Several years ago Jacob & Joyce Kimaro were poor small farmers trying to make ends meet on the foothills of Tanzania’s Mount Kilimanjaro. Things became even more difficult when Mr. Kimaro’s brother and sister-in-law passed away and they had to take in seven extra children.
It was then that the Kimaros joined VICOBA, the Village Community Bank organized by Plant With Purpose. There the family received training in sustainable agriculture practices, organic farming, and earning income while preserving the environment. VICOBA members are also able to save money jointly and access credit each week. Today the Kimaros not only have their bills paid on time but are eating healthy and balanced diets while preserving their natural surroundings.
Plant With Purpose is a Christian, environmental non-profit organization that transforms lives in rural areas worldwide where poverty is caused by deforestation. Focusing on holistic solutions to poverty, Plant With Purpose has been restoring the lives of the rural poor for over 25 years by planting trees, creating economic opportunity through micro-credit and micro-enterprise, implementing sustainable agriculture programs, and encouraging spiritual renewal.