MATTER

From Community Gardens to Community Livelihoods

At Jembwe Community Orchard, Chaya is putting down roots in more ways than one.

During a recent visit, MATTER’s Chaya team saw how a planting partnership with the Jafuta Foundation is growing into something the community is making its own. Members are now propagating Chaya and other trees for sale, creating opportunities to earn income while helping families access nutritious food.

The visit also revealed where continued support can help. Our team identified a need for more guidance on pruning and caring for Chaya, practical skills that will help these plants keep producing.

At the Jafuta Foundation Garden, the team harvested fresh Chaya for upcoming training sessions. What grows in one garden will help introduce others to Chaya’s possibilities.

Better nutrition. New income opportunities. Knowledge to share. These gardens show what can happen when communities take an idea and help it grow!

#MATTERnation #Chaya #Zimbabwe @JafutaFDTN

A school garden. A career in technology. A team giving back. A business meeting a local need.

Different stories. One shared belief: Your ideas and actions can change the world.

Our October MATTER Moments brings that belief to life:

🌱 In Zimbabwe, 319 Chaya Champions learned to grow and prepare Chaya through training at schools and a vocational center that together serve 3,345 students.

💻 MCRI graduate Sheryl Nyathi shares her journey from student to intern to full-time software engineer with Tradition Capital Bank, working remotely from Zimbabwe.

📦 Teams from Bell Bank, Best Buy, Mankato Clinic, and other companies packed MATTERbox Snack Packs and Hope Kits to support their communities.

🐣 Basa Fund recipient Ruth is building a poultry business in Victoria Falls, bringing healthier, more affordable chicks closer to local farmers.

See the stories. Meet the people. Find your inspiration to act.

Read October MATTER Moments 👉 matter.ngo/matter-moments…

#YouMatter #MATTERnation #CommunityImpact

Today is World Food Day 🌍 and a historic El Niño is coming for Africa's harvests.

UNICEF warns that more than 162 million children, over two-thirds of all children in Eastern and Southern Africa, live in areas exposed to El Niño's impact. Less rain in these areas means failed crops, and failed crops mean empty plates.

That's where Chaya comes in 🌿 This leafy green thrives where other crops fail. It's drought-resistant, easy to grow, grows back after harvest, and is packed with protein, iron, and vitamins.

We plant Chaya where kids are: at their schools 🏫 Orchards on school grounds mean nutritious school meals, plus lessons on healthy eating.

It started in Zimbabwe 🇿🇼, and it's already growing:
🌳 99 food gardens planted
🍽 25,839 meals served
📚 25,905 students & farmers trained

And we're just getting started.
💚 $10 gives a student lasting nutrition
💚 $3,000 plants an orchard that feeds a whole school, year after year

This World Food Day, help us plant the next one.
Donate here 👉 matter.ngo/project/the-ch…

Sources: UNICEF USA, El Niño press release (Sept 2026); NOAA Climate Prediction Center, ENSO Diagnostic Discussion (2026).

#WorldFoodDay #Chaya #Zimbabwe

What does impact look like?

Sometimes it’s an entrepreneur getting the capital to grow a business and create jobs.

Sometimes it’s 74 coworkers packing 2,000 Snack Packs for their community.

Sometimes it’s a student planting Chaya and becoming a champion for better nutrition.

And sometimes it’s a young woman discovering a path into a career in technology.

These are just a few of the stories in the August edition of MATTER Moments.

From the Basa Fund and MATTERbox to Chaya and MATTER Education, each story reflects the same belief: when people are given opportunity, resources and someone who believes in them, possibility grows.

Read the newest MATTER Moments and see what’s happening across MATTER 👉 matter.ngo/matter-moments…

#youmatter #MATTERmoments

The wait is over — our 2027 Zimbabwe Insight Trip dates are here! 🇿🇼

Thank you to everyone who tuned in to our livestream this morning! Here's where you can find us in 2027:

February 27 – March 7, 2027
Insight Trip exploring all aspects of MATTER's work

May 20 – 31, 2027
Chaya Insight Trip with our Chaya Champion, Sandi Young

May 25 – June 5, 2027
Chaya Insight Trip with our Chaya Champion, Sandi Young

August 13 – 22, 2027
Insight Trip exploring all aspects of MATTER's work

From Victoria Falls to sunset safaris to meeting the people building a better future for their communities, this is a trip that will change the way you see the world.

Spots are limited. Reach out to learn more and reserve your seat. 🌍

#Zimbabwe #youmatter