Tungamalenga - Shepherd of the Valley; CVP Report for Nov. 5, 2010

2008 CVP
Companion Village Project
3rd Visit, Year Three
November 5, 2010

Village Tungamalenga
Pastor Naftali Nga’amilo, Paul Ole Masinga
Companion Shepherd of the Valley, Apple Valley
Attendees Male 17 Female 3
Weather for the past month Dry
Reporter Gabriel Malima

Purpose of the visit
• Delivering seeds and fertilizers
• Demonstrating corn planting and fertilizer application

Most of the attendees are the evangelists from different preaching points in of this Parish. They have been here before our arrival. The head Pastor Rev. Naftali Nga’amilo, is not around. Currently he is in US to visit their companion congregation, Shepherd of the Valley, Apple Valley. We were welcomed by the parish secretary and the other pastor Rev. Paul Ole Masinga. In this visit we were accompanied by a lady from micro-finance department, Itiweni Luhwagwa.

Greetings
Before we began the demonstration, Fred delivered greetings from St. Paul Area Synod and US Institute of Ag advisory committee
Review of the handouts
Together with them we went through the handouts
• 3rd Visit Instruction
• Plant population with 60 cm. rows and Fertilizer applications
• Fertilizer needs template

Demonstrations
o Planting and fertilizer applications
Outside the church we demonstrated on how to place seeds and how to apply fertilizers. We insisted that they should not place seeds and fertilizers together.
o Seeds and fertilizers
We delivered 2 bags of NPK and 4 bags of corn seeds

Crop Seeds Fertilizer
Varieties Amount Type Amount
Corn DK8031 8kg (4 bags) NPK 100kg (2 bags)

o Drought resistant crops
We had already discussed about the drought resistant crops (on September 9, 2010). In that discussion, they said it is difficult to farm sorghum and cowpeas in this. They have tried to farm sorghum and cowpeas before and it did not work out. There so many birds in the village which will eat the sorghum before harvest and the wild animals from the near bar national parks (Ruaha National Parks) eat the cowpeas during the night. There were willing to try cowpeas more than sorghum.
o Microfinance
A lady from micro-finance department, Itiweni Luhwagwa conducted training about agricultural loans. She told them that there is a plan to start agricultural loans program. She had a short discussion with them about the loans and cooperative.

Questions/comments
 When is the appropriate time to apply fertilizers (second application)?
Do second application when plants are at knee high (refer the handout given), it is good to do it when the rain resume (the rain pattern of this area shows that rain normally stops for few weeks in the mid of rain season)
 They were wondering why they should put fertilizers at the knee high instead of putting them when they plants are about to form ears
We told them that the nitrogenous fertilizers applied in the second application are for plant growth not for big corn ear-forming. N helps plants to grow faster and reach maturity in good health.
 Why planting one seed per hole instead of two seeds as they used to do.
Planting two seeds will lead into plants competitions for nutrients, water and sunlight. If there is germination failure when one seed has been planted, replanting should be done within one week after the beginning of germination.

Plots
We drove to their plots which are in the irrigated land about 800m from the church. It is dry here and most of the farming is done in this land. They Parish secretary told us the land has been rented by the church for the demonstration plots. It is large enough for two plots, corn and beans. The bean plot was here last year; this year corn will be planted in this plot. Next to it beans will be planted. Rice plot will be in the same area it was last year.

Conclusion
We told them that we expect good report at the end of the farming season. We encourage them to follow the instructions for the better results of the plots.