Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Solar Water Purification System Testing Today!

Drinking Water – it’s a problem.
Africa Windmill Project is working on a sustainable, affordable solution for rural villages in Malawi….We TESTED bore-hole wells that are in some villages and the open wells that we find in our villages, this is what we found:
The Malawians we are working with do not have access to healthy water or sanitation so we began working in the US to develop a solar water purification system. This system needed to be similar to the windmill in that it will be able to be made out of locally available and known materials, and will be simple to construct and operate.

Adam & Derek finished setting up the system last night so today is Test 1. At 8 am the temperature was 82 degrees (aim 165) and water level was ¼ inch below the tape. If all goes according to plan water will transfer to pasteurized water bucket (orange) as soon as the water temperature heats up to proper temperatures.

Disease causing organisms such as worms, protozoa cysts, bacteria (cholera, giardia, e.coli, shigella, and salmonella) and other viruses (hepatitis A, rotavirus) are killed by exposure to heat in a process called pasteurization. Water is a critical issue facing the global population. The World Health Organization estimates that 80% of all diseases are caused by infected / contaminated water. Therefore pasteurization (destroying of disease causing organisms) is critical. Although we have begun with irrigation in these villages, the need for everyone to have healthy, clean drinking water is at the forefront of our thoughts and plans. Although it is hard to understand in the US, Malawians are not aware that their water can make them sick (diarrhea). By beginning with agriculture and working into drinking water we are finding that the villagers are readily accepting our recommendations (such as, not dipping each households bucket into the water source). We know that with nutritious food, enough of it and healthy water, systemic change will occur in Malawi.

Also, not to be remiss, I want to mention that we are in the midst of a fundraiser to purchase a field vehicle for our Malawi staff. We are so close, thanks to a donor who agreed to match the remainder of our need! Today we are at $7,615 (which is AWESOME!) but we still have $3,692.50 left to go before June 1st. Please consider sharing this post or the previous one about the vehicle with your “peeps”. We are so grateful for your support! (They are too!)

Rural areas of Malawi have very low access to healthy water (40%) and sanitation (1%). (source). Africa Windmill Project enables You to effect change in these children's lives. Please Partner with us.

Thursday, May 12, 2011

Butternut squash sales

The Mziza Farming Club have started harvesting butternut squash from their vegetable gardens. We are selling marketing the crop at the open vegetable market in Lilongwe. The price ranges from MK50-MK80, depending on which vendor we deal with.

Farmers have so far harvest a crop worth MK6,400. Many vendors at the market have asked us where we source the squash, and they are eager to find other scarce vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, sweet onions, and spinach.

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Latest Water Pumps

We've been running at full steam putting these pumps in at Mziza. We have 11 pumps installed, hoping to reach 15 by Friday, 30 by the 15th of May. The farmers have come out day after day to help and learn to put up the pumps.

Word is spreading about the project; several times we've been stopped on the road out to the village by a farmers who want water pumps in their own gardens. This is a sign that we are being successful.

The club members are excited to get started using the pumps. We have been talking with them about how the pump is going to help them. They are hopeful that they will be able to produce a vegetable crop that will exceed their nutritional needs, and provide an income that will help them avoid selling their maize crop at low prices.

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Your Help: It matters!

Africa Windmill Project is raising money for a truck. This will enable us to reach more remote villages and get supplies to the villages we are working with. We have currently raised $4,125 for the truck and need $15,000. Every dollar will go towards the truck enabling staff to provide training to the remote villagers in need.

Here is a link to our new video showing some of the latest from Africa Windmill Project and details on the truck.

Thank you
John Drake
Africa Windmill Project
407.432.0795

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Conservation Agriculture training


Conservation Agriculture (CA), basically the intersection of agriculture and Sustainable Land Management, is a promising way forward for smallholder and sustenance farmers in Africa who face rising input costs and environment degradation. AWP has always viewed irrigation as a means to extend the growing season(s) in a given area. If irrigation doubles the number of harvests a farmer can realize in a year, the farmers technique may be the greatest factor effecting his total output for the year. In other words, in a single growing season (rainy season) many farmers realize less (far less) than 50% of the potential of their land. AWP offers training in CA to improve a farmer's yield and set a basis on which irrigation can build. As I mentioned, this training is in high demand. In 2011, AWP plans to provide training to farmers in 7 villages across 3 districts of Malawi's central region.

  1. Mziza, Lilongwe.

  2. Chibanzi, Dowa

  3. Kaduwa, Lilongwe (with Collective Hope)

  4. Chitedze, Lilongwe (with African Bible College students)

  5. Mponela, Dowa (with Biwi Home-based Care)

  6. Dedza Saw Mill (with Julian and Nora)

  7. Dedza (with African Bible College students)
The trainings will take place throughout the year. There are seven lessons centered around a demonstration plot. (Pictured above is the Mzumala Agriculture Club at their demonstration plot.) The 7 lessons in chronological order:

  1. Composting

  2. Crop residue and mulching

  3. Planting technique

  4. Use of fertilizer and compost

  5. Weed, pest, and disease control

  6. Harvesting

  7. Crop rotation and farm planning
A demonstration plot for Conservation Agriculture is comprised of 8 subdivision of 10 sq. meters each. The first subdivision demonstrates the farmers' traditional method of growing maize. The second demonstrates CA techniques using chemical fertilizers and pesticides. The third demonstrates an integrated fertilizer/compost technique. The fourth is CA applied to soya, groundnuts, or beans. And the 5th through the 8th are a repetition of the first 4.

Sunday, April 10, 2011

From the archives...

Following up on the previous posting about my car, one of those "African Life" photos involving my car and a bunch of water pump parts:

Now multiply that load by 30 pumps... just doesn't fit.

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Enabling families in the US to HELP families in Africa

Africa Windmill Project has a pressing need.
A Truck.
Our current transport is pictured here. We call it the "goat" named because the horn is broken and sounds like a sick goat when used (which is often, because, well, it's Malawi).
We love the gas mileage this car gets, but used parts that we can find to fix it have about 10% of their life left. We have rebuilt and re-rebuilt this car. The villages we work in are not located on roads, speed bumps here in the US are nothing compared with the creeks, ditches and other obstacles that stand in our path when trying to reach our sites. Also, now that the farmers are seeing success they need to be able to take crops to market, which is more than a days walk in some cases.
When I asked Christopher if he would write a blog about this pressing need, this was his response...
"I will try to get a blog post up about the distance and conditions of the villages. I think one thing to remind the donors is that this will directly impact the people we are working with. Supplies will arrive on time and in 1 trip (rather then 5 or 6 different trips) and we will be able to search out new markets for their crops. Also the truck will help us in the future be able to reach villages farther from town that are neglected by support organizations and government programs"
So, if you are willing to donate money towards this need,
PLEASE go to www.africawindmill.org/donate.html or mail a check to Africa Windmill Project 2869 Carew Avenue, Winter Park, FL 32789 c/o John Drake (make all checks payable to Africa Windmill Project).
You will be directly impacting farmers and their childrens lives in Africa. Thank you for your generosity. We appreciate you!