150k Smallholder Farmers Across 3 Countries & 5 Hubs…
Pictured: A young Zambian student poses during work at Hamara-Heartlands’ Ebenezer Matabo School.
We’re excited to attend the Up Forum in southern Africa this year!
The event is an opportunity to go deeper in our partnership with Hamara Heartlands and connect with like-minded organizations building the Kingdom in Africa through agriculture efforts.
The forum connects investors and projects to support the development of the food value chain in countries across Africa. This work enables Christians the opportunity to earn a living to support their family and invest in their local church.
Here’s a quick interview with Joel Cunningham, COO of Hamara Heartlands, to hear more about the forum and its impact in Africa:
1. Why was the Up Forum founded?
The first forum started in 2022 when various leaders connected around the shared idea that Africa is at a crossroads that will shape the future of the world. These leaders recognized the Church needed a cohesive strategy that could influence this trajectory to make sure Jesus is at the center of that change.
Pictured: The Sonrise Farm in southern Zambia, used to train up-and-coming local farmers.
2. How has the event changed and grown over the years?
The early forums centered around sharing information and understanding what various things were happening around Africa. Over time, it has grown in connecting to more initiatives and people. The focus has also shifted to being action-oriented and engagement-centered rather than a “talk shop” styled forum.
Pictured: Freshly inoculated chickens ready for pickup by local Zambian farmers.
3. What kind of fruit/impact have you seen come from this event?
We’ve seen growing impact over the years through various sectors of societal initiatives engaging together in common areas across common goals. This has led to a stronger cohesive strategy igniting a true, holistic change in communities. It has also expanded to more countries. It started with Zimbabwe and we are now engaged in Zambia, Eswatini, Malawi, Mozambique and this coming forum will include delegates from another 8 nations wanting to engage with the movement.
In real numbers we are working with 150,000 smallholder farmers across three countries and five hubs today, with each of these building into church, education and other sectors through various initiatives.
4. What are your hopes for this year’s event? How can our community pray?
We have nearly doubled the number of delegates and countries being represented in this year’s event and are wanting to see God move to connect area-based leaders with new initiatives where we see gaps in the ecosystem.
Alongside this we are implementing strategies for 2 countries and pray the impact of God’s kingdom through these strategies will be powerful.
Our team is packing their bags and pumped to see more of the work you’re making possible in Zambia, Zimbabwe, and across southern/Eastern Africa. Stick around to get more updates on the work, and you can see previous stories about this partnership by clicking below!