To all our friends who have expressed willingness to support the development charity ‘SUSTAINABLE GLOBAL GARDENS’:

This is the seventh newsletter which has been issued to those of you who have offered support for SUSTAINABLE GLOBAL GARDENS.  The previous report was produced quite recently in August, but there is plenty to report after a very busy few months.  If you have not been in touch recently, you might find it useful to read the accompanying Annual Report, which summarises progress upto 31st March.  A comparison of these two documents will show you how much progress there has been during the last four months.

You can use the Annual Report and this newsletter to inform friends, colleagues and other interested parties about what sort of work is done by SUSTAINABLE GLOBAL GARDENS.  Spreading the word about SGG is essential if we are to reach our financial target of £25,000 for our third financial year, which ends on 31st March 2009.  Also please use this newsletter to help you decide what practical action you can take to promote Millennium Development Goal No 1, the eradication of global poverty and hunger. 

Here is some good news for SGG supporters.  In March 2007 Bill & Jackie Neale pledged to raise the £16,000 necessary to construct a health centre on this site, which was a field at the time.  The photo shows how much progress was made in one year, as this picture was taken in February 2008. Notice the brickwork in front of the blue rails.  These are the bottom bricks for the Men’s and Women’s Wards.  You can see that this phase of the construction is only just started.

This photo was taken in August 2008.  It was taken from the Outpatients Department, which is being managed by two Usambara Sisters, across the small courtyard to the wards.  Those wards were only a few bricks high in the previous photograph.  The Outpatients Department has been open since June and for emergency cases it is now possible for a patient to stay overnight.  However, more construction is needed before the Centre is fully operational.

The construction of Soni Health Centre is only one aspect of progress recently.  The main basis of this rapid progress is that SUSTAINABLE GLOBAL GARDENS has had the benefit of three volunteers who have spent their holiday time since July undertaking SGG project work in Africa.  

Henryk Parker and Martha Cronin are both students at Lampeter University, and they spent five weeks this summer working in the Usambara Mountains of Tanzania.  Much of their time was used to further progress with Project 6, the Soni tree-planting project, and also to monitor progress on the construction of the health centre there.  However, the most exciting aspect of Henryk & Martha’s visit is that they were able to initiate some new projects where SGG has previously not had sufficient time or capital to invest.  They have started a project for both water storage and tree-planting at Kongai Primary School, and they have initiated another project where indigenous tree cover will be restored on bare hillsides near the village of Ubiri in the Eastern Usambaras.  SUSTAINABLE GLOBAL GARDENS believes that the Ubiri project has great potential, and that it could easily become one of our most popular projects.  The reason for this optimism is that Ubiri is located very close to the Amani Nature Reserve, which is one of the biodiversity hotspots of Africa.  If Henryk & Martha and SGG manage to make even a small contribution to forest restoration in this locality, it will be by far our most important environmental conservation project to date.

Here Henryk is clearing the weeds away from the small trees planted over the last two years.

The new projects started by Martha and Henryk mean that SUSTAINABLE GLOBAL GARDENS now has several projects in North-East Tanzania.  Those five projects which were started in 2007 now all have reports posted on our website, which is www.sustainableglobalgardens.org.  We shall post details of Kongai Primary School and the Ubiri projects as soon as possible.

There is now sufficient work for SUSTAINABLE GLOBAL GARDENS in this region of Africa to last for several years.  Our plan is that Paul will visit Tanzania at least once a year – and probably in January/February.  This would be an excellent opportunity for anybody wishing to take a self-funded working holiday when they could dip their toe into practical development work.

Progress has not been limited to Tanzania.  In September another volunteer, John Harrison, accompanied Paul on his annual monitoring & planning visit to OWDF in West Kenya.  John is a farmer in Northumberland, and he proved to be extremely useful – especially when visiting those groups who had been donated a moneymaker footpump.  What has been established is that a group of farmers can increase food production & profits equivalent to the initial price of the ‘moneymaker’ within one year.  Project 1, the provision of moneymaker pumps, has proved to be a very popular project with local farmers.  Thus, although SGG has completed our original promise of 20 such pumps [so far we have donated 26!], there is a strong request for us to continue with this work.

Mothers waiting with their children and hoping to benefit from Project 2, support for orphans and other vulnerable children.  John Harrison, seen here in the background, is helping with the monitoring work done during this village meeting.

Last year SUSTAINABLE GLOBAL GARDENS gave over £4000 to support 959 orphans & their carers.  Unfortunately, this is nowhere near enough.  The above figures allow each child support of about Ksh 10/- (8p!!) per week, which is insufficient to purchase even one good meal a week.  Thus, I made the hard decision that SGG should concentrate on supporting a maximum of 500 such orphans.  The simple message is that SGG needs to raise much more money if we are to achieve our basic principle of ‘£1/month per orphan’ with a 5 year running time.  It is clear that we shall need to raise well over £10,000 per year if we are to meet initial aims.  In our next newsletter, which will arrive about Christmas, I hope to present some proposals about how we could achieve this target in 2009.

Paul Keeley

To all our friends who have expressed willingness to support the development charity ‘SUSTAINABLE GLOBAL GARDENS’:

This is the eighth newsletter which has been issued to those of you who have offered support for SUSTAINABLE GLOBAL GARDENS.  The previous report was produced quite recently in November, but that report considered developments up to the end of September.  There is much which has happened since then for us to consider, especially as we face the hectic approach to the Christmas festivities.

You can use this newsletter or any of the reports available on the website to inform friends, colleagues and other interested parties about what sort of work is done by SUSTAINABLE GLOBAL GARDENS.

What wonders come from the Internet!  A researcher from Brisbane Museum, Australia has been preparing an exhibition on Grevillea robusta, the seedlings in the foreground.  She discovered SGG’s use of this species on Tanzanian tree-planting projects.  This photo of boys at Soni Seminary putting the young seedlings under shade (part of Project 6) will be used in the Brisbane exhibition.

Both continued individual generosity and willingness to spread the word about SGG are essential if we are to reach our financial target of £25,000 in our third financial year.  By the end of November we had already surpassed last year’s fundraising total of £11,891.06p, so congratulations to all those supporters who have worked hard to support our African projects and have often been very generous indeed.  Furthermore, we have perhaps another £4,000 in the pipeline, but not yet arrived at this office.  This suggests that, although most of this financial year has already gone, there is still time and opportunity to reach our financial target by 31st March.  To do so will require a good collection over Christmas and the New Year, and at least some success with ongoing grant applications.

By the way, as the person who regularly watches SUSTAINABLE GLOBAL GARDENS donations creep, and leap sometimes, towards our financial targets, I feel it very important not to focus too much on money.   As I look back over 2008, what has particularly pleased me is the sending of volunteers for work overseas.  A good volunteer can bring so much more than just money to a project.  That volunteer, even if working on an overseas project for only a few weeks, will bring hope to those who are struggling in a mire of poverty and will also often spur local community leaders to work more positively.  Thus, if you are wondering how best to support our projects, you should give a self-funded voluntary working holiday some serious thought.   Make 2009 the year when you get your hands dirty in Africa!  Some of our supporters express a great desire to go to Africa, but as an opportunity draws near they lose their confidence.  If this has happened to you, do not worry.  It always happens to me.  Before every working visit to Africa I have doubts about being too old, too inexperienced, too uncertain about the best way forward - and after every visit I return home more relaxed and more assured that good was achieved from that time abroad.  So banish those doubts and vanquish your fears in 2009!

September 2008. Volunteer John Harrison enjoying a meal with OWDF workers

Since my return from Kenya in October, I have become particularly aware of the problems and needs of the HIV orphans in Busia District, who are the main beneficiaries of Project 2.  This project has been running quite successfully for a year and a half, but in this early stage of a five year project much of our funding has been used to improve the economic status of the carers of the orphans.  In January 2009 we intend to greatly increase funds which will be spent directly on the orphans themselves.  During discussions with Kenyan community leaders and project workers it became clear that last year’s funding was insufficient to provide two good meals a week to these orphans.  Thus, I would like both to reduce the numbers of orphans in the feeding programme and also to commit SUSTAINABLE GLOBAL GARDENS to much greater funding to Project 2 in 2009.

Most of our supporters focus on one particular project already.  However, some express no particular preference where donations are sent.  In 2009 and until a large grant is secured from a Trust fund, I shall direct nearly all unspecified donations to Project 2 - the support of HIV orphans.  For this reason am I attaching the new updated version of Project 2, so you can see the details of what we intend to do.

20th September- a scramble of young children and anxious parents.  SGG & OWDF workers arrive at Khuyala ECDC to find information about the hundred orphans who wish to register for SGG’s feeding programme.  Scores more orphans arrive, but return home disappointed.  SGG does not yet have the funds to support all the children in need in this part of the world. How many orphans are there here?

Concerning Project 2, I hope that SUSTAINABLE GLOBAL GARDENS can raise £9,000 for our 500 orphans and their carers.  I am fairly optimistic that we can achieve that target if the majority of supporters focus on this project.  We already have some good news here.  While working at Mundika, where the OWDF office is located, I met a Dutch Rotary doctor who works in Mundika for two months each year.  SGG, OWDF and the doctor are now looking at joint action related to preventative medicine around Mundika.  We do not yet have the funds, but we anticipate funding of at least £1,000 to supply youngsters with anti-malaria bed nets.  Although HIV/AIDS is considered the ’scourge’ around Mundika, it is malaria which is still the biggest killer of young children in this mosquito-rich region of Kenya.  There is good news for the food programme too: within the last month both the local Rotary Club and individual supporters have donated £500 each to this specific cause. 

On 30th September orphans and their carers of Namulekhwa Wedinye group wait in the hope of being included in Project 2.

