Nu Skin congratulated the 2014 graduating class of the School of Agriculture for Family Independence (SAFI) at a formal ceremony on August 8, in Malawi. Twenty-six husbands and wives received diplomas at the graduation that was attended by their families along with Nu Skin co-founder, Steve Lund, and many of Nu Skin’s top sales leaders for each of the company’s regions. In addition the speaker of the Malawi Parliament, Richard Msowoya also addressed the graduates and told how he grew up in a family in similar circumstances as theirs. He also provided them with hope for a brighter future and congratulated them on their achievements.

“It was exciting to witness the graduation of people who fulfilled a commitment to improve the lives of their families, and what will ultimately improve the lives of their villages,” said Julie Toth, Nu Skin sales leader. “Becoming a SAFI graduate was no small achievement for these individuals who had to learn modern farming technology, fishing, animal husbandry and other agricultural skills to increase their harvests and livelihoods and it was humbling and truly an honor to be there.”

SAFI originated in 2007 from a partnership with Napoleon Dzombe.  This partnership has enabled more than 180 families to learn proper agricultural techniques that enable them to harvest crops year-round.  To date, crop yields of students have increased as much as 700 percent.

Mtalimanja Village is home to 30 families who live on campus with their families and attend SAFI to learn more effective agricultural techniques that includes irrigation, animal husbandry and water storage. Husbands and wives both attend classes and children are educated at an on-site school. During the second year of the program, the students return to their homes and implement their newfound education to their own crops and teach other village members.

As the graduation festivities continued, husbands and wives, danced down the aisle dressed in their graduation gowns. All the graduates triumphantly held their graduation certificates high above their heads as they celebrated their accomplishments with their children watching on.