Karagwe Unplugged 3 - FOODS

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The focus of this photo journal chapter is "Foods". On the side of resources, the people of Karagwe grow beautiful banana, coffee, pineapple, sugar, avacado, tomato, potato, cassava, maize, papaya, mango, and trees to name some staples. On the side of challenges, and due to limited broad-based understanding of some basics such as pest control, irrigation, mulching, crop rotation, seed selection, and marketing strategies, the farmers do not get large yields or returns on their harvested crops. Most are subsistence farmers aching for new ways to go about crop production, crop conservation, and harvest-to-market techniques. This is where KARUCO comes in.

Dr. Benson Bagonza founded KARUCO - Karagwe University College to address the need for improved agriculture. His concept paper outlined specifically how the district's first university could teach entrepreneurial agri-business techniques and transform Karagwe through economic and social improvement. The university was approved by the community, the ELCT (Evangelical Lutheran Church of Tanzania) and is supported by governmental organizations and other institutions of higher education. Jan B. Hansen learned of the concept in 2008, knew it would work and pledged her support that resulted in the formation of the nonprofit Educate Tanzania, Inc. in 2010. Meanwhile, the ELCT hired Dr. Brighton Katabaro to coordinate all functions related to the establishment of KARUCO. ETI, the ELCT, European partners --all agree that a university - birthed in Karagwe- would bring about increased understanding and therefore higher yields, healthier crops, better nutrition, sustainable revenue streams, exciting businesses, improved economy and importantly - social justice for those commonly left out of the picture - often women. The idea of a university has taken hold and building has begun (see previous blogs especially "KARUCO Ag Tag" - January/February, 2013).

Join Educate Tanzania on a tour of Karagwe using the beautiful images of Ashley Miller of AshMill Photography in Nashville, Tennessee. Ashley volunteered to accompany Educate Tanzania Inc. (ETI) in January, 2013 as it led a team of curriculum developers from the College of Agriculture at the University of Minnesota and the provost from EARTH (Agricultural) University in Costa Rica. Each year, Ashley tags along with a nonprofit, donating her time, talents and costs to help worthy nonprofits in Tanzania tell their story. ETI offers its kudos and thanks.

http://ashmillphotography.com

Scroll down for more photos.

Go to Educate Tanzania website: http://educatetanzania.org

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Photos

KARUCO is Needed to Stave Off Threats
The community wants to know.

Small Grain Harvest
KARUCO is needed for viable market analysis.

High on the Food Chain
Karagwe Unplugged - KARUCO is needed to help the community determine how and where meat fits in the market.

Banana Ndizi Shamba Everywhere
KARUCO will show new ways to select, irrigate, protect, fertilize and conserve.

Coffee
Educate Tanzania Karagwe Unplugged

Current Harvest to Market
This future student could benefit from her own business plan at KARUCO

Lush Leaves in Karagwe
AshMill Photography

Maximizing the Resources
KARUCO builds upon Karagwe's strengths

Ndizi
AshMill Photography

Sunflower
Karagwe boasts a variety of crops

Agriculturalists
KARUCO - Karagwe University College is needed to put the farmers (mostly women) in touch with agriculturalists from around the world.

College of Agriculture - Univ of Minnesota
Pedro Bidegaray wrote 'hands-on' learning into the KARUCO Ag Curriculum

Get Women Closer to Revenue
KARUCO is needed to put the farmers (mostly women) in touch with improved techniques and get them closer to the revenue streams.

Karagwe Unplugged
AshMill Photography, Nashville, Tennessee

Coffee
Some of the best coffee in the world - needing to improve harvest to market methods