Zimbabwe may be a long distance from Prince Edward Island, but the dedication shown by overseas partners as they work to improve the lives of families in their communities is “a sentiment that resonates well” with members of Zion Presbyterian Church in Charlottetown.
Those are the words shared by Zion Church convenor Ron MacMillan, whose church hosted a People to People (P2P) event in November. From November 18-24, speaking events were held at churches in Ottawa, Charlottetown, Moncton, and Halifax.
Two speakers from Towards Sustainable Use of Resources Organization (TSURO) Trust, partner of Alongside Hope (previously Primate’s World Relief and Development Fund), travelled to Canada to speak about the work being done to address land degradation and food security through the Nature+ program in Zimbabwe.
The sincerity of Nature+ project manager Roseline Mukonoweshuro and agroecology lead Farai Gumsai as they spoke was incredibly encouraging, says Ron. “The presentation brought home to our congregation both the needs that exist in the world, and the value of supporting Canadian Foodgrains Bank in addressing those needs.”
Foodgrains Bank supporter and Alongside Hope New Brunswick representative Deborah Edwards had the opportunity to attend the event in Moncton, NB, and says she was delighted to learn more about the work of TSURO Trust.
“A term that stuck with me was ‘agroecology’ – working with the land, nature and each other to produce food,” says Deborah. “Roseline said it best: ‘Grow your own food, eat your own food.’ Both Roseline and Farai seemed genuinely happy to be able to work together to feed their families and communities.”
Farai Gumsai (left) and Roseline Mukonoweshuro (centre) visited a field of grain corn at the Masstown growing project in Nova Scotia, joined by Foodgrains Bank Nova Scotia volunteer ambassador Ian MacHattie. (Photo: Wendy Anderson)
P2P events are one of the ways Foodgrains Bank works to engage Canadians to raise awareness and promote action on hunger and food security issues around the world, and amplify the voices of international speakers who are implementing the programs we support.
For Roseline, it was an important opportunity to share about the causes of hunger, and how they’re working through Nature+ to end hunger in Zimbabwe.
“Meeting with Canadian supporters was an incredible experience that left me feeling inspired, grateful, and humbled… the sense of community, the commitment and the dedication of the supporters renewed the sense of purpose and left me more energised to serve.”
This story was originally published in the 2025 spring edition of Breaking Bread.
