Keith and his faithful farm dog, Jess.
At first glance, Keith Willis might have seemed like an ordinary Kiwi. But his impact reached far beyond his farm. He spent more than 50 years raising four children alongside his wife, Isla, caring for their dairy herd, and stewarding the land. He never imagined that an article would one day be written about him, or that his life as a farmer would create innumerable opportunities for some of the world’s most vulnerable farmers.
Those of us who knew Keith remember him as warm, down-to-earth, and a joy to speak with. He valued genuine connection, appreciated a good conversation, and carried himself with quiet humility.
Keith spent most of his professional life working the land. Several years ago, his granddaughter Zarnie and her business partner took over as sharemilkers on the family farm, which her great-grandparents had broken in and left for Keith to cultivate.
Farming reflects many of Keith’s values. It involves so much that is beyond our control: time, weather, seasons, markets. It requires practicality and perseverance, and a willingness to work within the natural world. For Keith, it was the ultimate act of stewardship.
Faith became a large part of Keith's life and work.
When Keith came to faith in his forties, ‘God shared His will for Keith was to make money and to give it back to those in need,’ says Zarnie. As a businessman he would sit in silence with his Bible for hours, days, weeks, and would wait on God to tell him what he should do. Zarnie shares, ‘He would bring his accounts before the Lord and only move when he heard God speak’.
Keith’s connection with Tearfund grew out of this space of waiting. He was drawn to initiatives that played the long game of development by empowering communities to become self-sustaining by living off the land and followed closely one of Tearfund’s dairy farming initiatives in Sri Lanka.
After the Sri Lankan war ended in 2009, there were thousands of displaced farmers living below the poverty line. Keith believed resources should be directed to areas of great need, where the opportunity could be catalytic, triggering ongoing change. Today, the dairy programme supports more than 4,500 farmers to produce 500,000 L of milk each month.
We were incredibly grateful to receive an email from one of Keith’s trustees one year after his passing, informing us that Keith’s Will included a bequest to Tearfund. ‘Keith was a humble man,’ says one of his trustees, ‘and many did not know of his generosity to others. He was not generous to himself but very generous to those in great need.’
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Keith's generosity will support people in need for generations to come.
As part of his bequest, Keith gifted to Tearfund’s Where Most Needed fund. His lifetime labour of love is currently supporting Tearfund’s partner, Terepeza Development Association (TDA), in Ethiopia, where prolonged drought, low-yield subsistence farming practises, and limited ways to sell their produce have driven families into crisis and poverty.
TDA’s projects work with vulnerable farming families, supporting them into climate-resilient agricultural ventures. With the help of 186 savings and loans groups, farming families can save and invest in livelihood opportunities and trade within 15 established commercial villages. The programme has already trained more than 2,600 farmers and provided training and support for vulnerable youth to develop farming enterprises in agriculture and other small businesses.
‘He was a charitable man to the extreme. He firmly believed his means and ability to create wealth were to be donated to those that needed it most. He was always thinking of ways that he could support others in need,’ says Zarnie.
In conversations with us, Keith shared his desire to invest his money where it could make the greatest difference. For his legacy, this was Tearfund’s Where Most Needed fund, which creates lasting impact that continues long after individual projects end.
Keith drew great strength and energy from working with animals and the natural world. His belief in stewardship reflected his conviction that what we care for during our lives can have impact after we are gone. His extraordinary gift to Tearfund puts that belief into practice, creating opportunities for people to build stronger livelihoods for years to come.
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