Children s. Changing Views, Viewing Change. Suitability: Questions. Fictional story based on case study from Bwengu, Malawi

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1 Changing Views, Viewing Change Objectives: To challenge our perception of farmers and where our food comes from. To explore links between farming and hunger through questions which challenge our preconceptions. To make clear links between ourselves and the farmers; we have the same basic needs and rights, so it is right to empower the farmers so that they can live their lives with dignity. Suitability: Suitable for ages 5 to 12, but particularly relevant to the 5 to 9 age range. Could also be used as a classroom activity. Possible faith basis: Paul s teaching of the unity of God s Church (1 Corinthians 12:13). See the end of this document for more info. Ask the children to dress the outline provided as a farmer, by drawing it and colouring it in, based on what they imagine farmers to look like. Ask questions about their pictures to gently question their assumptions, such as Why is it a man/woman?, Why is the farmer wearing those clothes?, What is the farmer holding?, Where does the farmer live?, What does the farmer grow? etc. Show the completed views of farmers, and ask how similar or different they are! Explain why the farmer could look like this by reading out the story below. Ask the children to close their eyes as you tell the story, which is a fictional account based on an actual case study (this can be found in the What is The Salvation Army Doing? resource). Fictional story based on case study from Bwengu, Malawi It is early morning, and you are hiking along the bottom of the Great Rift Valley, following the vast Lake Nyasa on your right. The air is cool, and a gleam on the lake catches your eye: the sun has just risen above the horizon and its first, glorious rays are reflected in the water, spreading across the surface like fire. The sunlight gradually becomes brighter, and you notice the silver shimmer of a river coming down the valley side, but as you reach the river bank, you see that there is hardly any water flowing at all. As you come closer to the village, you begin to realise why: the sun is already heating the thirsty ground, even as it rises. There is a drought. You know that if rain had come, you would be able to smell the sweet tea bushes in the fields by now. You know that with the extreme weather, and even more pressure on the amount of land the farmers can use, there will be tension in Bwengu village. At last, you arrive at the village, but from the way the people come to welcome you, you wonder if there really is a drought at all they are so happy you have arrived! But before long, they begin to tell you all about the difficult times ahead; even with enough rain to water the fields, their harvest will not bring them enough money to survive comfortably. It is around midday, so you trudge, already exhausted by the heat, to a small patch of shade under a scraggy tree. The main problem for these farmers is that the space they have to grow their tea bushes is too small; less land equals less harvest, and here, a few extra plants squeezed on to the edge can make the difference when it comes to surviving the rest of the year. The farmers try desperately to plant as many crops on their land as possible, even if it is bad for the soil, because the next few months are more important to them than what might happen in a few years time. Between poor-quality soil and the scorching sun, the farmers here in Bwengu don t get much of a harvest. Many won t get the nutrition they need this year, and diseases will spread; their bodies just aren t strong enough to fight the sickness, let alone work in the fields. Even when they are free of disease, their tools are still broken, there still isn t enough land, the sun still beats down on them, and their families still need more food. Once the sun begins to set, you leave Bwengu, breathing in the cool air. You feel you know the farmers better now you understand a bit about their lives. If only more people could understand... Questions Ask the children if their farmer would look different now. What has changed? Why? Explore the reasons for the Malawi farmers being vulnerable to hunger. Some of us are Jews, and some are Greeks. Some of us are slaves, and some are free. But we were all baptised into one body through one Spirit. And we were all made to share in the one Spirit. 1 Corinthians 12:13 New Century Version 1 / 5

2 Faith-based extension This discussion activity will help the group to further reflect on the issues raised in the previous activity, but could also be used as a standalone discussion if required. Read 1 Corinthians 12:12-26 together. In this passage Paul was talking about the growing number of Christians who were forming the Church; Christ s body on earth. However, we can also use the same passage in the context of our relationship to small-scale farmers living in poverty, that although we live very different lives, we are all completely equal under God s love. If each part of the body were the same part, there would be no body. But truly God put all the parts, each one of them, in the body as he wanted them 1 Corinthians 12:18-19 New Century Version Despite this, we are mostly only consumers in the food system, and we can more or less have our pick of anything we want to eat from the local supermarket. Yet there are millions and millions of small farmers living in poverty, working day in day out on the land, who are not even able to produce enough food to provide for themselves and their family. Paul goes on to explain that everybody has different gifts that specialise them for different roles, and these gifts together make an effective Church. We can also see that clearly in the differences between us as consumers and the farmers that we rely on. They have an expert knowledge of their land and their crops, yet are the people who are often the least valued. We ourselves have little or no expertise of what it takes to grow food for us, yet we are fortunate enough that we have probably never gone truly hungry. Those parts of the body that seem to be the weaker are really necessary. And the parts of the body we think are less deserving are the parts to which we give the most honour. We give special respect to the parts we want to hide 1 Corinthians 12:22-23 New Century Version This passage gives us hope for our farmers, but is also a challenge. Paul is saying that it is not right to treat one part of the Church (or world) as less important, and for us this could mean that no part of the farmer/consumer relationship should be treated as less important. In fact, the part that is often oppressed and even neglected should be treated even more importantly than the rest. Discussion Use the following discussion questions to help unpack the thoughts above and help the group to think about how they can take action to support small farmers living in poverty. If God intended every part of the body to be as important as the other, why is there so much inequality in the world? Why are there certain people in society whose importance is so devalued? Are there so many people in poverty because there isn t enough food or money to go around? If not, then why are there so many people who don t have enough to eat? What can we do about it? If we re supposed to treat everyone the same, how should this affect the way we spend our money and what products we choose to buy? 2 / 5

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