And how can we pay for all this charity project?  Don’t worry: Christmas is around the corner.  In recent months we have had several requests from supporters for a ’shopping list’ of items which can be donated to SUSTAINABLE GLOBAL GARDENS in lieu of a present to friends.  We now have a list of about 10 items, not a whole catalogue as with some charities, which you can purchase if you wish to do something original or meaningful - or if you simply run out of time for that final shop.  At least one of my relatives is going to get a hairy herbivore [see item 6 & 7] for Christmas - and if I do not manage to catch up with work and get out to the shops soon, several are going to find such beasts in their Christmas stocking.

The shopping list we are using at present is as follows:

1. Purchase a high-grade fruit tree to improve children’s nutrition for £1,
2. Donate 10 seedling trees for transplanting to improve the environment for £2,
3. Buy a mosquito bed net and provide young children with much better protection against malaria in for £5,
4. Give a child a year of primary education at Chawama township in Lusaka, Zambia for £8,
5. Provide basic food security for a child orphaned by AIDS in West Kenya for £12, 
6. Donate a nanny goat and a kid to provide nutritious milk for £20,
7. Purchase a goat couple to start a goat-breeding project for £35,
8. Enable us to sink a shallow well in Zambia so that impoverished local farmers can produce vegetables in the dry season for £50,
9. Provide a family with a modern toilet in West Kenya for £50,
10. Provide a footpump and hosepipes to promote dry season vegetable production in West Kenya for £100.  These pumps are called moneymaker pumps because the cost of the pump can be recovered by increased sales within two years. 

So there is no need to panic before Christmas, or at birthdays, or any time of the year.  Just let us know which gift you wish to purchase, and to whom you wish us to send the certificate of purchase.  When we have received your donation we shall send the appropriate certificate, which will show the names of both the recipient of your present and the African beneficiaries.  After SGG has visited the African beneficiaries at some stage of 2009, we shall send you a brief report on the progress of your gift.  Christmas shopping couldn’t be easier!

Bunema Womens group manage a successful goat-breeding project.

Thank you for all you have done in 2008.  Have a good Christmas festival, and enjoy your few days of holiday.  My best wishes to you all!

Paul Keeley

Soni is a village in the Western Usambaras and is located approximately halfway along the road between Mombo and Lushoto.  Like most rural areas of Tanzania, local health provision is limited.  At present there is a village dispensary in Soni but the nearest hospital is eighteen kilometers distance in Lushoto.  Although the Tanzanian government has made great progress concerning health recently, there is still a need to improve provision of health facilities at a local level.

In 2006-2007 Bill and Jackie Neale were both working at Soni Seminary.  They both wished to contribute to the development of the locality in which they were then living.  After discussion with Fr tom Kiangio concerning possible appropriate projects, it was decided to undertake both a tree-planting project [discussed elsewhere] and the construction of a dispensary.  The latter would be of significant benefit to the Seminary where there are minimum medical facilities for 160 students and about 20 staff/workers.  However, such a dispensary would prove a valuable asset to the local community as the Seminary is located near the mouth of a valley in which health facilities are also minimal.

Bill & Jackie Neale with Fr Tom Kiangio near the site of the new dispensary.

In late 2006 an estimate was made of the likely cost of a village dispensary, which would include

a small female ward, a similar ward for men, a maternity unit as well as an outpatients clinic.  That estimate was $36,600 for the completion of the whole dispensary block. By March 2007 there was only a small proportion of this money available for construction.  Nevertheless, a decision was made to start the construction of the dispensary and to proceed as funds became available.  At this stage Jackie and Bill Neale knew that they would be leaving Soni by the following July, and as a farewell gesture they pledged to try and raise the estimated £15,000 still needed to complete construction.  Thus, in March 2007 work began with the clearance of the site next to the Usambara Sisters community house.

Progress

Sustainable Global Gardens has had a few opportunities to view work done on site.  Before Jackie and Bill left for England in late June they took photos of progress upto that date.  By then the shell of the building for the first phase [ie. reception area, examination room, laboratory room etc] had been completed.  A few weeks later a Director of SGG, Rachel Gibson, also visited the site and reported that the roof of this first section was in place.  Work then slowed as funds for the project dried up.  In January & February 2008 there has been steady progress as more funds became available.  Ceilings have been put in place in the rooms already constructed, grills for the entrances and windows have been installed, most of the floor has been tiled, and the walls etc painted.  Meanwhile, as the first phase block nears completion, construction has begun on the second phase of the building [ie. the female and male wards].  

The new dispensary. All construction has been done within the last year as the first phase nears completion.

However, the priority in late February 2008 is to get the dispensary opened and functioning as soon as possible, so second phase construction is now halted until the finishing touches of the first phase are done.  Fr Tom Kiangio is now in negotiations with the Usambara Sisters, who have agreed to provide two workers once the first phase of construction is complete.  It is hoped to reach this point by June 2008.

Prospects

There has been great progress with the construction of the first phase of the dispensary.  All the construction seen in the above photo has been done in the last twelve months.  Before that this site was just agricultural land close to the community house of the Usambara Sisters.  The shell of the dispensary is now clearly visible to the local community, and they are eagerly awaiting the opening of their new dispensary.

However, there are serious blocks on progress.  Fr Tom Kiangio, the Rector of Soni Seminary who has undertaken responsibility for this project, is totally dependent on funds raised by Bill & Jackie Neale for the construction work.  Bill and Jackie have raised approximately half the original estimate, but costs have also greatly increased.  A critical problem is that there is a national shortage of cement in Tanzania at present.  This is not entirely bad news as it is a consequence of the spurt of development which has occurred in the last few years.  However, the consequence of that progress is that the price of cement is about double what it was when the original estimates were made.  Unfortunately, this means those estimates were well below current market costs, which Fr Tom has to pay.  Our main proposal concerning this inflationary situation is that it makes sense to push ahead with construction before costs rise even further.  This means we are asking everybody concerned with fund-raising for this project to make a special effort NOW to enable construction work to continue.  When no money is being raised in the UK, progress on this project simply halts.  So we are asking YOU to be especially generous on this occasion so that the dispensary can be opened and used by the community as soon as possible.

Work continues steadily, but the dispensary is not ready for opening yet.

Contact Us

If you wish to contribute to this valuable community project in Tanzania, you can do so by contacting Bill or Jackie Neale on billandjackieneale4@hotmail.com or 02476 641125.  You can also Gift Aid donations to this project by contacting Sustainable Global Gardens on paul_keeley@hotmail.com or 0191 2530687 and requesting the appropriate forms.  Show your generous nature and help MAKE POVERTY HISTORY.

Context

Tanzania is an economically poor country which is undergoing rapid change as its population adjusts to the rewards and demands of modern life.  This adjustment often creates social problems and individual tragedy.  The immediate cause of many such difficulties may be misfortune or the chosen lifestyle of adults, but the burden of such family problems can so often fall on young children.

There are many modern social changes which have an impact on young children living in the Kilimanjaro Region around Moshi.  For the great majority of these children there is family prosperity, happiness and opportunities [e.g. widespread schooling, an extensive network of health facilities], which were not there fifty years ago.  There is plenty of evidence of progress in Moshi and the surrounding rural areas over the last fifty years. As I first visited Chaggaland in 1973 I can personally testify to that.

However, some young children are the casualties of ‘development’.  Post Independence modernisation has weakened the strong bonds of the traditional extended Chagga family.  As there has been rapid population growth on the middle slopes of Kilimanjaro, which are the traditional home of the Chaggas, there is a land shortage there and many Chagga men have migrated to Dar es Salaam or elsewhere in search work.  Sometimes the wife remains at home with the children.  Sometimes the husband takes a second wife in the capital, and the original wife & children are neglected.  Traditionally if a mother dies, the orphaned children receive care from within the extended family, but many modern families no longer accept this duty.  In particular, a second wife may well reject the children of the first.  The rapid spread of HIV in the last twenty years has further aggravated the problems of child care.

The nearby hospitals sometimes have babies which have been abandoned.  A significant number of mothers, sometimes weakened by poor nutrition or HIV, die during delivery – and the infant is not claimed.  In other cases, if a baby is born prematurely, that infant is kept in the hospital for postnatal care.  If a mother is unable to pay the hospital bills then she may simply disappear.   Yet another problem is that school students may come secretly to give birth and then subsequently return in secret to school leaving the newborn at hospital.  The consequence of all these tragedies is that there is no shortage of unwanted babies within Kilimanjaro Region. 

The Project Partner    

 Upendo Children’s Home is managed by the Missionary Sisters of the Precious Blood.  Their particular mission is to be and to live with those who are suffering and the marginalized.  Many under their care are women or children, although ‘youth’ is an important aspect of their concern. They started a children’s home in Tanzania as early as 1934 at Kifungilo near Lushoto.  When this was well established a Nursery Nurses Training Centre was added in 1958.  However, the relatively inaccessible location in the Usambara Mountains was not an ideal site for such an institution, so in 1966 the Sisters moved both the Children’s Home and the Training Centre to Moshi.   The Precious Blood Sisters have a long-established reputation for child care work in this part of the world. 

At present the Administrator for both Upendo Children’s Home and the Nursery Nurse Training Centre on the same site is Sr Immaculata Kavishe.  She welcomes any interest and enquiries concerning the Sisters work at Upendo.

The Precious Blood Sisters at Moshi are best known for the Upendo Children’s Home or “Upendo Nyumba ya Malezi ya Watoto”.  At Upendo there are 49 young children aged between 2 months and 6years.  Seven of these young children suffer some form of disability in addition to the trauma of having been left by their parents.  The Sisters regard it as their vocation to take good loving care of such youngsters. The particular concern is the very young, so when children reach the age of seven they are transferred to a different environment.  This is the ‘Save Our Souls’ [SOS] Children’s Village in Ubungo, Dar es Salaam.

The complications of such care can most easily be seen by examination of a few individual stories.      

