She learned that her voice mattered
In Tanzania, women don’t often have decision making power. But through training at the local church, Verien now playsa pivotol role in the family.
Each evening in Mkoyo Makulu, as the bright Tanzanian sun dipped below barren, thirsty fields of maize, Verian and her husband Mussa would quietly wonder what they could do next.
The land was dry. With three children at home to feed, finding the next meal was always a concern. Their harvests weren’t cutting it anymore. Each day, Mussa worked while Verian watched the children. They had exhausted all outlets they could think of. What more could they do?
In Tanzania—especially rural areas—women have very little decision making power. When it comes to healthcare, visitors, or even major purchases, the husband is often the one to have the final say. These social norms, passed down through generations, have left many women without agency, voice, or dignity.
Mussa and Verian didn’t think that anything else was possible, until their local church brought a different perspective.
Seeing the couple’s weariness, the church invited them to join Village Savings and Loans Associations (VSLAs) so that they could save money, be able to take out loans, and join a trusting community. Having tried all other options, they both readily accepted. They each joined a different group: Mussa, one called “Move forward,” and Verian, one titled “Cooperative.” Little did they know how significant those names would become in their lives.
Mussa and Verian also attended sessions hosted by the local church on gender and Biblical equality. It was there that they first heard that marriage could be a partnership built on mutual respect and joint decisions, and that it didn’t have to be only one person with the final say. This radically simple concept completely shifted their relationship as well as their whole family dynamic.
From there, they began to do everything together.
The two of them began implementing conservation agriculture (CA) techniques to their farm, preparing the soil in new ways. In Tanzania, when drought hits, many farms yield almost nothing—yet with conservation agriculture, Mussa and Verian harvested more during the drought than they normally do even with rain! Encouraged by the results of these new farming techniques, they have expanded their CA farm more and more each year.
Through their VSLAs, they also learned about Kitchen Gardens—small, space-efficient plots near the home used to grow vegetables and herbs for family use. Together, they built a beautiful, multi-tiered garden that even caught the eye of their neighbours—some of whom took up these kitchen gardens themselves! Mussa and Verian’s children are even able to help water the plants, so they can all take part as a family.
And then came the fuel-saving stove. Verian had long endured thick smoke from the traditional cooking method, which made her chest tighten and her eyes burn. But through the local church’s training, she and Mussa built a new stove that changed everything. “It saved time, used less firewood, and reduced the challenges of smoke that mainly affects the chest and eyes,” she explained. “Also, nowadays my husband can cook food because it’s free from smoke compared to the traditional stove!”
And he does. Mussa, who once expected to come home to whatever humble dish his wife had made from their small share of crops, now takes turns and cooks for the family himself.
Their lives now exemplify the unity that God longs for. Together, they work the farm. Together, they cook their meals. And together, they make decisions. They even include the ideas of their young children, so that they will grow up to learn that families work together.
This is the picture that the Bible gives us of the body of Christ—one of working together, each using its gifts, abilities, and purposes.
At the end of this year, Mussa and Verian have decided to use their next VSLA shareout of their savings to buy more farmland and to begin the construction of a new house. But their biggest success is not measured in their land or their livestock. It’s the new dynamic of working together, caring for one another, and loving each other.
Tearfund works to bring long-term solutions to not only physical needs, but mental and spiritual needs, too. Thank you for helping families like Mussa and Verian’s to come together and live out the love of Christ!