Agricultural Programs
Sustainable Farming Projects
Mission- We empower women for life, one woman at a time.
Vision- We envision a world where the warrior inside us all rises in agreement with our Christ-Given identity so that chains are broken, and freedom is found to live out the abundant life God intends for us to live.
Creative Warriors Empower Women for Life by educating, mentoring and discipling women so they have an opportunity for spiritual, emotional, and financial freedom. Since 2015, we have provided a variety of trade programs, a sewing school, business & health training, and over 400 no-fee, no-interests micro loans. We walk with women, side by side to help them, help themselves, and the community around them. We believe that as you raise up a woman, you not only raise up her family and community but you also have the opportunity to change the culture. A culture that views women as insignificant. In support of our mission, we are creating powerful and sustainable agricultural farms where our efforts are concentrated, one village at a time, to help bring this freedom.
Current Program:
Currently, we have $160,000 rolling from one loan to another, where the Lisa Stirrett Creative Warrior Art Studio pays the administrative costs to run the no-fee, no-interest micro-loan program. We have 7 employees in Burkina, a sewing school, a business training program, and a health program for over 1000 women. We know our programs have made a huge impact on so many lives, in so many different villages. The beautiful testimonies come in weekly.
Project Overview:
We believe land & a water source is the lifeline to sustainability. If women can farm they can not only provide a food source for their families but sell the excess to buy meat & other food supplies, as well as pay for medical expenses, housing, schooling, clothing, and other basic human needs.
Our intent is to provide not only parcels of land for women to farm, but also a place to gather, to create community, and even a place to stay. A place of refuge, a place to be discipled, a place for our trade schools, education programs, and even house our trade school students or others in need. In partnership with a Local Church, our goal is to have each parcel of land leased, and the proceeds from the products women sell will generate income to create sustainability as well as bring hope, the love of Christ, and empowerment to so many. With this land, we will create sustainability in so many people’s lives.
Phase 1: Purchase the Land
We have located 5 parcels of land in 5 different regions around Burkina Faso that is for sale (approximately 43 acres), that have plentiful water underground. Land is selling quickly, so we have moved forward and secured this land. The location of the land is important as we need each piece close to our local churches. Our intent is so that the pastor, his disciples, and our prayer warriors can take part in caring for & discipling women. They could also use the property as a refuge for widows and orphaned girls, and a place where the women of the church can grow food. In turn, the disciples can watch over the property.
We believe purchasing land gives greater stability to the overall program. Our vision of purchasing these parcels is part of a scalable plan. Now that we have acquired four out of five parcels of land, we have started on Phase 2: Providing a water source and preparing the land so we can start by allowing the ladies to farm the land. Each hectare has approx 5 acres of land where approximately 160 women can farm. This would provide stability to many, and have a great impact.
Logistics: The Creative Warrior Non-profit would, with the help of donors, purchase the land. The Creative Warriors Pay it Forward team will create and manage the leasing program for the agricultural parcels. The money that comes in from leasing the land will fund taxes, maintain pumps, the grounds, hoses, and houses. Leasing the land would generate 2 – 5 cents a sq. foot per growing season. There are 43,560 feet per acre. Any additional funds will be used to expand the Creative Warriors empowerment program in country.
Following this phase could be adding in phase 3, or completing & opening the second hectare of farm land for use.
In years to come, We also would like to duplicate these efforts in additional villages.
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Phase 2: Drilling a well – Water Tower – Solar Pump
Water is key to this project. It is the life source that most everyone in the country is missing. When there is access to water, so many things change. In this case, we can bring a water source to every woman’s parcel so her garden can grow all year-around. This will help her provide for her family, and stop the high and low degrees of prosperity she normally experiences. Typically, there is an abundance of food after the rainy season but then the food runs out quickly, driving prices up and making food more scarce.
Preparing the Land – We are now providing agricultural education, in partnership with ECHO, an international organization that is teaching “Farming God’s Way”, a natural and sustainable practice that yields 50-80% more return than normal farming practices. We will use Echo techniques to fertilize and prep the land, plot out different size parcels for women to lease, install an irrigation system, and build a fence around the farming area.
Sustainability:
We see a future where the land generates enough food and funds to help a multitude of women. This empowers our women farmers to feed themselves, their children, their community, and bring themselves out of poverty and into a secure and sustainable future.
Phase 3: Build a community meeting facility
This is a facility that has many functions. We see this as a large rectangle building approximately 60’ x 60’ that holds over 100 people with a corrugated metal roofing that extends out 15 feet around the entire building, providing shade for women as they gather and for additional training space.
This facility would have a kitchen built on one side of the building that consists of a set of walls to block the wind from putting out the cooking fires. Pots and supplies to outfit this kitchen are in the estimate. There would be a section for lockable storage. The supplies would be stored until used when we have a scheduled meeting or training session.
Adjacent to this building, would be the outdoor restrooms. This is a 3 compartment building with 3 separate locking doors. The bathrooms are for everyone using the farmland, the Hub, and the guest houses.
This building will be a hub for women to become empowered, educated, mentored, loved, and discipled. Here are the different functions for the building:
•Women’s Empowerment meetings and conferences.
•Sewing school
•Business trainings
•Bible study & Discipleship programs
•Trainings on agriculture techniques
•Veterinary trainings on how to breed and vaccinate
•Quarterly Trade schools such as weaving, soap making, hair weaving, and more
•Health training
•Counseling & Inner healing center
•Meeting space for Loan Program
•Church functions and revivals
•Gathering space to share the love of Jesus
•In the future, a space where people can gather for a mobile medical and or dental team.
Phase 4:
Guest Houses
Guest houses consist of one main space, 3 bedrooms, and a shower room (water bucket and a drain to the outside). These homes usually house many many people. We have 4 on our wishlist. Guest houses are necessary for 2 reasons. We need space to be able to house girls from the village to attend our trade schools. Currently we have trade schools in a number of villages that last 3-4 months, for 12-15 women. The small fee programs provide daily training and food. There is also a need at the church to house widows, displaced moms with children, and others in need for a period of time as the church helps them back onto their feet. There are no services like in the United States. The church and your neighbor are the only life-lines people have. We will co-manage these homes with our directors. This is also a place where we can stay when we are in-country.
Timeline:
For Phase 1, we have purchased four out of five parcels to date, and we are working on water sources and fencing on two out of five parcels. All other items we are fundraising.
We invite you to join us in building an economic path for independence that is based on giving a hand up, not a hand out.