For example, Lucy was born on 4/11/2002.  Her mother died soon after delivery, and she was brought to Upendo when she was just 3 months old.  Her father, who suffered from mental illness, visited her a few times in 2003 but has not been seen since.  Lucy is quite an alert girl who is now attending Upendo’s kindergarten.  Another child is Andrew, who was abandoned in Himo town and then brought to Upendo in February 2003 by the Ministry of Social Welfare.  At the time he was 3 months old.  His parents have never visited him and are not known by Upendo.  The young boy was a late crawler, a late walker and was slow to learn how to talk.  He continues to show signs of mental confusion.  As he grows older the Sisters are concerned for his future, because SOS does not have the facilities to accept disabled children.  There is already a problem of Andrew being aggressive to his younger peers.  Godbless was born in Arusha on 19/2/2005 and abandoned in the hospital by his mother.  He was found to be HIV positive, so he was taken to the ‘Village of Hope’ in Dodoma, where he was cared for by Italian Sisters.  After medical treatment he was considered cured by November 2006, and then came to live at Upendo.  Michael was born in April 2001.  His mother died two weeks after delivery, and his father is missing.  In his first year he developed meningitis and suffered a seizure.  He is now partly paralysed.  For a long time he was only able to lie in bed, but after years of care and physiotherapy at Upendo Michael is now able to sit up and can speak a little.  Teresa and Aurelia are twins born in October 2006.  The mother is very poor and without a husband.  The father was studying at college in Moshi, but he returned to Zambia before the twins were born.  Subsequently, the mother contracted breast cancer and needed a mastectomy in September 2007 at a cost of Tshs 300,000.  While the mother undergoes further treatment against cancer, Upendo has agreed to look after the twins.  There are many more personal tragedies which comprise the work of the Sisters at Upendo.

Another aspect of the Sisters work is the residential Nursery Nurse Training Centre – or “Upendo Chuo cha Elimu ya Malezi ya Watoto”.  Here there are now 43 young women who are training to be nursery teachers or workers in care homes similar to Upendo.  Theirs is a two year course, which includes child care, cookery, tailoring, basic health as well as English.

It is the policy of Upendo to be as self-sufficient as possible, particularly in terms of food needed by over one hundred residents there.  Thus, Sr Immaculata wishes to develop the small garden and farm on site as well as producing food from two plots at Shirimatunda and Kikavu, both within 5 miles of Upendo.

Project Proposal

In January 2008 Sr Immaculata received 2 donations to further the good work at Upendo.  One donation wa [approximately £4000], which came from the English-speaking Catholic church, ul. Radna, Warsaw. A second donation of £850 came mainly from St Edwards Justice & Peace group, Whitley Bay, UK.

 There are many possible investments which could improve the lives of the children at Upendo, and Sr Immaculata is still investigating the best way of spending these two gifts.  However, an initial spending policy has already been developed i.e.

• Half the donation should be spent on a substantial project.  At present two main lines of enquiry are being made.  One is to improve the water supply and storage facilities within the Upendo site.  Such work could comprise additional ‘water harvesting’ [collection of rainwater from the roof] facilities.  Another possibility is to purchase additional storage tanks, which cost about £600 for a 10,000 litre tank.  It would be possible to purchase several such tanks with these combined donations.  On the other hand, it may prove to be more efficient to invest in a concrete underground storage tank.  Sr Immaculata will undertake a study of comparative costs in January 2008 so that a decision can be made soon after these funds have arrived in Moshi.
• It is agreed that a minimum of 25% of this grant will be spent for the direct benefit of the 49 young children in the care of the Sisters.  This money may be spent gradually over the course of 2008 as needs arise.  It is likely to include: additional milk supplies, rice, and other food supplements.  There are 10 childcarers in addition to the 4 Precious Blood Sisters at Upendo and each carer earns between Tshs 70,000 & 80,000 per month.  Thus labour costs are about Tshs 10 million out of a total budget of approximately Tshs 16 million for the Children’s Home.  From these figures it can be estimated that the annual cost for each child at Upendo is approximately £125.  As the Sisters have no control over when children in need are brought to them, there is a fluctuation in the actual number present at any one time with 60 being the maximum.  Thus, it has been agreed to spend this part of the money as the need arises.
• About 20% of these donations will be invested in improved food production at Upendo itself or on the plots at Shirimatunda or Kikavu.  A likely investment is an improved poultry house as the present one is unsatisfactory.  Sr Immaculata wishes to increase production of eggs & chicken for both sale and consumption at Upendo, where there are over one hundred people resident.  She is also experimenting with onion production on a small 1 acre plot above the irrigated land at Kikavu.  There are also possibilities of greater food production and tree-planting at the Shirimatunda plot.

It is hoped that by March 2008 Sr Immaculata will have decided how exactly to spend these donations, and that she will report back to Sustainable Global Gardens & the donors her various investment decisions.   

Project Progress

On Friday 15^th February SGG returned to Upendo Children’s Home to check on any progress made so far.  By this date the following funds have been received in the Upendo bank account in Moshi :

§  Tshs 4,578,209.46 /= from ‘Polmo’ received on 22/12/07

§  Tshs 1,878,037.12 /= from SGG received on 21/01/08, and

§  Tshs 5,701,800 /= from ‘Krzystof’ received 25/1/08.

These are all the donations expected from SGG contacts.  Altogether it means that Upendo has approximately 12 million Tanzanian shillings, about £5,400 to invest.

 At the last meeting of SGG & Sr Immaculate, which was held on 17^th February, these funds had not been spent.  However, the spending plans had been developed from the earlier meetings in January.  The intention now is to spend these funds for the following developments at Upendo:

1. guttering and 10,000 litre water tanks to be placed so that water-harvesting from the two largest roofs [the Training Centre and the Administrative Block] can be done in order to improve Upendo water supply;
2.  the 4 acre plot at Shirimatunda be connected to the town water supply, so that irrigated vegetables as well as grevillea & fruit trees can be profitably grown there;
3.  the construction of a new poultry house at Upendo so that 200+ poultry can live under better conditions and egg production be increased.  This development is to improve the nutrition of over 100 people who eat daily at Upendo:
4. at least 25% of the funds should be given directly to the orphans in the Children’s Home.  Most of these funds will be spent on food supplements as and when they are needed.  As the number of orphans fluctuates it is agreed that these funds can be held in reserve until December 2008;
5. in the unlikely event of there being any spare funds in December, the remaining money will be spent on the purchase of 10,000 litre water tanks as water supply remains a problem here at Upendo.   

NB

Sr Immaculata and the other workers at Upendo all recognize that the Children’s Home received a substantial donation in 2008.  Nevertheless, the running costs of looking after these abandoned infants is also high.  As an approximate guide it can be assumed that the cost of each child is £10 per month, so with about 50 infants being in care at any one time the running costs of Upendo are about £500/month.  On this basis the Precious Blood Sisters are requesting a grant of £3000 to cover just running, not capital costs for the next half year.

Context

Kilimanjaro is one of four major highlands [i.e. Mt Meru near Arusha, Kilimanjaro near Moshi, the Pare Mts around Same, and the Usambaras around Lushoto] in North East Tanzania.  Each of these highlands has higher rainfall than the surrounding lowlands, so greater agricultural productivity and higher population densities also distinguish them from those lowlands.  However, around Kilimanjaro it is also true that rapid population growth in recent decades has encouraged the Chagga people to settle in areas of poor rainfall but fertile soil around the base of the volcano. 

Such environmental conditions present some special problems for local farmers. The steep gradients which are common in these highlands are vulnerable to water-caused soil erosion especially when tree clearance precedes cultivation of the soil.  Such tree felling is often followed by increased surface runoff of rainwater, soil erosion, and increased desiccation, which can be seen where traditional water supplies such as springs & rivers have become dry.   

Many of these problems can be seen in Rombo District on the eastern flanks of Kilimanjaro.  Some of the steep-sided hills around Mamsera show mass movement features, bare ground and eroded soil in places of good rainfall.  In the lower areas near Holili the combination of rapid deforestation and low, unreliable rains is threatening that locality with desertification.  Within Rombo District, as in many other parts of Tanzania, there is a rapidly growing sense of the need to replant trees in order to protect the environment on which many Chagga households depend for their living.   

Kibo Summit seen from Uru January 2007 after a heavy snowfall

Typical Mamsera Juu scenery- steep slopes with eucalyptus trees, bananas, coffee & vegetable crops

Maize grown on its own at the summit of Kasese Hill is a waste of effort and environment.

This photo was taken on 17th January 2007 when the maize should have been approaching harvest time. I returned to this same field on 20th February2008. It was a bare patch of soil with no crops and many rills, which are indicative of water-caused soil erosion. Fortunately, on the other side of Kasese summit a healthy and profitable eucalyptus woodlot was well established.

An area of tree clearance, soil erosion and blighted harvests near Mamsera.

To solve all these environmental problems will require concerted action involving many aspects of development e.g. better environmental education, increased opportunities for non-agricultural employment, specific soil conservation measures.  However, a relatively simple way to start local communities working to improve their own environment is a tree-planting project. 

Soil erosion gullies in the areas of low, irregular rainfall and thorn bush near Holili in lower Rombo. Note the figure in the left background giving an indication of the size of these 4 metre deep gullies.

Contact

The first stage of this project was implemented between March and September 2007 under the direction of Fr Patrick Soka.  As the parish priest of  Mengwe, a parish of approximately 25,000 members in a strongly Catholic part of Kilimanjaro, he is an influential person within the local community.  He has agreed to act as the local coordinator for the various tree-planting groups involved in this project and he can be contacted by phone [tel. (+255) 0754392844] or through email at revsoka@yahoo.com.  For those in Tanzania who wish to find out more about this tree-planting work, Mr Mtono the District Forestry Officer can be contacted on 0784 620310, and Mrs Mamseri, who is the leader for two of the planting groups, can be contacted at 0784473665.

