Transforming Lives, Tackling Climate Change: an Interview With Maria Tilman


In August, Mary Ward International Australia board member Alzira Reis sat down with Maria Idalina Tilman, the coordinator of HAFUCO, to discuss life, climate change, and its impact on women and their communities. The following is an insight into their conversation, exploring the origins of HAFUCO, its response to environmental challenges, and the collective’s approach to empowerment and sustainability. 

Maria Idalina Tilman, the coordinator of HAFUCO (Haburas Futuru Komunidade – ‘Growing the Future with the Community’), shed light on the origins and evolution of this transformative collective. Founded in 2014, HAFUCO currently has eight dedicated members, five women and three men. The group’s mission is to provide women with economic and leadership opportunities, guided by the core values of equality, empowerment through sharing, learning, and enacting change.

The collective’s agricultural programs focus on growing chickpeas, taro, and other crops, coupled with training for women and youth on food processing and preservation. These efforts aim to diversify food sources, mitigate hunger during climate shifts, and improve nutrition through cooking demonstrations for pregnant and lactating mothers.

Economically, HAFUCO enhances family income by selling products at markets and fairs, while also providing leadership training and constructing a training room funded by Mary Ward International and our supporters. The room has proved a valuable resource for HAFUCO and other local organisations striving to advance their mission.

Climate Change & Environmental Impact

Climate change poses significant challenges to the communities within HAFUCO’s network. It disrupts agriculture, reducing daily food availability and household income and contributing to poverty. In response, HAFUCO implements strategies to counter these effects. They provide training on food preservation to ensure long-term sustainability, diversify local products, and manage seeds effectively for continued agricultural activities.

Empowerment & Community Model

Operating as a collective rather than a hierarchical organisation, HAFUCO fosters mutual contribution and decision-making, particularly benefiting women in the community. This structure offers flexibility in food processing and income generation. An example of empowerment is seen in how the collective supports idea-sharing and decision-making during meetings, rotates production schedules, and strengthens collaborations with neighbourhood groups. These practices bolster individual members and promote a resilient and collaborative community model.

Sustainability & Future Outlook

Sustainability is a core focus for HAFUCO, ensured through regular seed storage, enhanced marketing efforts via social media and local stores, and collaboration with agricultural fairs. The collective faces challenges, including the high cost of renting agricultural equipment. Looking ahead, HAFUCO aims to expand its membership and production, enhance training activities in more villages, and continue inspiring others with their approach. The government has recognised HAFUCO’s success as best practice, setting an example for other groups in modern agricultural techniques.

Inspiring Collective Change

For Maria, the most rewarding aspect of her role with HAFUCO is the ability to inspire and lead, particularly in public speaking and coordination. A standout story involves her colleague, also named Maria. Over time, Maria’s improved skills in food processing and income generation have improved her confidence in leaps and bounds, as well as the respect and confidence of her family, illustrating the collective’s impact on individual lives.

HAFUCO continues to drive positive change through dedication and collaboration, proving that a community-focused approach to agriculture and empowerment can yield extraordinary results.

Ecological Justice - Everyone’s Responsibility

Gratitude for God’s gifts is at the heart of Mary Ward’s Ignatian spirituality. Our appreciation of the beauty of nature and our interconnectedness with all creation calls us to a focused care for all living things. This call, also informed by a Biblical understanding of justice and relationships and the tenets of Catholic Social Teaching, focuses our heads, hearts and hands on careful stewardship of creation. 

The Loreto commitment to Ecological Justice encourages us to listen carefully to the cry of the Earth. Projects throughout the Loreto schools network reflect that much is being done to support our young people to appreciate the key role these leaders of tomorrow must play to ensure that caring for our common home is an imperative in our lives, not an optional extra. Our response to the fragile planet is a spiritual imperative, not simply a form of social activism.


