Across Sierra Leone, as in other countries in Africa, pastoring a church is not a paid position. So when called to this work, these men and women are often left having one or two other jobs to make ends meet. But Jonathan Titus Williams was not satisfied with this scenario. His heart is deeply driven by two things: to help pastors and church leaders learn God’s Word, and to help achieve the governments vision to boast a self-sustaining food program across Sierra Leone by 2030, reducing their reliance on importing food they can produce in-country.

So Jonathan devised a plan alongside government officials to train 50 families each year on sustainable swamp rice farming. Each family is given enough seeds and supplies to not only feed themselves for a year, but give back enough seed to begin teaching a new family the following year.

His target audience: rural pastors who can sustain themselves and their families. This offers these men and women the opportunity to learn God’s Word, teach God’s work and care well for their communities without having to find additional work.