DAY 14 - Farm Visits - July 14 - 2010

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Big day. Highlights include: 1) Elsie made us breakfast at the ELCT center and showed us a beautiful vista from her WC; 2) Dustin and Sam brought us to a nursery and 8 farms; 3) Themes of ELCT work - using manure to fertilize shambas, cows to improve family situation; AIDS widows 4) no men visible oftentimes; 5) Received gifts and brought them to Edina at the hotel for all to share; 6) Dinner at Edina's.

NARRATIVE: Woke to sounds of the ELCT early prayer service near us. Had breakfast with Elsie and was glad for the lively conversation. Steve loved having cheese for breakfast - must be the Dane in him. Dustin and Sam came and we met the pastor of the ELCT site who lamented that he did not know we were going to be at the site. The pastors' young son was gorgeous and I asked if we could take a photo. We left the ELCT center and headed out with our new friend, Richard who worked with New Life Programs through the ELCT. First stop: The Nursery with many seedlings. they've talked bio-wastes, fuels, and char. Richard and Sam told us about the irrigation protocols, sources of water, pumping systems, and replanting plans.

Second Stop: I will never forget the sight of Esther, he farmer, running toward us as we waited near her home. Her hair was blowing away from her face, her skirt was pulled up slightly to make it easier to run, her face looking expectantly at us. She was dressed in the fabric that my friend Sophia had given me and I was having made into a blouse. I told her so and we beamed at each other. Sam was conscientious and gracious as our host and interpreter. He translated Esther's sharing that she learned to put the cow manure on the banana shambas, which was relatively innovative in Karagwe. Estherbwas delightful, proud of her farm and conveyed she would be interested in knowing more methods of farming. She expressed interest in tractors or technology for farming although did not specify what that might be.

On to another farm. And another. One young man was building a huge home out of bricks. he had a cow- a sign of some wealth- and seemed very organized. Two girls hanging around his home were very shy around Steve and me. Wuzungu? I wonder if the one younger girl had seen many white people before. She looked absolutely baffled and like the little kids at Mbira, she stared unwaveringly at Steve. I felt guilty taking her photo not having asked permission of a parent but finally just had to capture her expression. The girls were fascinated when I showed them the image. For the most part, men were not around the farms but women were conducting farm work on their own. This one was different however, with the young man (age 27) showing us his implements (hand tools), referring to his cow, banana shamba, and telling of crops and markets that are not always lucrative. Bananas from this region tend to go to Bukoba as Richard and Sam explained. The farmer insisted that we take with us a pineapple and some sugar cane. The pineapple here is the sweetest I have ever tasted, and I had never had raw cane sugar before. My my.

We visited a few more farms with the same messages: fertilize the shambas with manure from the cows, compost, harvest in a timely way and get the crops to market in a safe and efficient manner. The ELCT has had a significant hand in helping farmers get a boost to their incomes by helping with farm investments such as livestock or pens, especially to those families where the husband/dad was dead. I could see room for expansion of such programs, as well as programs for soil amendments, simple irrigation systems, erosion controls, animal waste programs, insemination programs and the like. I look forward to another, more specific visit in the future. We left the farms.

We had a delightful lunch at the ELCT Youth Hostel with Rebecca. The regular rice, bananas, red sauce. Steve is wanting a little variety but does not complain. I have found that no matter where one is, the foods of home start 'calling'. Rebecca is still serene and happy and showed us her tiny room where she stays with her two children. Cozy. It was wonderful to see my friend. We hugged goodbye and she said she would see me again at the hotel before we go back to the U.S. I think Richard and Sam realized we had saturated our minds with information and were ready to move on. We sailed through three more farms verifying our findings from the first few farms. Then on to Kayanga.

We shared our many gifts with Dustin, Sam and the Hotel kitchen staff. They loved the ground nuts, sugar cane, and pineapple. Steve and I went to our rooms and put on the yellow/orange skirt and shirt that Genegeva gave us. We saw the bishop incidentally and took photos with Genegeva. We sat in the sun on the west side of the porch. Edina II walked us to Edina I's home for supper. Edina's place was beautifully appointed with alternating lights on a tree and a Christian music. We had some beautiful spaghetti and tomato sauce. Yeah! Then Edina gave us the very fabrics that Steve and I had wanted and had pointed out at the shop. We retired to the sitting room and gave Edina a 'skinny' wallet and a necklace as gifts. Edina updated us on her family, showed us cards and pictures from her graduation years ago, and told about her life at the hotel. She is a good friend. We wound down the evening, offered to help clean up, were turned down, said our thanks and good-byes, and then walked back to the hotel. Lovely evening.

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Take me to the Educate Tanzania website.

http://educatetanzania.org

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Photos

Visitng Kyerwa Farms
Pastor, his son, Sam, Richard and Jan start the day at the ELCT Center.

Nursery at Kyerwa
Environmental practices in place.

Community Development Officer
Teaching Steve about making bricks and the nursery.

Water
Constant Issue

Goat Pen Pent House
Elevated makes so much sense.

What to Think
You look different.

Youth Center Nkwenda
ELCT reaches out to youth.

Comments

[Steve]

Great memories
It was fun to see Sam and remember our tour of the farms.