There are such wonderful initiatives being practised in all our schools that illustrate the words of Pope Francis in Laudato Si’ (LS 19): “there is a growing sensitivity to the environment and a need to protect nature... Our goal is to discover what each of us can do about it”. 

The Season of Creation annually draws our attention to the cry of the Earth. As we enter Spring here in the Southern Hemisphere, it is an encouraging time to give thanks for the gifts of creation and to find new ways in our daily lives to support the health of our natural world. The World Council of Churches, instrumental in embedding this season in our annual calendars, provides many resources to help us explore how we can work for ecological justice.

In support of the Loreto commitment to ecological justice, our schools provide many programs, events and opportunities for the students in our care to learn, advocate for, and act on environmental sustainability and renewal. In the lead-up to the Season of Creation, Loreto Normanhurst’s focus on sustainability included a guest speaker addressing those in Years 5 and 6 on the topic, “Why should we care about waste?” This opportunity prompted the students to consider how we manage waste, as well as personal ways to show respect for the environment. Junior students at Loreto Mandeville Hall Toorak have also explored these concepts by reflecting on the importance of environmental conservation and sustainable practices. These students have participated in ‘Worm Farm Wednesdays’, where food scraps are composted instead of being sent to landfill. This initiative benefits the gardens and teaches valuable lessons about environmental stewardship. At Loreto College Ballarat, Year 7 Geography classes immersed themselves in fieldwork to learn about water, its uses, interconnections and significance.

Students from Loreto College Marryatville have embraced immersion of a different kind; they braved the cold and went a day without light and heat, all while collecting beanies and blankets for the Vinnies Winter Appeal. With initiatives like transitioning to solar power and aiming for a 100% plastic-free campus, Loreto College Marryatville is on track to achieve its ambitious goal of net zero carbon emissions by 2030! Loreto College Coorparoo has partnered with the local community to assist animal habitats and combat erosion by planting 300 trees, and Loreto Kirribilli has joined with students from local colleges to participate in the SEED program, designed to grow youth-led ideas for a sustainable future.

We encourage each person to join with the global Mary Ward network in urgent action to protect our common home; to network and collaborate as stewards in the care of creation, each according to their own culture, experience and talents (LS 14). It is not envisioned that responses will be uniform; on the contrary, responses must reflect our diversity. May our actions to answer the cry of the Earth and the cry of the poor discern the signs of the times and creatively answer the needs around us.

Securing the Future Through Sustainable Food

Mary Ward International and the Loreto Sisters are committed to supporting the rural community of Lukulu in Western Zambia. A key initiative is the development of a sustainable food production enterprise at the Sancta Maria College of Nursing and Midwifery, addressing the critical needs of food security and education.

Sancta Maria College Food Production Enterprise

The Sancta Maria College, a vital institution for training healthcare professionals, faces the challenge of providing three meals a day to its students. To meet this need sustainably, the college has developed a farm on underutilised land. Already equipped with essential machinery like a tractor and plough thanks to a generous donor, the farm helps provide nutritious meals for students while reducing catering costs.

Looking ahead, the college aims to expand its farm operations. This includes installing a solar-powered irrigation system, enhancing maize production through specialised equipment, and establishing a chicken run and piggery. These steps will ensure the college becomes self-sufficient in food production, while also offering valuable agricultural training and employment to local youth.

A Sustainable Future for Lukulu

The initiative goes beyond feeding students – it’s about creating long-term sustainability for the college and the community. By reducing reliance on external food sources, the college can focus more on education and skills development, empowering the next generation of healthcare professionals in this disadvantaged region of Zambia.

The project also introduces environmentally sustainable practices, such as the use of solar energy and advanced irrigation techniques. Involving local youth in farm operations provides them with critical skills in agriculture and renewable energy, helping to break the cycle of poverty and build stronger, more self-sufficient communities.

Through this initiative, Mary Ward International is not only addressing immediate food security challenges but also laying the groundwork for a brighter, more sustainable future for the people of Lukulu.