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Project 9: Tree-planting at the Holy Family Sisters compound in Chawama, Lusaka

Context

Chawama is a poor township several kilometres south of the main commercial centre of Lusaka. A quick drive through the main thoroughfare of the township will show many signs of such poverty: the crammed compounds with houses of concrete block; the open drains filled with garbage; an excess of plastic rubbish littering the occasional open space; the many people wandering the streets or just sitting in the compounds – clearly with very little to do. The seasonal rhythm of dry season dust and wet season puddles combine with a distinct lack of greenery to give Chawama a forlorn air of deprivation. Yet the township is not without good qualities. The people are polite and cheerful, and at least in the daylight there is not that air of aggression that an Mzungu can sense in parts of Nairobi, for example. There are many good people living here.

For the Holy Family Sisters who live in Chawama there are more distressing problems here than the ones mentioned above, problems which a casual visitor could easily miss. Such problems include the high incidence of HIV and AIDS. It is not known accurately how many residents are suffering from this infection, as many ignore the recommendation for voluntary counselling & testing. However, the widespread social acceptance in Zambia of ‘multiple concurrent sexual partners’* explains how Zambia has achieved one of the highest HIV incidence rates in the world. Within Chawama heavy drinking is another problem, so the intoxicated are a common sight by late afternoon. These two problems are the basis of great strains within local family life, and family break up, divorce, and ‘child-headed households’ are increasingly common. As the compounds usually have no ground for planting and the majority are effectively unemployed, widespread hunger further hinders progress in this locality. The November rains, which are vital for Zambia’s agricultural harvest, only bring an annual outbreak of cholera to this part of the capital city.

The Missionary Sisters of the Holy Family are a Polish congregation who believe that there is considerable reason for hope and progress in this township. They arrived in 1994 and since then have undertaken a variety of social projects for the benefit of the local community. Such projects include:

• The Cheshire Divine Providence Home. This is a home for 20 aged who have no support from their families & are often disabled. It is also home for some 27 orphans or vulnerable children [OVCs]. In addition the Home provides help in terms of food, clothing etc to another 50 needy people who live in the township but come to the Home during the day.
• Chawama Holy Family Open Community School. This is a school for those in the neighbourhood who cannot afford to register at the local government school because they cannot afford shoes, school uniforms or school items, or because they are too old to begin schooling at a government institution. This school and nursery has 548 pupils at present, but badly needs to expand its facilities in order to cope with the ever-increasing demand for schooling. It has no government support for its work. 315 of these children are orphans, who are usually looked after by their grandmothers. Inevitably they need extra support from the Holy Family Sisters. Pupils receive daily food through the World Food Programme.
• A Homecraft Centre for training girls in cookery, sewing etc. This recently opened training centre now has 50 students following a 15 month course and a further 15 students undertaking work experience for a further 3 months. At present 90% of the women who complete the course find work, often in a self-employed capacity.

Pupils from Grade 6 at Chawama Holy Family Open Community School



Much of Chawama HF compound at the end of the dry season is a desolate, dry place covered with plastic litter, but it is also an important recreational space for the community



• Recreational improvements including a small playground for young children and a football pitch.

The children’s playground with an important message for adults

There is much spare ground within the compound managed by the Holy Family Sisters. On the first visit of SGG in late October 2007 more than half the compound was a dry, dusty, plastic-littered wasteland. During the subsequent month the first rains have encouraged people to start the cultivation of maize within the compound, but there is clearly a need for more permanent greenery in the form of trees to reduce dry season dust, to provide fruit and shade etc. At the invitation of Sr Judith Bozek, Superior in Chawama of the Holy Family Sisters, and Sr Angela Milonska, Sustainable Global Gardens [SGG] visited Chawama between 25th October and 23rd November 2007 with a view to establishing a tree-planting project.

Contact person

SGG’s main contact person is Sr Angela Milonska. Her postal address is P.O. Box 31591 LUSAKA, ZAMBIA . Her email address is hfsChawama@zamtel.zm. She would be pleased to accept both enquiries about and donations for this tree project - or other projects where the Holy Family are involved within the compound.

Project Proposal

After email discussions, which started in August 2007, it was decided that Sr Angela would investigate prices for young trees and order sufficient for planting at the beginning of the November 2007 rains. During the SGG field visit to Chawama such planting would be undertaken if the rains allowed. If SGG could make comments & suggestions on other aspects of the gardens in the HK compound that would be appreciated. It was also hoped that SGG would make a summary report of the various social projects managed by the Holy Family Sisters so that publicity for their good work can be made.

Project Progress

It has proved impossible to start the tree-planting soon after the arrival of SGG. The simple reason for this is that, although there was a good shower at Chawama on Monday 29th October, this was not followed by good rains in the subsequent two weeks. The ground within the compound was still sufficiently hard to break a hoe when the preparation of holes was started on 15th November towards the end of SGG’s visit.
However, significant progress has been made:

• By 12th October 1442 trees & bushes had been reserved at The University of Zambia’s Horticultural Nursery. This was the quantity of plants that the Holy Family sisters felt necessary to cover the compound with greenery. The problem here was the high cost of these plants [US$1540] compared to trees purchased for similar work in East Africa. It was decided to divide the cost of planting over two years, especially as there was evidence of tree failure after previous plantings.
• 14th November produced very good rains for the compound, so on the 15th November the following were purchased from the University Horticultural Nursery:

• 100 whispering pine [cassuarina] at K 5,000 each
• 100 poplar at K 3,000 each to alternate with the pines along a windbreak
• 200 common & purple vitex at K 3,000 each to establish low hedges
• 50 mango trees at K 3,000 each to provide fruit
• 50 Mexican thorn [strolobium] at K 3,000 each for secure fencing
• 50 red mahogany at K 3,000 each for shade
• 50 jacaranda at K 5,000 each for shade
• 45 flamboyant at K 5,000 each for shade & colour
• 1 ton of black soil at K 20,000 to help establish the trees in the infertile soils of Chawama compound.

