Day 78 - Growing hope in a small city space

Last summer, we spent out holiday on Shetland. After a 12-hour ferry journey, one of the first things we did on arrival in Lerwick was to stock up on food. We headed to Tesco only to find the shelves were empty. An overnight power cut at the store had meant that all the refrigerated food had to be thrown away. Disaster! What were we, and everyone else, going to do? The answer was, of course, embarrassingly simple. We just went to the Coop and stocked up there instead.

We had money. We had choices. We had abundance. And we take it all for granted.

How different from the life of Fridah Moraa. A recently widowed grandmother, Fridah lives with her children and grandson in a rented corrugated metal shelter the crowded and noisy informal settlement of Dagoretti in Nairobi, Kenya. With no running water and extremely limited space, the pressure is constant. Fridah is now the sole provider for her family. Rent, school fees, water and food all depend on what she can earn.

To support her family, Fridah sells vegetables at a market stall, travelling long distances to buy produce. Without refrigeration or storage, everything depends on what she can sell that day.

“Sometimes I don’t know how I’ll buy food,” she says. “I don’t know how I’ll feed my family.”

But help has come for Fridah from an unlikely place. Despite living in such a crowded city, with space at a premium, she has joined an urban farming project run by Christian Aid’s partner, Beacon of Hope. At first, the idea felt impossible: “I was wondering,” she says, “where can someone farm here in Nairobi?” But through training, tools and seeds, Fridah began to see what was possible — even in the smallest spaces. “I discovered I could sow here. Right where I stand.”

Hidden at the end of a narrow alley, behind a simple gate, Fridah has created something remarkable. In a place where you’d never expect it, vegetables now grow in repurposed containers, and leafy greens climb every available space.

Here, in the heart of the city, Fridah is growing her own food. She now grows kale, tomatoes and indigenous vegetables — some to feed her family, and some to sell at her market stall. For the first time, she has a more reliable source of income. As she puts it, ‘Now I can plan. I can buy this; I can buy that. I can help my family.’

Her small urban farm is doing more than putting food on the table. It’s bringing stability and new possibilities. Watching her crops grow brings a deep sense of pride.

But through Beacon of Hope, Fridah has gained more than just practical skills. She’s gained confidence. Before, she struggled to speak to customers. Now, she's building relationships, growing her business and attracting more people to her stall. She is also part of a wider community of urban farmers, sharing knowledge and building together.

Despite the challenges she faces, Fridah’s faith remains strong. It gives her the strength to keep going each day, even when life feels uncertain. “It’s hard, but in God I trust, for the strength to keep going every day.”

Her urban farm is small, but it carries big hopes. Hopes for education, independence and a future beyond daily uncertainty.

Christian Aid has been working across the world, supporting countless local partners like Beacon of Hope, and many more people like Fridah, for over 80 years. In the Congregational Federation we have a rich and long history of working alongside Christian Aid, standing together in solidarity with our most marginalised global neighbours.

Next week is Christian Aid Week. What can we do this Christian Aid Week to stand in solidarity with people like Fridah, and to give, act and pray for a fairer World?

Christian Aid / Philip Clarke

Images: Christian Aid/David Macharia