St Luke’s Gift Day 2025 | Ripple Effect

For those of you who don’t know me, I’m Ann Hatton and I’m the Community Manager for Ripple Effect.

I want to start by saying thank you. Over the years, St Luke’s has given an incredible £59,500 to support our work in rural Africa, and this year you’re standing with us again! Your generosity is helping farming families restore their land and build a future free from hunger.

Ripple Effect works across East Africa, helping families who rely on the land for food to eat. Our teams aren’t outsiders - they come from the very communities we serve.

We tackle the biggest challenge farmers face today: the climate crisis. Seasons are no longer predictable, droughts are harsher, and floods more severe. Farmers often tell us that it didn’t used to be like this . Today, for families who depend on the land, the stakes couldn’t be higher.

That’s why Ripple Effect exists. For 37 years we’ve been working alongside families so they can grow enough to eat, earn an income, and pass their knowledge on to others. Our projects are typically for three years and we focus on three things: farming sustainably, empowering women and vulnerable groups, and developing business skills. And when families share what they’ve learned with neighbours, the ripple effect begins - for every family we work with, another three benefit!

Let me tell you about Therese, a mother of six in Rwanda. She used to struggle to feed her children, often sending them to bed hungry. Erratic weather destroyed her crops, leaving the family in poverty.

But then she began working with Ripple Effect. She received seeds, tools, and training in soil conservation and new farming techniques. Today her land is thriving with coffee, peanuts, beetroot and fruit. Her family eats three nutritious meals a day, and she generously shares her knowledge with neighbours. Therese says: “When you practice soil conservation, you have increased yields, and you are able to progress…. My neighbours and I visit each other to exchange ideas about farming... I share the knowledge with them so they too can recover from malnutrition.” Her dream now is that all her children can study and succeed - something every parent longs for!

What I love about Ripple Effect is that this isn’t just about food on the table - though that’s vital. It’s also about restoring the environment, strengthening communities, and giving families dignity and hope for the future. And here at St Luke’s, we are part of that transformation! Isn’t that fantastic?

So thank you for your faithful support, your prayers, and your generosity. You are helping families like Therese’s restore their land, feed their children, and share their knowledge so whole communities can thrive. Together we are creating a ripple effect – one that spreads from family to family, village to village, across rural Africa. Thank you!