Project Proposal

The initial discussions about this project took place in March 2007.  At that time SGG had limited funds, especially as nearly all of the charity funds were already committed to other projects.  Thus, it was decided to start with a small pilot scheme based near Ngoyoni church where Fr Soka wished to plant an area of indigenous trees, including mvule.  He received a grant of £95 to undertake such work.  There was also discussion with other community leaders, who expressed interest in tree-planting.  Such leaders included Mrs Marcia Mamseri, a councilor representing Mamsera ward on the District Council, and Mr Korentini Shirima, who was the Chairman for the ‘Wanachama wa nyumba kumi’ in the Aleni Secondary School area.  At that time SGG was unable to supply a starting grant to such people, but it was agreed that they should have the first option of grants should they become available in 2008. 

In November 2007 a donation of £250 for the purpose of ‘tree-planting on Kilimanjaro’ was received by SGG.  A return visit in January 2008 to Mengwe and an inspection of the indigenous trees planted at Ngoyoni lead to the second stage of the project when tree-planting is meant to be scattered widely through the community rather than confined to institutional land.  To facilitate the spread of tree-planting activity, the grant was to be divided among 5 independent groups, each located in a different part of Rombo District and each responsible for their own particular project.  In addition, a further grant of £50 was to be given to Sr Borgia of the ‘Kilimanjaro Sisters’ to establish a tree nursery at Ngoyoni.

Thus, the participating groups in 2008 are as follows –

• Ndaswa [meaning ‘Trust’ in Kichagga] group based at Mamsera Juu. Marcia Mamseri is the Chair & Anselmi Fokas the Secretary for this group with 7 active members
• Upendo [meaning ‘Love’ in Kiswahili] group based at Mamsera Chini & also led by Marcia Mamseri
• Sr Borgia of the Kilimanjaro Sisters who is based at Ngoyoni church.  She has received £50 for the purpose of extending the area of indigenous trees planted in 2007, and a further £50 to establish a tree nursery
• Mr Korentini Shirima , a ‘Mwenyekiti wa nyumba kumi’ [Chairman of  ‘group of 10 households’, which is the most basic unit used for community action in rural Tanzania] in Keni parish.  He was away from Rombo at the time when SGG were visiting, so we have no details of this group, other than knowing that they wish to be part of a tree-planting programme.     

Mr Mtono, the District Forestry Officer, was asked on the 10th January to recommend a community group undertaking work in the Rombo Mkuu area. At a meeting on 21st February he proposed 2 such groups i.e. DITEC [meaning ‘Development Investors Through Environment Conservation’] and the Shikoni group.  It was decided to divide any £50 grant equally between these two groups, and also suggested that they focus on planting indigenous trees in their particular projects.

Progress So Far

A visit to Ngoyoni on 9th January 2008 established that the 2007 planting were successful.  A tree count was taken on that day of trees planted on the valley side within the church grounds since March 2007.  The total counted was 58 mvule trees and 347 other indigenous species. As the original grant of £95 had to include the cost of manure, the transport of manure, and wages of the labourers, SGG believes that at an average cost of less than 25p/tree this represents good value for money.

One of the mvule trees planted in March 2007. This shamba is a good example of agroforestry where trees, such as these mangoes & mvule, and arable crops are grown together.

Tree-planting on the left side of this valley but clearance on the right.

The decision to distribute the funds available between 5 separate tree-planting groups was made on 11th January 2008.  As the first two months usually bring dry weather to Rombo, my expectation was that little planting would occur before the normally heavy rains of March.  This assumption seemed very reasonable, especially as Mr Mtono’s recommended group had not yet been identified and also the Keni group had not confirmed their interest in the project.  The assumption turned out to be incorrect.  The two groups based at Mamsera Juu and Mamsera Chini responded immediately, and within a few weeks young seedlings were purchased and in the ground. 

As a consequence of this quick action, a critical part of the SGG visit to Mengwe on 19th-21st February was occupied with seeing what work had been already accomplished by the Ndaswa and Upendo groups.  These groups had purchased 1,000 seedlings [ie. 400 grevillea, 400 pinus patula, 100 mringamringa, and 100 mti kunuka], and distributed them to 6 schools [with a total of 385 young trees] and 23 individual farmers, who accounted for a further 569 trees. Most of these farmers took about 10 trees for their shambas which were already densely planted.  However, 2-3 farmers took 100 seedlings as their lands were on hillsides and particularly vulnerable to soil erosion.  During this visit it was estimated that approximately 50 seedlings had perished, which is not surprising in view of the dry conditions at the time of planting.

Two schools were visited by SGG at this time.  One was Malowa Primary who received 120 seedlings. The other was Mamsera Secondary School who were donated 50 trees.

This is Mamsera Secondary School. This is a new school still under construction. There is a large space of bare ground around these new buildings. The School has already received 50 seedlings, but it needs at least another 200 trees if there is to be an adequate windbreak for the students. Such schools provide a good opportunity to get important environmental messages across to the local community.

School children at Malowa Primary School crowd round a newly planted grevillea.

There were excellent signs of progress at both Malowa and Mamsera schools, but 170 trees for this large exposed school site is not sufficient.  Malowa Primary would like to plant a tree for each pupil to take care.  This means that they need 454 currently.  Next door to Malowa is another primary school, Mseke Primary, who did not receive any seedlings.  The head there, Mr Kimaro, has made a request for ‘at least 100 seedlings’.  Nearby is the new Mamsera Secondary School where an additional 200 trees are needed.

Over 10 seedlings have been planted in this already crowded coffee-banana shamba.

Most of Upendo and Ndaswa’s trees have been planted by individual farmers, sometimes in already crowded shambas where it is difficult to assess the added-value of new tree plantings.  Some of the farmers, however, used a large number of seedlings to bring back tree cover to bare and unproductive hillsides.  It will be an important part of the 2009 monitoring visit to see how successful these hillside plantings have been.

The other major development during the February visit to Mengwe concerned Mr Mtono’s tree planting group.  On 21st February he presented SGG with project proposals from 2 groups, both of whom had schemes to spend several times more than the funds SGG can make available.  It was decided that both groups should receive a grant of £25, which should be sufficient to allow them to plant at least 150 trees each.  These two groups were asked to focus on that part of their proposals which concerned the planting of indigenous trees along watercourses.  Funding allocation in 2009 will be dependent on their success with such indigenous tree planting.  

Kibo Summit in the morning light. Can the beauty of Kilimanjaro Region be maintained at a time when Tanzanians are working for the eradication of poverty from their country?

It would be unreasonable to expect any further progress until the heavy rains come to Kilimanjaro in March and April.  At the time of my return to the UK in early March, there had been some heavy showers but the main rains had not yet come.  Thus, for further details we must wait on the weather.

This is the second Annual Report of Sustainable Global Gardens. The document has been prepared for the charity’s second AGM, which is to be held on Wednesday 30th July 2008. The report covers the period of SGG’s second financial year which ended on 31st March 2008.

The approach I have taken when writing this report is to look at the objectives of Sustainable Global Gardens as given in the original Business Plan and in the 2006-2007 Annual Report, and then to comment on how far such objectives have been achieved. In the initial Business Plan no specific targets were set to be reached by March 2008. However, the five year target to be achieved by March 2011 is ‘the annual raising of £100,000, which is to be transferred through at least 10 & preferably 20 small-scale sustainable projects to poor communities in the Developing World’ so progress can be judged against that long-term goal. The latter part of the report looks briefly at some issues which have emerged over the last financial year, and also at prospects for the future.

Progress with reference to charity objectives

SUSTAINABLE GLOBAL GARDENS [Company No 5733281] became an incorporated company on 7th March 2006 and a registered charity [Reg. No. 1116243] on 28th September 2006. At the time of registration SGG had raised a total of £873.35p and had invested £500 for polygardening work in Sri Lanka. As the charity was a mere two years old at the end of the accounting period, those two figures are a useful benchmark against which to measure progress.

A priority in these early years of SGG is to establish a network of supporters. Concerning this we have made good progress during 2007-2008. Last March it was suggested that we had 16 active individuals and 2 supporting institutions – St Edwards Justice & Peace group and The British School of Warsaw. One year later SGG can count on the support of 28 individuals and 6 institutions. The British School has proved a particularly good supporter: they have agreed to a 5 year sponsorship of Project 2, which supports HIV orphans and their carers in Busia District, Kenya.

Another priority was to start the implementation of several projects, each of which was likely to have some benefit for a large number of participants. By March 2008 the following projects had received funds and were well established:

