Ilambilole - CVP Report May 19-2010

2010 CVP
Companion Village Project
Visit Report
5th visit Year Two
May 19, 2010

Village Ilambilole
Pastor Doricus Kimbavala
Companion Our Saviours, Hastings
Attendees 10
Weather for the past month Dry
Reporter Gabriel Malima

Purposes of the visit
• Instructing how to take yield measurements
• To deliver a tin and Liter for taking yield measurement

Topics
1. Rain records
We checked the records and write down in our notebook for analysis.
The village has been affected by drought. February was the month with severe shortage of rainfall.
2. Review of Handouts
o 5th visit handout was reviewed
o Yield measurement sheet was reviewed and two copies were provided for yields recording.
3. Demonstration
We went to the plots. The plot has been harvested already. However the Pastor was smart enough to take the yields in 10m length in three different rows. The number of plants and ears has been recorded as they are supposed to. However we gave him the Yield measurement sheets to write down measurements in liters. To get good comparison, we asked Pastor and members of the congregation attended to go and do the same in one of the neighbor’s plot(s).
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Plots
• Corn plot
Corn plants in some of the farms in the village dried before they even form ears. Although the village has shortage of rainfall, the corn in the demonstration plot managed to produce corn ears. After taking the yield measurement, the harvest is expected to be better that most of the farms here.
• Bean plot
The beans did not perform well with this drought. Soon after flowering began, drought started. However, the techniques applied in the demonstration plot and the drought resistant variety introduced helped few pods to be formed and got filled. We told them to measure what they did get and record in the yield measurement sheet.

Comments/questions from audience
 A lady stood up and said that the farming education we have introduced has been very helpful to her and other villagers. She was grateful that we have introduced the seed variety which is drought resistant because the village usually experiences the rain shortage. Although most of the villagers will not harvest anything this season, she hopes to harvest something from her farm. She expressed her thanks to the institute for the project.
 Pastor said that there has been a termite’s problem; they used the termite’s pesticides given at the beginning of last farming season but it did not work out. He was wondering what was the problem
We told him, probably the pesticides was expired since it was given to them 2 years ago. Moreover they were supposing to broadcast and not to put the pesticides in the holes as they did.
 Pastor told us that in April, 2010. The District commissioner (DC), The District Agricultural Officer and Village executive Officer visited the farm. They were impressed with the establishment of the demonstration plot here and the farming techniques taught. They said they will encourage people living around Ilambilole to go and learn from it.
Conclusions/Recommendations
We have been impressed by the visit of the District commissioner here. We told the members of the congregation to keep on doing the good work for their own learning benefit. We delivered one tin and one liter for taking yield measurements.