hello,

I like the cycle farming method:

On a small slope, at the top they built fish ponds out of bricks 1.5m x 3m x 70cm deep 3 across and then to the next 3 coming down and then to the next 3 with a little solar powered water pump that cycles the top layer of water to the first filter plant at the top of the slope.

At the bottom of each pond, it was layed with a fine mesh for all the droppings to collect and on the bottom end a small tap was fitted to 2 inch pipe.Below the last 3 dams, we did beds 1.5m x 6m in length x 10 beds in a row with a 5 columns in total.

From each fish pond, we let the pipes run to all the beds, so that the fish waste is used by the plant as a fertilizer and also as irrigation.The villagers used the compost at each planting session and also the animal droppings while in growing stage.

After the vegetable beds, we planted fruit trees, like this:
first row of banana trees in row going down for 50m, then a 3m space in between and planted a row of guavas, then, sunflower, then avocados, then, lemon.

Hi Fatima,

were did you get the solar powered water pump from? We are discussing this in the rainwater harvesting task, so it might be usefull to know.

Jenny

hi
there was a very lively debate here on what the farmers should do and that debate followed into the village. It was decided there that these farmers should use the drip bucket irrigation. They felt comfortable after getting the advice on the termites and should begin planting soon, training and demonstration bed this weekend. They also liked the tips and said let them keep coming, maybe some posters or manuals to help them out.
They need to set up a co-op and Once the co-op is up and running perhaps one member of the village could have the responsibility of researching, trailing and teaching the best techniques. there will be a seperate task on this in the coming days, we will also be reporting on stage one the vegetable growing.
So keep the tips and manuals coming,Paddy is very appreciative.
Sinéad

One of the problems the village faces is post harvest storage. here is a document I found about weevils in Eastern Kenya. Is this the same problem in Uganda?

--
fatima
control arms now

MATF_CRS-Metal-Silos.pdf

hi neighbours,
Moles can destroy crops in Nabitende very easily and so Malcolm sent more tips to handle this:

For the moles, garlic is the best thing, they can use normal household garlic to plant, not necessary seed garlic from farmers supply.

Black pepper won’t keep away any insects; in fact it will bring a lot of aphids. Aphids are small insects that are white in colour that you will find mainly in the tips or soft parts of the plants.
Ask them to plant marigold flowers around the garden.

Mix this mixture, 1 kg of marigold leaves, stems and flowers, + 200 gram of garlic crushed and mixed with 5 litres of water and let stand for a few hours then put this in the mole tunnels.

thanks Malcolm and all neighbours,
Sinéad

Hullo Sinead,
Thanks for the advice on moles, we shall explain that to farmers and it will definetly help them.
Paddy

Thank you Sinead once again.

The beginning point is that developing the Brochures or posters should and will be participatory. For example include key photos like these from the trainings and those showing what progress has been made so far. This will further enable beneficiaries feel owing and truely participating in the project.

Look at the background information of EFORDE and the Butabala coorperative, including adding information on why the project is important.

I feel this will do great!

Marsha

HI PADY, HOPE THOSE VRY BRIGHT IDEAS AND KEEP IT UP.

TONNY MULAMBE.

Hullo Neighbours,
Greetings and hope all are doing well hoping for the best for all of us at Nabitende.
Our women farmers are doing well in the gardens and expecting to transplant cabbages next week. The eggplants are also growing but not ready for transplanting. Sweet(green)pepper had made the famers scared as it takes long to germinate but hope has come for them because it is coming up. They are faced with too much rain and those in the valleys are finding it hard to run the water out of the garden because they have no spare time as they have to plant food also. They are having strong and dry coughs due to much working but cannot give up.

I got this baby with a swolen nose though it does not pain according to her mother, Nakimuli Peace and the baby is Namuga Sumaya 4 months old. The mother was refered to the national hospital but cannot afford the expenses there, she needs help,
Paddy.

Hi Paddy,

good to have you back after your illnes!

I hope one of the neighbours can give some advice on how to run the water out of the land. On the other hand I was wondering if the farmers are collecting the rainwater in some kind of way? Can they collect rainwater in plastic bins for example, to keep te water for dry season? I know we are discussing this issue in another task, but I wonder if the farmers are able to collect it until we have a better workable solution?

I took some pictures of a house in Holland that shows the way of how the Dutch used to collect water in past times. They used a simple chain which was connected to the roof and ended in a bucket. I hope it is clear to see.

The baby's nose looks bad. Isn't there another medical service besides the national hospital that is less expensive? What does a visit to a doctor cost?

Jenny

After the seeds were planted, it was decided that the fastest way to ensure that there would be water for the dry season was to get bicycles, to transport it from the nearest water source. As you know, Paddy hasn't been well. He will be posting a report on the progress soon.
--
Rick Ellis

It is best to buy black, poly plastic tubing and make the driplines. Prices for kits are in the attachment.

Ken

Special_Price_List_APRIL_2009[1].pdf

Hullo Jenny,
thanks vry much for your kindness. I appreciated your sickness message to me and I am trying to do my work again though still weak because I got 5 injections of 10mls through the veins, one per day and tablets. Now concerning water harvest, the methods you have shown are used well here the problem is that these women cannot store that water until the dry season as they come back from the gardens tired. Now that we have got them 7 bicycles, they will have to fetch during that time because it will work for them better. Water sources differ from each one ranging between 1-2km which by the help of the bicycle it become easier and faster for them. Let us how we go about it after the purchases. And we had done the planting now as we still have rains, by the time the dry season comes, it won't be much work.
To see a doctor, needs 50.000/=.

In the near future we will have to put up another task of getting doctor volunteers to come to Nabitende because each time I move to other villages, I find other diseases which have to keep growing as the children grows. I got another one with a swelling near the eye, is about 3years and it got him when he was 2months.
Paddy.

Hullo Tonny,
Greetings. Thank you for your contributions and words of encouragements.
Paddy.

We have the same problem as our friends in Kenya and that price has to be multiplied by 26.2/= to get its price in Uganda. So the poor caannot afford it except for the local methods which can adapt some moderns methods to help them. But since we are dealing in perishables, we can think of other methods to keep them alright.
Paddy