Kitowo - CVP Report Oct 13-2010

2010 CVP
Companion Village Project
Visit Report Year One
2st Visit
October 13, 2010

Village Kitowo
Pastor Hezron Kiswaga
Companion First Evangelical Lutheran Church, Rush City
Attendees 17
Weather Dry
Reporters Gabriel and Pastor Lunodzo

We arrived in the afternoon. We were with the District Pastor of this area. We met the parish members already in the church.

Purpose of the visit
• Measuring the demonstration plots
• Delivering rain gauge

Topics
1. Review of the handouts
o 2nd Visit Instructions
o DIRA and Institute of Agriculture Village Plot Agreement
o Plot Management FAQs
2. Demonstrations
o Rain gauge
We instructed them on how to record rain using a rain gauge. One set of rain gauge was handed to the pastor, they were asked to start record in the coming rainy season.
o Plots
We instructed them on how to measure the 1acre plot using miter tape instead pacing. We did not have enough time to measure their plot. We asked Pastor and the District Pastor to supervise the measuring process. We asked them to measure two ½ acres, one for corn and another one for beans.

Questions/Comments
 The District Pastor asked all of the members of this Parish to fully participate in the program. The demonstration plot should be used as the learning tool.
 They asked if there is special way to lay the crop residues in the farm
We told them that the crop residues can be laid in the farm in any way which a farmer finds suitable for him/her. It is better to spread them all over the farms that they should act as mulching. The important thing is they should not be burnt because they are required to add organic matter of the soil and reduce soil erosion



Conclusion
This is the area of people with knowledge about modern farming. Some of the agronomic practices we teach have been practiced here for a while. We hope they will participate in the demonstration plot and adopt new techniques quickly. Late in the afternoon we started a journey back to Iringa.