African Community Project

Moringa Powder

Garry — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 00:25:21 +0000

Charity of Mumbi Village showing me her Moringa powder that she makes and sells in Petauke a couple times a week. Already she has steady costumers and business is brisk!.

Mukuni Community Forests

Garry — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 11:28:34 +0000

Dallas the African Community Projects Facilitator in Mukuni Village on his new bike that he is using to reach our tree nurseries across Mukuni Community Forest.

A letter from Zimbabwe

Garry — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 12:33:36 +0000

The challenges being faced on the nursery are a lack of resources to Construct simple housing structures for the Field technicians to live in. These structures would allow easier accessibility to the Field Technicians enabling them to carry out their tasks effectively. The current method of watering the tree beds is manual and tiresome. Thus there is need for a water pump to draw the water from the wells as well as a water bowser to store the water.2 wheel barows, 5 garden forks and 3 watering cans are required to improve the efficiency of the activities at the tree nursery. Zimconserve has a vision of fencing the 2 acres land and to construct a green house to shelter the plants in the near future. Zimconserve is going to host the National Tree Planting day on the first week of December at Jonasi Secondary School. Zimconserve intends to donate tree seedlings to 29 villages of Seke District and to educate school children’s and villagers about these sustainable trees during this event. l am going to send you some photos on this current project. We appreciate the Leucaena seeds, your precious booklet and the support that you have gave us. Thank you endlessly for being far too kind to us. Yours in Conservation, Gabriel Mutongi

Garry — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 04:53:45 +0000

This blackboard that is pitted, faded, and cracked just eats up the rare chalk at the school and one cannot see what is written on the blackboard from the back of the room. There are 5 boards in the school that need replacing now! Only $100.00 will replace each board.

BLACKBOARDS NEEDED!

Garry — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 04:47:16 +0000

After many requests from the staff at Ng’andu school we paid a visit to the school. Dallas
our Facilitator and I set out walking across country to visit the school which is 8 kilometres east of Mukuni. On our way we saw evidence of much forest degradation especially for exotic hardwoods like Ebony and teak for carving. The school is located beside the village of Ng’andu on a hill overlooking the vast area of small fields and scrub forest. The school although funded by the Zambian government showed signs of years of neglect. The school
has been on this site since 1939. There are 552 students at the school and 101 of them are vulnerable. They are taught in 5 classrooms with morning and afternoon classes. The staff consists of 9 teachers who live beside the school in staff housing of some are just grass
huts. As we had approached the school we passed 2 abandoned boreholes and the third one; still proudly displaying a sign that said it was given by the Japanese people lay idle. We found out from the teachers that this too no longer produced water. After introductions I gave a talk to the teachers on the environment and the conditions they suffered through; caused greatly from the continual cutting of trees for new fields, firewood and the production of charcoal. And what they could do as their part to slow this process down.

We then went on a walk around the school and saw first hand the condition of the school. The school is badly ran down but worse of all was
the condition of the 5 blackboards and the fact they had no chalk. (The next day I brought 10 boxes of chalk to Mukuni and one of the teachers rode his bike in and got the chalk.) Because they have little water to spare it was agreed that they would start small just growing trees around the school. Dallas our facilitator will go and teach them how to start a small tree nursery at the school and one in the nearby village. They will start with Flamboyant and other shade trees. Later on they can grow other species for firewood, carving and fruit trees. Again as I looked around the bleak landscape and the many goats continually eating anything they found. I knew this would be a challenge to keep the goats away from the trees but what is new!

Anyone wanting to help can buy a blackboard at 100.00 dollars for the material and ACP will build and install. You can donate right here on this website.

Latrines

Garry — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 15:35:09 +0000

Chita, our Out Reach Coordinator, and the Community Committee standing on the bottom half of a new double latrine at Makumba Community School maybe we can find funding for a second one. More cement is on its way!

LIVINGSTONE

Garry — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 19:12:04 +0000

Well time sure flies when you are having fun. It is almost 3 weeks and I have shifted from Lusaka to Livingstone. My time in Lusaka was very busy pushing the project forward at Government level. So now I am in Livingstone working at the 2 projects we have here. Our new one at a community close to Zimba is starting to take shape. The community is working on new latrines at the school and preparing 3 tree nursery sites at the 3 boreholes. Their health clinic has been abandoned because of no funding so we will help get it back on track. I will make the 3 new blackboards here in Livingstone and transport them to Makumba Community School. Along with those 3 I will make more to be given to a school located outside of Mukuni Village. We are starting a tree nursery at this school.
Out in Mukuni we have finished the final site plan and the bricklayers will start work soon on a latrine/bathhouse and a caretaker’s house. The tree nursery will also be planted with the Moringa needed in the Orchard.
I think I will take a day off and go white water rafting on the Zambezi on Sunday.

Zambia here I come!

Garry — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 22:31:40 +0000

I have packed all I can take to Zambia, two bags full and I am ready to go. Oh! Yes I will have forgotten things I know that but I can work around that. It is too bad the Canadian Dollar is down a bit. As always I have lots to do and the key will be to stay healthy. First stop is a few days in Lusaka doing business then on to Livingstone for a meeting.

TIME IS TICKING AWAY!

Garry — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 22:28:46 +0000

Time is ticking away and so is summer fading in Victoria and it is time to start planning my trip back to Zambia. As always I will have lots to do when I get there. I have speaking engagements until the end of September so as soon as the last one is done; I will be going. Also the election for President takes part on September the 20th and by the time I get there things should be back to normal. I keep out of religion and politics thus avoiding lots of hassles. May the better man win! My funding is tight as usual but we seem to get by, although the bigger the budget the more that can get done. My Zambian colleagues who are volunteers deserve all the credit for the success of the project. Zikomo kwambiri my friends.

HOME IN VICTORIA

Garry — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 18:52:25 +0000

Well I have been home in Canada for a few weeks now and getting used to life here. My trip was very successful getting almost everything done that I had set out to do. Actually more because of other things that cropped up: unexpected meetings have open more doors: meaning more projects are coming on line. All was done within the budget that was set before I left. I was very fortunate to have my wife, Maria, tag along for three weeks.

The trees that have been planted over the years have certainly grown. The Leucaena, Jatropha and Moringa around Mumbi Village are now producing seeds that will be used for planting this year. Some are already been planted in the new tree nursery that has the capacity of 25,000 seedlings. We have even been able to get enough pine seeds for the nurseries especially inNorthern Province. Lots to do; proposals to write, talks to give and fund raising! Our biggest hold back is the limited funding and it will get harder and harder as the world suffers from natural and monetary hardships.