• Project 1- the increased use of ‘moneymaker’ water-pumps to encourage dry season vegetable production among farmer groups who are members of OWDF in Busia District. These footpumps enable farmers to produce food during the traditional ‘months of hunger’ as well as increasing household income. So far 26 pumps have been donated. As they are shared within groups of about 20 households where 8 is the average household size, they aid food security at a cost of less than £1/person.
• Project 2 - support for 959 OVCs [‘orphans &/or vulnerable children’] and their 216 carers who are members of the 10 womens group in OWDF. Much of this support is in the form of the purchase of tethered goats for breeding & milk production, or feeding programmes for hungry children. These groups have acquired 105 goats since this project started in March 2007.
• Project 3 – the increased use of composting, especially compost produced by worms ‘vermicomposting’, among OWDF farmer groups. Funds for these 3 projects is sent to One World Development Foundation, a Kenya-registered NGO working in the Busia District of Western Kenya. OWDF has a total membership of about 1,000 households. Thus, these 3 projects together can benefit a total population of several thousand people where the majority live on less than £1/day. In this financial year OWDF received funding of £4,630 from SGG. This figure would have been higher if there had been no post-election violence in Busia. Such disruption caused my intended field visit to OWDF to be postponed and new project developments, including tree-planting and compost toilets, to be delayed.
• Project 4 – the establishment of a village workshop at Holili, Tanzania. This workshop will train local youth and also hire out useful machinery within the local community in order to promote improved farming practice. Over the 15 months since the initial investment, progress has been rather slow here. A large section of the plot was planted with sunflower & beans in April 2007, but inadequate rain resulted in a poor harvest. Fr Paul Mroso is now arranging for a permanent water supply on site. £2-3,000 is needed urgently for the construction of the main workshop building. SGG donated £1000 in February 2008, and further investment will depend upon a detailed plan & budget being produced by Fr Mroso.
• Project 5 - the construction of a health centre at Soni, Tanzania. This project was started in 2007 when Bill & Jackie Neale undertook to raise the estimated $36,000 to construct a health centre. There have been difficulties with both the raising and transfer of funds, so in December 2007 SGG agreed to help with this task. In February-March 2008 SGG transferred £2,030 to this project.
• Project 6 – a tree-planting project at Soni Seminary, near Lushoto. In February 2007 a tree count established that there were 1004 year young trees planted in 2006 trees on the Seminary hillside. In March 2007 a further 1860 seedlings were planted. The January 2008 count estimated the surviving young trees to be 2338 in number. This implies a survival rate of 80%, which is very satisfactory in this environment. On this basis SGG has given a further Tshs 700,000/=[about £315] to purchase an additional 2,320 seedlings for planting in March-April 2008. A further Tshs150,000/=[£70] has been donated by SGG to enable 1,000 seedlings to be planted at a nearby Muslim school. In February 2008 two other schools in Lushoto District [ie. Kongai & Mfungilo schools] indicated that they would like help with tree-planting.
• Project 7 - support for Upendo Children’s Home in Moshi, Tanzania where the Precious Blood Sisters care for 49 abandoned babies. SGG donated £850 to the Sisters at Upendo, but SGG also played a role in promotion of this project at the English Church in ul. Radna, Warsaw. That church provided an additional grant of £4,673. Most of these funds will be used to improve water supply or food production at Upendo.
• Project 8 – a tree-planting project to be managed by Fr Patrick Soka of Mengwe Parish, the Diocese of Moshi. In March 2007 SGG gave £95 to this project which produced 405 healthy young trees by January 2008. Thus, a further £350 has been invested among 5 community tree-planting groups, who have each been given £50, sufficient to purchase and plant about 500 trees. By February 2008 950 young seedlings were already planted around Mamsera. Sr Borgia at Ngoyoni has been given an additional £50 to establish a tree nursery for that locality. An additional £50 has needed to be given because the Mamsera groups overspent.
• Project 9 – the greening of the Holy Family compound in Chawama township, Lusaka, Zambia. This project is managed by Sr Angela Milonska & Sr Judith Bozek, who are both Polish Holy Family Sisters. In November 2007 SGG donated $1000 for the improvement of the compound. Most of this has been invested in trees & bushes to reduce dust & provide shade during the prolonged dry season, but it has been also agreed to develop organic gardening rather than relying on the constant planting of low-yielding maize. Some of these funds can be spent on other projects within the compound, which contains Chawama Open Community School, a Homecraft centre, and Divine Providence Home for orphans & the aged.
• Project 10 – environmental improvement of Matilyo community School in Kapiri Mposhi, Zambia. This project is managed by Sr Ernesta Paruch, a Holy Family sister, and Mr Mawere, the Head of Matilyo. In November 2007 £140 was given for the purchase of trees & the continuation of a school gardening scheme. A further £50 has been donated, but this has not reached Matilyo by 31st March. It is intended to greatly increase this project during SGG’s third financial year.

In addition to these 10 projects which have all received significant funding, there are several others which are in the initial discussion stage or where SGG’s involvement is consultative. Thus, SGG has already reached its 5 year target in terms of establishing appropriate projects.

Another specific feature of SGG’s approach to development work is the writing of quite detailed reports to inform ‘non-specialist’ donor groups about the results of their investments. Such reports as well as several powerpoint presentations form the basis of SGG’s second charitable object, which is to educate the public concerning causes of & sustainable solutions to global poverty & hunger. During this second financial year, reports have been produced for all of the above 10 projects. We have plenty of anecdotal evidence that such reports are one of the ‘attractions’ for those who support’ SGG.

I have suggested previously that 5 projects may well be the maximum that anybody working full-time for SGG could comfortably manage. Thus, I would like to encourage others with the time, skills and inclination to undertake the management of one of the above 10 projects. SGG will, of course, provide necessary training & personal support for anybody wishing to do this. A first step in this direction has often been taken as several supporters focus their attention on just one project. However, there is nobody who has fully taken up this challenge yet, although there are a few people who have moved closer to taking up a project manager role.

All of these projects would benefit from greater and more reliable funding. Thus, there is a need to find a few major funders, especially for the 3 OWDF projects. We have not succeeded in this crucial matter yet, so fund-raising is now a top priority, and I am expecting to attend a fund-raising course early in the third financial year. One difficulty encountered is that most funding bodies seem more responsive to projects which can clearly indicate that they are making progress – and it takes a couple of years & SGG field visits to reach this position. I feel that next year we shall be in a much stronger position to make such appeals for larger grants. Furthermore, SGG has not been entirely unsuccessful in the 2006-2007 year. OWDF had failed to win one major grant since their formation in 1985 before establishing a working partnership with SGG in October 2006. Since SGG’s field visit in January 2007 this Kenyan organization has gained the experience & confidence to win a significant UNDP grant for environmental improvement in Busia. We deserve some indirect credit for OWDF’s change of fortune. Also SGG was instrumental in the English-speaking church at ul. Radna, Warsaw adopting Project 7, the Upendo Children’s Home in Moshi, for their Advent charity. Upendo received a single grant of over £4,000 from this church, although these funds did not go through SGG’s accounts.

In this second financial year SGG has continued to operate with only one full-time person greatly aided by several volunteers who have given very generously their time. SGG has not yet been able to make a ‘great leap forward’ as this requires other supporters being prepared to undertake short overseas assignments to manage new projects. During this second year there have been several people who have talked enthusiastically about wanting to make a visit to overseas projects, but as yet nobody has taken the plunge. However, at the end of March 2008 I am cautiously optimistic that SGG will have its first volunteers working for 4 weeks on an overseas project [probably Project 6] in the next British summer holidays.

The fundraising target for SGG’s first financial year was £2,500, whereas the five year target is the annual raising of £100,000. If the fundraising total doubles each year, it would take over six years to reach that £100,000 target, so fundraising success needs to be more than double the previous year. Accordingly, the second financial year target was set at £10,000. I am very pleased to announce that we succeeded in raising £11,891.06p – significantly above our target. On this basis I suggest we adopt a fundraising target of £25,000 for SGG’s third financial year. At present I believe that this figure is attainable, but it puts considerable pressure to find 2-3 large-scale funders. It is my view that SGG could increase its income to perhaps £15,000 from our present group of donors. I anticipate that the difference between this figure and our overall target will need to be found from 2-3 new institutions or funding agencies. Can any of our supporters help?

Future Prospects & Related Issues

After over two years of working full-time as a Director of Sustainable Global Gardens, I feel that we have good prospects for the future. The list of supporters is gradually growing, the number of contacts both in the UK and overseas is increasing, we have a website, and we have started to invest and work with several local African partners on more than ten environmental and horticultural projects. By the end of the third financial year it is highly likely that there will be other members of our group who have undertaken some project work overseas.

Nevertheless, there are obstacles to further progress and issues which we need to face if Sustainable Global Gardens is to fulfil its early promise. One such issue is the need to raise more funds to support even our present projects. Thus, I am appealing to our supporters to at least maintain, and where possible to increase, your present level of financial support. Although the present economic forecasts in Britain are somewhat pessimistic, it is worth remembering that SGG projects are located in communities where typical household incomes are less than 5% of ours. We shall not be able to sustainably contribute to global poverty & hunger eradication if we lose our commitment at the first dip in our own personal prosperity. Page 5 Furthermore, if any supporters feel that the task of global poverty & hunger eradication is impossible and our work in vain, please visit OWDF and one of their womens groups. There you can see progress among the poor, and the fruits of your efforts. Thank you everybody for the work you have already done. Please continue the good work and encourage others to join our efforts.

If the accounts are examined it could be said that OWDF is SGG’s major partner. One reason for this is the leadership of John Kwoba, who continues to show enthusiasm and initiative twenty years after starting OWDF, combined with the strong community participation among the 45 member groups. Another crucial reason for SGG wishing to work with OWDF is that they have worked hard to maintain good communications with us. The issue of regular communications with local partners is critical for SGG, and this factor has resulted in a scaling down of SGG investment in Sri Lanka. There are other reasons at work here, such as the post-tsunami recovery & the ongoing war, but the prime reason has been the lack of communication with partners. My own previous field experience is East and Southern Africa, so it makes sense to concentrate on this region in the near future.

In its second financial year SGG increased threefold the funds raised in our first year – so congratulations and praise to all those who volunteered their time and efforts for this task. However, there is certainly a need for more voluntary help, so if there are any readers willing to spare even a few hours I would like to hear from you. Some work is likely to involve a few hours of office work, but what would be most useful for SGG are volunteers who would be prepared to visit a project overseas and help our overseas partners develop and implement that project. As reported elsewhere, it is likely that such volunteers will be of increasing importance in the future.

All supporters of Sustainable Global Gardens have a vital part to play in the development and progress of the Charity. I look forward to working with you in the coming year on the task of eradication of global poverty and hunger.

My best wishes to all of you.

Paul Keeley

Kapiri Mposhi is a small provincial town in Zambia, but a major transport junction. It is here that the main road from Tanzania meets the highway between the capital Lusaka and the Copper Belt towns. Similarly the railway from Dar es Salaam has its junction with the rail line from the Copper Belt to Lusaka and the rest of Southern Africa. Those transport connections have brought significant employment to the town, so Kapiri Mposhi is small with a population below 20,000 but it is growing rapidly. Within the town there are several primary and basic schools to satisfy the demand for education. One of these is Kalulu School. Around the edge of the town there have sprung up a series of poor townships, and Matilyo is one of them.

