LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Tucked away behind a southwest Louisville subdivision are the planted seeds of something bigger than what appears on the surface. Spanning a 19-acre property is row after row of crops native to east Africa.

What You Need To Know

  • Gosheni Farms is located in southwest Louisville

  • It serves as a place east African refugees can grow crops from their home countries

  • More than 50 families use the 19-acre space

  • They recently celebrated the installation of a solar-powered well and irrigation system

“They grow cranberry beans, some grow pinto beans and some have most(ly) green beans,” said Pauline Mukeshimana, co-founder of Gate of Hope Ministries International, as she stood next to a patch of beanstalks.

Mukeshimana and her husband, Jean de Dieu Nzeyimana, are both from Rwanda. They moved to the U.S. in the early 2000s and expanded the work of their ministry after arriving to help refugees who were displaced by the Rwandan Genocide and other conflicts settle into the country. 

They're now celebrating more than a year of work at their farm, Gosheni. Its name stems from a biblical story and serves as a place for more than 50 families to grow fresh and healthy foods that can’t be found in a chain grocery store.

“When God blessed us with this place, we chose to name it 'Gosheni' because for the refugees, the east African immigrants that come here to Louisville, we want it to be a place where they can come for healing," Mukeshimana said. "They can get fresh vegetables as they're seeing them, especially the ones they miss most from home." 

Pauline Mukeshimana is a co-founder of Gate of Hope Ministries International in Louisville. (Spectrum News 1/Mason Brighton)

This land was purchased outright last year. After a successful first harvest, work was recently completed on a solar-powered well. Now in operation, it provides irrigation to the entire farm.

Mukeshimana described it as a blessing, as it allows them to keep their work alive. 

“To be a refugee, you have to move from your homeland, run away for your life in a different country,” Mukeshimana said. "The people that come here, they have spent like between 17 and 20 or more years in a refugee camp." 

It's a peaceful and therapeutic space for those who’ve uprooted their lives in search of safety.

“It's like their medication,” Mukeshimana said with a smile. “Coming is like going to the clinic.”

Since its founding, Gate of Hope Ministries International has helped more than 1,000 east African refugees resettle in Louisville.

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