Ruaha-Mbuyuni - CVP Report Jan 26-2010

2009 CVP
Companion Village Project
Visit Report
4th visit Year One
January 26, 2010

Village Ruaha Mbuyuni
Pastor Elia Kango
Companion Holy Trinity, New Prague
Attendees 13
Weather for the past month Dry
Reporter Gabriel, Ibrahim, Roger and Alfred

Today we had the demonstration meeting at the preaching point of Ruaha Mbuyuni called Kwale. We met Pastor and few members there. Pastor told us that we should wait for other members who have gone to the demonstration plot to see if it has been rained where the plot is located because there has been raining in other part of the Ruaha Mbuyuni area. However when they come back they said it has not rained at the plot. The weather is kind of different here, when it rains, only a few places get the rain and other parts do not. Before the meeting we had a little discussion with the pastor about rain, irrigation and purpose of moving the meeting point to Kwale.

Purpose of the visit
• Bean planting and fertilizer application demonstrations
Topics
1. Greetings
Roger derived greetings from the Saint Paul Area Synod and the US Advisory Committee
1. Planting
Although the rain records shows that it has rained about 5 times (Ruaha Mbuyuni), members of this preaching point and the Pastor told us that it has not rained yet in Kwale where the plot is located. Therefore, the plot has been prepared but not yet planted corn.
2. Irrigation
The reason for locating this plot here (Kwale) was because the whole Ruaha Mbuyuni area do not get sufficient rainfall therefore these members thought about irrigation. In “Kwale” they have access to irrigation water from the nearby river. Pastor told us about the irrigation plans they have; they are going to use the hired irrigation pump to pump water from the river to the demonstration plot. Water will be pumped to the ditch which is about 100 long to the plot. They are going to plant there plot as soon as they start irrigate it.
3. Moving of meeting and demonstration site to Kwale.
Pastor told us that they have arranged this meeting and demonstrations to take place here. They plan to do the same in the future. The reason is; Pastor thinks the audience here is eager to learn more about farming of corn and beans than people of Ruaha Mbuyuni. He said in Ruaha Mbuyuni they mainly farm rice and onions hence to them corn and beans are less interested crops. However in Kwale the large population is Masai (about 90%) who are trying to learn farming as an alternative mode of production. By tradition Masai are livestock keepers and usually they are nomads (People who move with their livestock from one place to another). In recent years the nomad type of life has become impossible because of land scarcity. Many Masai are now trying to learn farming so that they can stop depending entirely on livestock keeping. Pastor hoped that teaching these people corn and beans farming, crops which they are more interested on will be a good and productive thing.
4. Rain Records
We checked the rain records, they have been recording as instructed, however rains records do not give a clear rainfall trends of this area “Kwale” because the rain gauge is at Ruaha Mbuyuni. They have received 8.5 mm or about 3.5 inches of rain since mid December.
5. Review of Handouts
o 4th visit handout was reviewed
6. Demonstrations
I. corn
This is kind of new audience for the reasons explained above. Therefore the corn planting demonstration was reviewed again. It was demonstrated how to measure inter row spacing (60cm) and intra row spacing (20cm). It was demonstrated how to plant and apply fertilizer. After planting demonstration, It was demonstrated how to make second application of fertilizer in the corn. Two holes were made 5cm from the plant and fertilizer was put then covered. We told them to do this when the plants are knee high.

I. Beans
It was demonstrated how to measure inter row spacing (30cm) and intra row spacing (10cm). String was used to make trench and in the trench bean seeds were placed 10cm apart. Fertilizer (NPK) was placed 5cm from the seeds. Both seed and fertilizer were covered.

7. Fertilizers, bean seed and pesticides delivery
On January 15, Ibrahim and Roger went to Ruaha Mbuyuni, they were not able to hold the demonstrations but they delivered 2 bags of NPK and 2 bags of CAN. They also delivered bean seeds “Wanja” 40kg. Therefore today, we did not deliver anything.

Comments/questions from audience
It was a little bit hard to communicate with the audience because most of the people here especially women do not understand “Swahili” We had to use one Masai guy to interpret from “Swahili” to “Masai language” and vice verse.
 They wanted to know who is going to get the crops from the demonstration plots.
We told them that since they are the ones who will be working in the plots, the crops will go to the church and the Pastor will supervise what they are going to do with them.
 They asked since they cannot depend on rain here, and hence they have to irrigate their crops using a hired irrigation pump. Is there a possibility we can assist them with the irrigation pump fuel?
We told them the agreement with their companion congregation (Holy Trinity), they will assist them with fertilizers, seeds, pesticides and training only. We told them they should think of a way they can contribute to run the irrigation by themselves.
However we had a little discussion (Roger, Ibrahim and me) and we agreed to give them 50,000 Tsh from the Institute to buy fuel to start farming. We told them they will be responsible to buy fuel on their own later.

Conclusions/Recommendations
It was our first time to conduct demonstration here. Pastor and the Treasury of the Congregation had been demonstrating to them what we demonstrated in our previous visit. I was impressed with their ability to remember what they have been taught. As I was asking them few reviewing questions, they gave me good answers although it was not in straight “Swahili”! Roger insisted that, unless the demonstration plots work out here, we shall not keep on doing the demonstrations. They promised to work hard and follow the instructions.

NB:
• 1 bag of NPK is 50kg and 1 bag of CAN is 50kg