This project concerns the development of two schools in Kapiri Mposhi. One school is a successful Nursery and Primary School, called Kalulu School. This school has been so successful that the community and authorities wish that the present Head, Sr Angelika of the Missionary Sisters of the Holy Family, will continue her work to expand Kalulu School until it becomes the first High School in Kapiri Mposhi with classes upto Grade 12. The problems of Kalulu School concern raising the funds to construct at least two new classrooms every year for the next six years so that the school can accommodate 90 extra pupils each year. The present size of Kalulu Nursery and School is 768 children, but by 2013 it is expected that the school will have approximately 1300 pupils. This growth requires a huge transformation of the school at great expense on a very restricted plot of land.

The situation for Matilyo Community School is very different. Here there are 1358 pupils already, but the facilities at the school are extremely limited. Pupils study sitting on the floor: only some classes have a simple desk for teachers. There are virtually no educational aids or textbooks used in classes: only a blackboard is available. For the first visit of Sustainable Global Gardens to Matilyo there was no water in the school. The desire for education is there but the facilities few. Furthermore, Matilyo has a characteristic set of social problems which are typical of so many townships in Southern Africa.

At the core of these difficulties is poverty associated with high rates of unemployment. Such problems are aggravated by high rates of HIV infection and a high proportion of OVCs, that is orphans and/or vulnerable children. Widespread excess alcohol consumption is a further hindrance to progress. Within this context there is a common desire to provide education for the youngsters of Matilyo, but there are very few resources to enable the establishment of good schooling there.

Matilyo Community School was started in 2002 by Sr Ernesta Paruch, a Holy Family sister from Nowy Sacz, with “lessons under the tree”. Since then the school has grown considerably. It now has 1358 pupils, but only six classrooms. In order to accommodate such demand for education the school runs ‘split sessions’ with pupils attending either morning or afternoon sessions. There is also an old lorry container in the yard which serves as a spare ‘overflow’ classroom. With such measures it is possible to reduce class sizes to about 75 children per class. Within such classes there is usually an absence of furniture, so the great majority of pupils sit on a stone or the partly cemented floor. It is not a situation conducive to good education. Furthermore at the time of the SGG visit to Matilyo, the school borehole pump was broken. This meant that there was no water on the compound, so most of the school’s flush toilets were out of action.

Matilyo does have one advantage over Kalulu: it has space. Matilyo Community School has been allocated a large area of 300m by 270m, which includes a traditional house & plot as well as a football pitch. There is space for considerable tree-planting and gardening in what in October 2007 was a dry, dusty and largely treeless compound. It is SGG’s proposal to gradually increase the greenery within this compound over the next 5 years.

At the invitation of Sr Angelika Tabula and Sr Ernesta Paruch of Kalulu Holy Family Sisters, Sustainable Global Gardens [SGG] visited Matilyo Community School between 31st October and 10th November 2007 with a view to establishing a tree-planting project. Discussions with the Head quickly established that this resource-poor school would welcome projects to improve almost all aspects of schooling there.

Contact Person

SGG’s main contact person is Sr Angelika Tabula, who is a Holy Family Sister and Principal of Kalulu School in Kapiri Mposhi.. Her postal address is P.O. Box 810109 KAPIRI MPOSHI, ZAMBIA . Her email address is . However, the responsibility for management of this project is undertaken by Sr Ernesta Paruch, a Holy Family Sister now living in Kapiri Mposhi. Both sisters would be pleased to receive enquiries about and donations for Matilyo School. Matilyo School needs many new resources. None of the classrooms are furnished nor indeed their construction complete. There is also a lack of school books, display materials, or most of the resources needed to enable a school to function. There is plenty of scope for donations for necessities more pressing than the school grounds.

Project Proposal

During discussions between SGG, the Headteacher Mr Mawere and Sr Ernesta it was repeatedly made clear that SGG does not have immediate access to the large funds & resources needed to turn Matilyo Community School into a thriving learning environment. At present two of the classrooms in use there are self-built and half completed. Even the completion of just one such classroom is beyond the scope of SGG. Nevertheless, it was understood that SGG could assist in turning the large open space around the school buildings from the dusty waste it was in late October into a more positive asset for the school. After 3 visits to the school to discuss possibilities with the Head Mr Mawere, SGG have proposed the following at a meeting on 7th November 2007.

• Mr Mawere should negotiate with Mr Ng’ona [a local teacher], Mr Mwape of the Agriculture Dept, or Mr Mpukaila [a local resident who has previously helped the school], or the Forestry Dept for the immediate purchase of approximately 100 trees. These should include 30 Cassia, 30 gum/eucalyptus [both at K 1,000 each], 30 fruit trees [e.g. mango, avocado, banana, guava, orange, lemon at K 1,500-2,000 each]. The total cost should not exceed £30 or K 200,000.
• Mr Mawere & Mr Mpukaila should both start a tree nursery to provide trees for the school on the following basis – 100 gums at K 1,000, 100 cassia at K 1,000, 50 mango at K 1,000, 50 guava at K 1,500, 50 orange or lemon at K 2,000. These will be purchased next year by Sr Ernesta using SGG funds. SGG is also interested in buying bananas, but the price is not yet fixed. Some of the prices quoted here are a little below the asking price in Kapiri Mposhi in late 2007, but the lower price is offset by these being guaranteed sales.
• Sr Ernesta & Mr Mawere will reestablish the widows group, who will be asked to work on the school vegetable plot in exchange for payment of school fees. In previous years there has been such a group of 12 widows who planted beans & cassava in exchange for the school ‘fees’ of K 15,000 [$4] Any produce from this group will be purchased by Sr Ernesta at current market price & given to the school for distribution among needy pupils. Thus, this group of upto 15 women will have considerable incentive to grow profitable crops [e.g. onions, tomatoes, rape] on Matilyo School compound. In order to properly monitor the progress & output of these women, Sr Ernesta will visit the school plot once a week.
• Mr Mawere will select approximately 100 pupils, each of whom will be responsible for the growth & well-being of an individual tree. Those pupils who have properly cared for their tree will be rewarded by a payment of K 10,000 towards their school fees in November 2008.
• Mr Mawere will contact the Residential Development Committee as a matter of urgency in order to speed the already agreed relocation of the farmer still living on school land. If necessary, compensation will be properly paid for the farmer’s mango trees.
• Mr Mawere will organize the digging of a well within the school grounds, probably next to the large anthill. The well needs to be a good 15m deep at a cost of K 250,000. This is also a matter of urgency.
• SGG will provide information to all concerned about the best way of preparing compost for tree-planting.
• Mrs Nyendwa is responsible for helping Mr Mawere in any of the tasks listed above.
• Attention needs to be paid to repairing the borehole at the first opportunity.
• Sr Ernesta will keep a simple accounts book so that SGG supporters can know how any donations have been spent and produce a report of progress before May 2008. She will also hold the donation made by Sustainable Global Gardens. This donation to start the greening of Matilyo Community School compound was K 1,100,000 [approximately £140] by 16th November. Sr Ernesta will spend these funds as appropriate and inform SGG should there be a pressing need for further investment.

Mr Mpukailo did not attend this particular meeting, but later he agreed to produce young trees for the school in his own nursery. Also he agreed to give attention to the growing of a living hedge around the school compound. Moreover, it was agreed at a meeting on 10th November that Matilyo Community School is in urgent need of better toilet facilities. As the school is lacking water at present, most of the school ablution block is closed. Mr Mawere has asked that SGG consider constructing a series of compost toilets at the school. SGG accepts that this is a suitable project proposal for next year.

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.

The Usambaras are one of four major highlands [i.e. Mt Meru near Arusha, Kilimanjaro near Moshi, the Pare Mts around Same, and the Usambaras around Lushoto] in North East Tanzania. Each of these highlands has higher rainfall than the surrounding lowlands, so greater agricultural productivity and higher population densities also distinguish them from those lowlands. The steep gradients which are common in these highlands present special problems for farming, especially when tree clearance precedes cultivation of the soil. Tree felling is often followed by surface runoff of rainwater and soil erosion, which results in the rapid environmental damage. Some of these problems can be avoided by the use of terraces on the steep hillsides, replanting of trees, and careful channeling of waterflow – as can be seen in the photo below.

However, these activities require much laborious effort and on many hillsides such soil conservation work is missing. The consequence of inattention to soil conservation practices is widespread soil erosion on the slopes around Soni.

The Usambaras are also part of a series of highland blocks known as the Eastern Arc. They include the Taita Hills in Kenya, the Pare Mts, the Usambaras, the Uluguru Mts near Morogoro, and the Udzungwa Highlands near Iringa. These mountains are characterized by exceptional biodiversity of global significance, so tree-planting to provide an alternative source of fuelwood to indigenous species is encouraged.

Contact

The initial stages of this project are planned to take place within the grounds of St Joseph’s Seminary, Soni. The current Rector at St Joseph’s is Fr Tom Kiangio, who is eager to make more productive use of the steep slopes that are part of the Seminary grounds. He is responsible for the organization of work done and the care of trees within the Seminary grounds. Sustainable Global Gardens has agreed to promoting interest and finding sponsors for tree-planting work both within the Seminary grounds and also at several other sites around Soni village.

The tree crisis in the Usambaras will not be solved by a successful tree project within the grounds of one institution, so in subsequent stages of this project it is hoped to engage another person of high standing in the community as an appropriate contact person. By 1/2/2007 the Bishop of Tanga, Baba Anthony Banzi, the owner of St. Joseph’s Soni Seminary, had given encouragement and his blessing to the project. Also Bw. Amiri Sheiza, a Moslem councilor for Soni village, has agreed to promote tree-planting on lands owned by the Moslem community, who make up the majority of the residents in the locality. Mr Kombo Siwa, the Zonal Manager for the Tanzania Tree Seed Agency, Northern Zone has also expressed interest in working with this project.

