Harvesting Broccoli

Petros and Mr. Storo harvest broccoli for the first time.

Just call me Mr. Broccoli

AWP project coordinators discuss harvesting methods with a farmer

Lunch in the field consisted of a carrot wrapped with lettuce, a.k.a. "vegetarian hotdog" or "rabbit's delight"

Windmill Reservoir

With successful tests under our belts, we have stepped up our work on the windmill irrigation scheme at Mziza. We have come up with a reservoir system that will act as a buffer between the pumping and delivery structures.
Expected benefits are:

1. Water is available on demand


2. Water will be under pressure at the top of the delivery system (and at the bottom if we use pipes instead of canals)


3. The volume of water pumped into the tank can be easily recorded


4. Farmers will know exactly how much water they are applying to the field (with the exception of evaporation)

Downsides to this system are: the capital cost of the reservoir (i.e. cement ain't cheap); evaporation will be greater in the reservoir than in the well; standing water attracts mosquitoes (and watering at dusk may put farmers at risk of malaria). There is not much that can be done to reduce capital costs because structural integrity should not be compromised. A crack in the floor of a house does not affect the utility of the house; whereas a crack in the reservoir floor is catastrophic. Every insurance must be made that the concrete will not crack. As for evaporation and mosquitoes, a simple covering over the reservoir will reduce these problems significantly.

Domestic Well II

Another domestic well fitted with a pump. This time, we were asked to provide this pump to a woman at Mgwayi village. She is doing some permaculture around her house, growing plants with waste water from the home.
The well is a bit deeper this time at approximately 7.2 meters. We faced no major challenges in getting this pump in there, and it delivers a flow of nearly 2,000 l/hr.
The location of the pump is visible to many people from communities near and far; it sits close to a major foot path leading between Njewa and Chisapho townships.

It has garnered admiration from nearby families and organizations working in the area.

Windmill Video

Domestic Well

Last week on Friday we installed a water pump into a domestic well. This is the second pump we have installed for domestic use, and the first that will be shared and used by a village community. (The other domestic pump is used by an individual in a village setting).

Almost 3 weeks ago, the chief at Mziza approached the AWP coordinator in his village asking if the it is possible to use the pump to draw water from their domestic well. We knew it was possible, and had plans to install one in some village at some time. What better time than now, when we have been invited to do so by the chief?

We had a crowd around as we began the installation. The usual suspects where there: club chairman, club members, village chiefs, and a whole bunch of interested kids. There was little need to do in-depth training, since some of these guys have installed their own pumps before. The club members have agreed to help the community get used to the new pump and keep an eye on any maintenance issues.
The pump will help keep the well clean. But the responsibility still falls to the community to make sure that their drinking water is safe. It doesn't matter how hard you try, if cows are drinking this close to the well, it will be contaminated.

Training Day II

Continuing the farmers' training, we held classroom sessions at Chibanzi village last week. The topics again focused on leadership, advanced planning, setting goals, and teamwork.
Club members were asked to brainstorm goals for their farming activities, and make plans that they thought would achieve their goals. The club as a whole was able to set its rules and responsibilities for members.The trainings we have conducted are showing results in the field. Many farmers who were showing reservations about the project became motivated to invest their time in their gardens. Farmers have responded by mulching their crops, visiting other gardens, working as a team on nursery demonstrations, and sharing their goals and plans with the group. They seem to be convinced that the new technology is a great opportunity for them to develop their irrigated gardens.