The total cost of this was K 2,025,000 [about £270]. Other plants were wanted but the University Nursery was unable to supply at this time.

• 15th November Moses, the grounds manager, and several Grade 8 pupils dug about 200 holes in preparation for planting
• 16th November Grade 8 pupils enlarged the holes made the previous day and planted 211 cassuarina, poplar and Mexican thorn to start a windbreak across the compound.
• From 19th November onwards the groundsman Moses undertook the planting of the rest of the trees in various parts of the compound. As the SGG field visit to Zambia finished on 23rd November, the task of planting the trees bought on 14th November was far from complete
• On 20th November further funding was given to Sr Judith to promote tree-planting at Chawama. These funds included; K. 750,000 to top up the tree-planting donation to a total of US$1,000, and also a further K. 750,000 as a gift for the general work of the Holy Family Sisters, to be used for tree-planting or other work, in appreciation of their good hospitality over the previous month
• By 29th November all bought trees & shrubs were planted.

Project Reccomendations

On Wednesday 21st November SGG and Sir Judith Bozek undertook an inspection tour of the Chawama compound with a view to seeing how the greenery within the compound can be improved. SGG’s main suggestions made during that tour are as follows:

• Anti-termite fluid is used where cassuarina is planted, as at least 10 plants have been eaten by termites in the first 4 days after planting.
• The priority is to produce a strong windbreak between the bottom part of the compound with the football pitch and the rest of the compound. For the next year efforts at greening the compound should be concentrated on the upper part of the compound. The lower part will require funding next year or subsequently.
• Where termites have destroyed young trees on this windbreak, Strolobium i.e. Mexican thorn will be planted. These shrubs are less damaged by wind or termite attack, and such plants will discourage people from climbing over the separating fence which is soon to be installed.
• Any additional Strolobium will be planted close to the wall fence to discourage people from climbing the wall next to the access road.
• It is accepted that the eucalyptus close to the upper wall have reached such a height as to now represent a problem. However, maize & beans have already been planted underneath & in the neighbouring field, so it is necessary to leave their treatment until after the next harvest in March. It is suggested that before the next planting [November 2008] the line of eucalyptus nearest the wall is pollarded so as to provide some continued protection against wind & dust. The inner line of eucalyptus should be coppiced so that shoots grow from the base. Where there are gaps close to the wall, different trees should be planted as windbreaks, probably cassuarina with some bougainvillea. Whenever the eucalyptus are felled or removed, great care will be needed to avoid damage to surrounding crops or housing.
• The large field at the uppermost part of the compound [the ‘volunteers house’ field] has produced poor yields of maize & beans recently, but the workers persist in planting these traditional crops. It is suggested that two major improvements which could be made here are: 1. a tenfold-plus increase in compost production using the above-ground ‘line method’ as demonstrated at Kasisi Organic Farm; 2. a change to agroforestry land use. Lines of compost should be made under shade, near abundant organic material [e.g. chopped maize stalks] suitable for compost-making, near a source of water, and near a source of manure. There is a suitable place near the orchard fence close to the pig enclosure. An agroforestry approach could be achieved by planting the mangoes 15m apart along 2 or 3 lines. This is likely to use up 30 of the young mango plants bought on 14th November.
• Eucalyptus trees between this field and the wall will also need to be pollarded, coppiced and ultimately replaced over the next two years.
• At the side of the above field there have been some attempts at producing compost using the pit method. These have failed because the pits have been used to throw away plastic rubbish which is occasionally burned in the pits, despite there being an incinerator next door. The only way that this system could work satisfactorily at present is if one person from Divine Providence Home was responsible for throwing away & burning of plastic rubbish. Until that system is in place, the line method is better for compost production.
• The Holy Family Sisters garden enclosure has plenty of scope for improvement. Many of the first trees planted around the convent were pine trees. These have been successful as a rapidly-growing windbreak, but pine needles will not improve the soil. It is suggested to these pines are gradually removed over the next 5 years and replaced by indigenous broad-leaved species. In some places in the garden this process has started naturally as the taller broadleaved trees are starting to shade and kill some of the pines. There are some good shaded positions for compost production here. There is also space for 4-5 mango trees.
• The vegetable section of the Sisters enclosure is the obvious location to develop a large experimental plot for organic gardening. A major proposal for the Chawama compound is that the Sisters develop good communications with Kasisi Organic Farm and/or PELUM and experiment with some of the techniques which they are encouraging. Of particular relevance for this enclosure are the planting of soil improvement trees [leucaena? Sesbania? velvet beans?], agroforestry [by replacing the eucalyptus with 2 rows of mangoes], greater production of compost & other sources of fertilizer [comfrey?], production of natural pesticides [neem? chilly peppers?] and crop rotation.
• The Orphanage vegetable garden is much more productive than other plots within the compound. It demonstrates what can be done. This is the result of water on site, sufficient chicken manure nearby, and the orphans being allocated their own individual plot which is their own responsibility. Two simple improvements here would include the planting of some flowers [Mexican marigolds?] which encourage pest-eating insects, and the replacement of the organic rubbish with a proper compost heap. Maize looks very good here, but it is a waste of good ground in this context. Similarly, it needs to be considered if it is worth growing bananas.
• To implement all these proposals is a huge amount of additional work for the Holy Family Sisters, and it should be appreciated that the burden of work falls mainly on them. It is likely to take at least a decade to complete the greening of this compound. Thus, the Sisters should look to encouraging some short-term volunteering for specific projects to facilitate this worthy cause.