Project Proposal

The initial proposal is that there will be a two stage project which is planned to run for at least five years. The starting work will be a replanting of the Seminary upper slopes. By 20/1/2007 there had been some replanting of this slope with a mixture of 2000 young grevillea and pines. However, on a visit to the site at that time those small trees were overgrown with weeds, so that it was difficult to establish the survival rate of those trees. Thus, initial work requires:
immediate employment of two labourers for two weeks to clear away the weeds + to use such weeds to make trash lines on the steep slope and thereby discourage surface runoff and soil erosion + to prepare holes for new trees in unplanted areas and where young trees from the previous planting have been lost.

A tree census to identify both mature exotic[eucalyptus] & indigenous trees to be preserved + young gravillea/pines planted in 2006 + other useful trees found within Seminary grounds. Consultation with the Forestry Officer Mr Kombo Siwa at Lushoto with a view to purchase of trees to reafforest the upper Seminary lands. A donation from SGG of ₤100-150 to undertake this immediate work and the planting of up to 1000 small trees, work which is to be completed before 31/3/2007. Consideration of what would be appropriate tree-planting or agroforestry for the Usambara environment. For this SGG is indebted to Lars Johannson, author of the book “Ten Million Trees Later : Land Use Change in the West Usambara Mountains”, for information about what has been successful and unsuccessful development in the Usambaras since 1980. Lars is now resident at Maweni Farm, which is situated next to St Joseph’s Seminary in Soni.
an investigation within the parish of Soni concerning the potential for tree-planting, increased fruit production and marketing of such fruit. In January some initial discussions suggested that avocado may be the most appropriate fruit. However, there is much avocado production that is wasted in North-East Tanzania. SGG would need to be satisfied that there is a stable market for any tree crop before providing funds for planting.
an investigation concerning the possibility of replanting some of the watershed sites & upper slopes with high-density indigenous cover in order to stabilize water supply and reduce soil degradation. At present many of these very steep & upper slopes are cultivated for maize. Yields are usually low and unsustainable, so it has been suggested that payment at/above maize yield income for farmers to convert to tree-planting may prove a sustainable policy. There is some evidence to favour such an approach . However, this will require significant finance which may not be sustainable. The findings of any such investigation will probably be the basis of policy when tree-planting occurs beyond the limits of the Seminary grounds. SGG looks for substantial funds in UK, the European Union, and within Tanzania to support such tree-planting anywhere within Soni locality.

The next stage of this project, which is intended to start with the advent of the next short rains in November 2007, is the planting of trees on the very steep slopes which surround the new Islamic school in Soni. This school is sited on a spur above the village and has approximately 10 acres of land, which require reafforestation. There are a few trees already planted here, but much of this land is unused except for rough grazing at present. If grevillea are planted 2.5m apart, it is estimated that approximately 5,000 trees are required to replant this site. Should funds become available such planting could commence in November, but as sources of funding are as yet uncertain, this work may be delayed until the long rains of March 2008. Bw. Sheiza has indicated that the Moslem community is willing to contribute 20% of the cost of this stage of the project, either in the form of cash or as voluntary work on the site. However, this cannot be confirmed until the next meeting of the Moslem Council which is in March.

Bw. Sheiza also indicated at a meeting with SGG and Fr Tom Kiangio on 1/2/07 that Soni village would greatly appreciate help in the reafforestation of the large hillslope to the west of the village. At present there is scattered cultivation on this steep, largely deforested land. It is easy to see the rills which indicate the high risk of soil erosion on this hillslope. Successful reafforestation at this location will require tens of thousands of trees, so SGG is able to undertake such a task only with the backing of a significant funding. It has been agreed that SGG will look for such funding, but that this stage of the project may need to wait until late 2008. Councillor Sheiza has pointed out that the Tanzanian government has encouraged the village to replant this slope, so he has assured SGG that support from the community will be forthcoming as soon as funds are found. The field visit by SGG in January 2007 established that there are schools and other institutions close to Soni who are interested in tree-planting work. By 1/2/07 plans for this stage of the project are sketchy, but it is intended to incorporate any interested groups in more extensive tree-planting after late 2008. These plans will be decided during SGG’s annual field visit to Soni in January 2008.

Progress so far

Fr Kiangio has already made a start with tree-planting at Soni. In 2006 some 2000 pine & grevillea seedlings were planted. During the long holidays there have been good rains at Soni so in January 2007 those young trees were overgrown. It is uncertain at present how many of these trees have survived.

Fr Kiangio has also encouraged tree growth by the construction of a new school jiko, which is much more fuel-efficient. Such a jiko will reduce the need for the Seminary to buy or cut timber.

SGG is also ready to make a contribution to this project. So far SGG has raised ₤180.12p towards a “tree-planting project in East Africa”. Bill and Jackie have also kindly offered to invest a further ₤40 for tree-planting over the coming year. These funds should be sufficient to pay temporary employment for care of the trees, and purchase about 1,000 seedlings, which are mainly grevillea.

Thus, by 26/1/2007 it seemed that what we needed to do was employ workers to clear the land, prepare holes for the trees, and wait for the March rains. By 1/2/07 Tsh20,000 /= had been paid to four day labourers for two days work to clear the slope of weeds so that an estimate of the number of surviving trees could be made.

Also on 1/2/2007 the new Islamic Secondary School at Soni was visited. SGG agreed to look for funding for as many as 5,000 young trees [mainly grevillea], while Councillor Sheiza agreed to bring the matter before the Soni Council at their next meeting. He also agreed that the local community would provide at least 20% of the costs of such a project, either in the form of work or as cash.

Also on 1/2/07 the following trees were ordered from the Tanzania Tree Seed Agency:

• 700 Grevillea robusta
• 50 Pinus patula to fill in spaces between previously planted pine seedlings
• 50 Eucalyptus grandis & 50 Eucalyptus saligna to extend the area of trees on the lower grounds of the Seminary
• 100 indigenous trees to be planted to extend the area of native trees next to Maweni Farm & on the small hill with native trees on the lower grounds & in the VMM garden. These trees will include 30 Albizia schimperiana [mshai], 30 Cordia Africans [mringaringa], 10 Khaya anthotheca [mkangazi/African mahogany – to be grown on lower parts of the Seminary grounds], and 30 Podocarpus usambarensis [mpodo]
• 20 Calyandra spp to experiment with agroforestry on the Seminary shamba & at VMM garden
• 20 Persia Americana [mparachicha]
• 20 Mangerifera indica [mwembe]
• 10 Atocarpus spp. These last three are all fruit trees for the Seminary and VMM gardens

These trees were ordered to be ready by 1/3/07 at a total cost of 970 x 250T/= [for 1st 5 items] + 50 x 2500T/= [for fruit trees] ie. Tsh242,500/= and Tsh125,000, which equals Tsh367,500/=, which is approximately ₤147. This sum was to be paid by SGG in March 2007.

On 2/2/07 a person was appointed to act as a ‘treeworker’ for the following 3 months [Feb/March/April 2007] until the above trees are planted. The treeworker’s duties include : weeding & clearing a space around each of the trees planted in 2006; making sure that the young trees remain vertical & are not half-buried by soil etc; using the weeds + plants which were cut in late January to make ‘trash lines’ to discourage surface runoff & soil erosion; to fill any erosion rills with dead plant material to discourage soil erosion; to regularly cut the grass as necessary in the tree area so that all young trees are clearly visible; to plant the trees ordered above when the long rains arrive; to establish a tree nursery with at least 2000 seedlings for future planting in and around the Seminary grounds.

On 2/2/07 a count of the young trees on the Seminary upper slope which were planted in early 2006 was made. It was estimated that there were at least 424 young trees [ 305 pines & 119 grevillea] in the area of slope which had been cleared after 3 days work. The wood collector [Peter] suggested that there were many trees on the upper slopes which had not be been cleared, so it would have been reasonable to suggest that there were already 600 young trees on these upper slopes. Such a figure implied that the survival rate of the trees was low as 1000 pines & 1000 grevillea had been originally planted. This emphasized the need to clear weeds especially during the first year of tree growth and therefore also to have a permanent worker responsible solely for tree production on the Seminary grounds.

On 17/3/07 SGG began a second visit of one week to the Seminary. A cursory glance at the Seminary slopes established that much progress had taken place since the last visit. Most of the long grass had been cleared. Also a total of 1006 trees from last years planting have been found, and an area cleared of vegetation around each young tree. On 19/3/07 the Tanzanian Tree Seed Agency in Lushoto delivered 860 trees for planting within the Seminary grounds at a cost of Tsh 302,500/- [about ₤121]. This meant that not all the trees ordered on 1/2/07 were ready. In particular most of the indigenous species requested were either too small or not produced, but it was agreed that this part of the programme could be delayed until after Easter when the main slopes would be replanted. This meant that there was still ₤59.12p or Tsh147,800/- available for labour costs and the establishment of a tree nursery after SGG’s field visit. In addition, Jackie & Bill Neale have pledged an additional ₤40 to further the project, as mentioned previously.

On 21/3/07 700 grevillea robusta and 50 pinus patula were planted on the Seminary upper slopes by the Form 3 and Form 4 students. If the majority of these trees survive it will mean that most of the upper slopes have some tree cover. Moreover, a new agreement was made with the ‘treeworker’ Amoro. It has been agreed that the project will provide Amoro with a monthly salary of Tsh25,000/- for his taking care of all trees within the Seminary grounds. Part of Amoro’s duties will include the establishment of a tree nursery where it is hoped to grow several thousand seedlings. At the beginning such a nursery will produce mainly grevillea, but later it is intended to produce many species of seedlings, including indigenous species. To encourage Amoro in this new development it has been agreed that 50% of the seedlings produced will belong to Amoro. Thus, he has the opportunity to greatly increase his income through sales of his produce. It is anticipated that the Seminary will have several thousand grevillea for sale by November 2007.

