Mkimbizi - CVP Report May 12-2010

2010 CVP
Companion Village Project
Visit Report
5th visit Year One
May 12, 2010

Village Mkimbizi
Pastor Ambrosi Mwakikoti, Haule
Companion Immanuel Lutheran, Saint Paul
Attendees
Weather for the past month Dry
Reporter Gabriel, Ibrahim, Rev Mang’ulisa

We went to the parish to pick Pastor and evangelists. We met one pastor, the other pastor is about to get married so he went to attend marriage meeting. We drove to the preaching point where we met to ladies waiting for us.

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

Topics
1. Rain records
The rain records were kept by another pastor who was not present. I told them, I will go next time to get them.
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
It was demonstrated how to take the yields in 10m in different three rows. We told them to record the number of plants (and of ears for corn) and volume in liters in the yield sheets provided. To get good comparison, we asked them to do the same in one of the neighbor’s plot(s).
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Plots
• Corn plot
We visited the corn plot. The effect of drought can be seen. However the corn looks better than the corn in the neighbor’s farm.
• Bean plot
The bean did not reach maturity. They dried out before even forming pods. There will be no beans to harvest.

Comments/questions from audience
 As we were moving around the farm, we saw one side of the farm with different corn with the other parts of the farm. Pastor was wondering what might cause that situation
We told him that the part with different corn has a little bit of sharper slope than the rest of the farm. It seems like there has been more soil erosion here which has eroded the nutrients from this part of the farm. Mulching will reduce soil erosion and fertilizers will add up the nutrients lost
 Although there has been drought in this area, members said that the corn seed we gave them perform better and the plot looks different from other neighbors’ farms.
We told them together with planting drought resistant varieties; the other factors were minimum tillage and crop residues which help to conserve moisture in the soil.
Conclusions/Recommendations
The parish is in urban area; however the plot is located in the preaching point. Pastor told us some of the members have farms outside of town. The demonstration plot has been an interesting subject to learn. We delivered one tin and one liter for taking yield measurements.