Baraza La Afrika: Congolese Families’ Community Garden in Moorhead, MN. From Consumer to Producer, from “underserved “to serving.

Baraza La Afrika is a “gathering place for cultural learning. " We are growing together, combining the best of regenerative agriculture with traditional wisdom and strengthening in Moorhead, Minnesota.

In July of this year, Baraza La Afrika (BLA) received funding from the West Central Initiative (WCI) to support the launch of the Congolese Community Garden in Moorhead. BLA aims to connect families from DR Congo and others to find mental health resources, supports youth in maintaining their cultural identity, and helps adults and youth be responsible stewards of the environment. The community garden achieves all three goals because gardening is good for mental health, aligns with our cultural identity, and gives people hands-on experiences as stewards of the earth.

What does the West Central Initiative do?

“West Central Initiative (WCI) is a regional community foundation and an economic development organization serving the nine west central Minnesota counties of Becker, Clay, Douglas, Grant, Otter Tail, Pope, Stevens, Traverse, and Wilkin and a portion of White Earth Nation. Through philanthropy and planning, WCI fuels insight and action for the benefit of our region and our world. Since 1986, WCI has provided more than $57 million in loans and $72 million in grants to businesses and organizations. Learn more at wcif.org.”

Baraza La Afrika is grateful for this funding that allowed us to grow organic produce from our homeland that is typically not available in local grocery stores.  Our end goal is to create a model of family stability that centers not only on consuming but also on producing. The vision will help us build a new local food web in which we are no longer “underserved.” 

Prepared by Cleophace Mukeba