On 21/3/07 700 grevillea robusta and 50 pinus patula were planted on the Seminary upper slopes by the Form 3 and Form 4 students. If the majority of these trees survive it will mean that most of the upper slopes have some tree cover. Moreover, a new agreement was made with the ‘treeworker’ Amoro. It has been agreed that the project will provide Amoro with a monthly salary of Tsh25,000/- for his taking care of all trees within the Seminary grounds. Part of Amoro’s duties will include the establishment of a tree nursery where it is hoped to grow several thousand seedlings. At the beginning such a nursery will produce mainly grevillea, but later it is intended to produce many species of seedlings, including indigenous species. To encourage Amoro in this new development it has been agreed that 50% of the seedlings produced will belong to Amoro. Thus, he has the opportunity to greatly increase his income through sales of his produce. It is anticipated that the Seminary will have several thousand grevillea for sale by November 2007.

On 22/3/07 there was an inspection of the Seminary lands by Kombo Siwa , SGG, Bill Neale and Fr Tom. This established that there were large areas of cleared land on steep gradients without any young trees. It was estimated that at least 2000 young trees would be needed in order to give some protection to soil on these slopes. It was therefore decided to use remaining funds to purchase 1000 grevillea robusta for ₤100 and to plant these as soon as possible. Such work was felt to be more urgent than the planting of indigenous trees on the lower hill. As a consequence of this decision, there is no longer any SGG funds available to pay Amoro his monthly wage.

On 23/3/07 the Tanzanian Tree Seed Agency delivered 1000 grevillea robusta to the Seminary. About 800 of these trees were planted on the same morning. The remaining 200 trees will be used to fill in the numerous gaps left by the seminarians during hot and dusty work on the very steep upper slopes next to Maweni Farm. Most of this filling in of gaps and checking of the seminarians work will be done by Amoro during the next two weeks.

Conclusion

This report was largely completed before 24th March when my second visit to Soni finished. There have been no detailed reports of further progress since then. Nevertheless, it is the intention of SGG to make seek further donations to support the second stage of this project, which is tree-planting beyond the property of Soni Seminary. Before that second stage is implemented it is planned that there will be a third visit to monitor the progress of these trees. Is there anybody who is a supporter of Sustainable Global Gardens able to visit this most beautiful part of Tanzania in 2008?

Holili is a small Tanzanian town at the Kenyan border on the Moshi-Mombasa road. Like many similar towns in Tanzania, Holili suffers from a cluster of problems which hinder social progress. Such problems include: prolonged seasonal aridity. Although Holili is close to Kilimanjaro it is on the lowest slopes of the volcanic area. Thus, seasonal drought and unreliable rainfall make cultivation more difficult for the Chagga farmers, whose forefathers generally lived on the much higher slopes where rainfall is more reliable, there is widespread evidence of soil erosion that can be seen from the many ‘dongas’ which dissect this locality, much of the present vegetation is thorn scrub which is being modified by overgrazing of cattle and goats. Such vegetation is rapidly being cleared for cultivation by settlers moving into the locality in search of spare land, rapid population growth over recent decades means that there is a shortage of good farmland. It also means that there is high youth unemployment, such young people have usually had the benefit of at least primary education and are looking for waged work outside their family farm. There is need for income-generating activities to be established at Holili before the temptations of a border location and enforced idleness prove irresistible to many of the youth.

Holili also has some special advantages which may foster development. Three visits to the plot of land which the Apostles of Jesus have now [i.e. by 13th March 2007] purchased suggest the following benefits of that location: soil is sufficiently fertile to allow good harvests, provided there is sufficient rain, on both sides of this plot there are seasonal watercourses [‘dongas’] which initial surveys suggest offer the possibility of small dams and water storage. Such storage is unlikely to provide water throughout the year, but it is quite feasible to significantly reduce the period of water shortage, the site is close to the tarred Mombasa-Moshi-Arusha road so access is good for both potential trainees and for micro-enterprises operating from the site, the rapid growth of population and settlement of the area brings increased local demand for new business enterprises.

The prime limitation to the establishment of such a village workshop and skills-training centre near Holili is the initial capital investment needed to purchase and develop the site. Thus, this project report examines the possibilities of a co-funding partnership between Apostles of Jesus, Sustainable Global Gardens, and other interested parties.

Project Proposal

The origins of this project lie with the Apostles of Jesus, an East African Catholic missionary group, who wish to purchase land near Holili in order to establish a ‘village polytechnic’ there. The intention is that such a polytechnic will: provide skill-training for unemployed youth. Such skills are likely to include carpentry, construction, welding & basic metalwork. provide income-generating employment for at least some of the trainees, provide workshop and environmental services in a rural locality undergoing rapid settlement. In January 2007 the services which would be available in the future was under discussion, with no firm decisions yet made. Such services are likely to include oil press for sunflower, posho mill, water-pumping for irrigation, water-harvesting.

This project is still in its initial stages of planning, because progress is largely dependent upon the generosity of external donors. Progress will take place in response to funds being released. However, the initial plan is as follows: the purchase a suitable plot of land of 4 hectares [10 acres] in early 2007, the construction of a crude thorn fence around the site to discourage wandering goats and cattle.
the clearing, ploughing and planting of at least part of the plot before the April long rains of 2007, so that some income can be derived in 2007. This income is needed to provide funds for the purchase of equipment of the centre, the construction of a temporary shelter by April 2007 so that the site and crops can be guarded while initial development takes place. If funds become immediately available, it should be possible to proceed to the next stage without losing money on a temporary construction, as soon as funds allow, the temporary shelter will be replaced by a permanent building which will be both accommodation for a resident worker and a store for equipment. It is intended to complete the construction of this building by July 2007, as soon as funds allow, the original thorn barrier will be replaced by a barbed wire fence, which will itself be reinforced by the planting of a living fence. It is hoped that this work will be done during the dry season in the latter half of 2007,
most of this site contains dense thorn bush so clearance will continue throughout 2007. The plan is to grow crops over the whole site during the rains between November 2007 and May 2008, after the 2008 harvest there should be sufficient income to start the purchase and hiring of agricultural machinery appropriate to this locality. The first machine is likely to be an oil-press as sunflower is a popular crop in the vicinity, by 2010 it is intended that there are several tools and machines available for hire, by 2012 it is hoped that the village polytechnic will be sufficiently equipped to offer training course for local unemployed youths. The Apostles of Jesus intend that there is a self-sustaining village polytechnic in operation at Holili within 10 years of the start of this project.

Progress so far

The first visit by Sustainable Global Gardens [SGG] to the Holili site took place on 8th January 2007. After a two hour reconnaissance of the area, it was decided to go ahead with the purchase. At that time the Apostles of Jesus had sufficient funds to purchase the site, but insufficient to clear and develop it. Thus, it was proposed that St Edwards Parish Justice & Peace Group, Whitley Bay be invited to contribute £400 so that the plot could be developed in the hope of obtaining a harvest & some income in 2007.

A second visit to the site was made 6th February 2007. There had been considerable clearance of the thorn bush. By this date £400 had been received from St Edwards Justice & Peace Group, so the decision was made to press ahead with the clearance in the hope that there could be planting and a harvest on at least part of the plot. The plot was also surveyed, and Sustainable global Gardens proposed that a slightly larger site of approximately 6 hectares [16 acres] be requested from the registration authorities.

A third visit to the site was made on 13th March. Work on clearance & uprooting thorn bushes is continuing. It is anticipated that it will be possible to plough and plant on a small portion of the land, although this is by no means certain as heavy rains are expected in the next week or so. Sustainable global Gardens finances now allow a further £400 to be invested to enable the start of the construction of a permanent building onsite. Sustainable Global Gardens agreed to seek further funding from other sources so that this year’s development plans can be implemented.

A fourth visit was made to Holili on 28th March. This visit established that the work of clearing the thorn bush had proved far too arduous for the men employed to clear. It was thus agreed that clearing of the whole plot should continue and be completed before the short rains due in November. Nevertheless, sufficient ground had been cleared for ploughing to commence, so after some rain the previous night the tractor ploughed approximately 4 acres on this day. Both Fr Paul who manages the project and Sustainable Global Gardens were extremely pleased with progress so far, although how successful the project will be this year largely depends on the March-May rains.

During this fourth visit there was some concern about the lateness of the rains, which are normally expected to begin about 15th March. Nevertheless Fr Paul intended to plant a combination of maize, beans and sunflower on the ploughed area, so he will also need to build a temporary shelter on the plot for one of the workers. It is hoped that a more permanent construction can be built before the end of 2007 to provide both a permanent home and a place to keep machines and tools useful to the surrounding farming community.

It should be remembered that the Apostles of Jesus had sufficient funds to pay 3 million shillings for this site. This leaves an estimated 4,842,600 shillings to complete the work of 2007. The exchange rate fluctuates around 2,500 shillings/pound sterling, so there is approximately £2,000 funding to be secured. At the time of writing [14th April], St Edwards Justice and Peace Group, Whitley Bay have contributed £400. A further £400 has been donated by Sustainable Global Gardens, so the shortage of funds is now approximately £1200.

PS

In July 2007 another SGG Director had the opportunity to visit Holili. By that time a further area of bush had been cleared and ploughed, and sunflowers had been planted on the new ground. The sunflowers produced an adequate yield, but the rainy season was too poor to produce a good harvest. Nevertheless, Sustainable Global Gardens wishes to continue investment in this project, which in the future when the village polytechnic is established will not be so dependent on seasonal rainfall. By late 2007 SGG has managed to raise a further £1000 which will be invested in further development in early 2008. We shall need to raise at least £1000 annually for the next few years if this Holili project is going to be of lasting benefit to the local community.