, one of two associations that received palm seeds.

The task of the day: carry 250 sacked palm seedlings 50 yards from the nursery to the intermediate staging area.The pre-germinated seeds have developed into five-leaf young seedlings and they need more space than the densely packed nursery allows.Philippe and Philo spent the morning showing the association members how to layout the staging area and set out the seedling sacks.

Even at 9 in the morning the tropical sun is a killer.Each sack weighs 35 to 40 pounds.After ten round trips between nursery and staging field, my shirt was soaked with sweat and my office-classroom-adapted-body was wondering if it wasn't time to go home yet.Only another 200 sacks to go – 25 more sacks for each working member of the association.Rhythmic singing set the pace, and in less than 2 hours Philo was helping the group line up the last row of seedlings.

While the seed company had told us to expect a little less than 3% loss, they didn't tell us that about 2% of the seeds have more than one embryo.That means a number of double and triple seedlings – God's bonus to association farmers.The group learned the specifics of separating the seedlings and transplanting them in new sacks.

The Luniungu Fish-farmers of Milundu village plan to establish about 4 acres of oil palms in September when the rains start and the seedlings are about a year old.Their initiative is beginning to draw attention.A young man from the village spent the entire morning working alongside the association members – to learn about the nursery and to see how he might join the association himself.Everywhere Philippe and Philo go, people ask how they can get their own seedlings.

The good news is that USAID/Raise has promised Lusekele another seed grant that will finance expansion of the program next September.Over 600 new farmers will benefit from the additional credit.Where Lusekele has been faithful in a relatively modest initial experiment, they have been able to gain the respect of people willing to furnish the investment capital to launch farmers in the palm oil business. We're hoping that the 2003-2004 campaign will open the door for a third phase that will add another 1000 farm families to the program.

Finally in January ACDI Lusekele began to sound out cooperating farmers about the possibilities of setting up an oil producers' cooperative.The initial response has been enthusiastic.In April, cooperating farmers will meet for a couple of days at Lusekele to share ideas about what the cooperative should aim to do and how it should be organized.It holds out the promise of helping farmers to get more for their palm oil, develop new markets and products, and mobilize the investment capital for both establishing plantations and improving their processing techniques.

Two years ago concerned Christians here were wondering how they could begin to fight malnutrition and the poverty that causes it, offering their willing hands and praying that God would provide the other necessary means.One Great Hour of Sharing helped to launch a very modest program at the Lusekele agricultural development center – a crash program in revitalization.This gave new heart and enthusiasm to believers working with farmers.As a result, as international players have seen what the church here is doing, they have offered to help on a scale that the church could never support by itself.This is certainly God's blessing, God's multiplication of resources faithfully offered to Him.

From the fish-farmers of Milundu, all the other farmers who are cooperating in the high-yielding oil palm project, and staff at Lusekele – we thank God for all of you who have prayed for us, who may even have given something to the project or to the One Great Hour of Sharing.Our vision is still in the seedling stage.We covet your continued intercession with our God.But how can we do anything but trust Him who daily meets our most basic needs and even nourishes some of our wildest dreams?

Ed Noyes
Democratic Republic of Congo