Update from BHW Zambia Partnership Facilitator

Key Person: Edwin Chama

This update has been compiled from WhatsApp communication and calls over the last few months.

Edwin continues at GLO, teaching and demonstrating farming to some local farmers called the Alpha group. Edwin's father has recently taken ill, which is causing Edwin a few challenges.

Recent Events

Context

The very bad drought in the 2023 to 2024 rainy season has caused a lot of hunger in the region. Many people not only have struggled for food, but also any funds to enable them to fund the planting of crops for the current season. 

Activities

The Alpha group continue to meet at GLO for mentoring in farming training. Last year a fund was set up to give grants to the Alpha farmers who were struggling with the drought. They were able to plant some “dry winter season” vegetables to enable them to feed their families and create some funds to buy inputs for the following rainy season crops. Funds were distributed with 2,000 ZMW (US$70) given to each farmer, who used it to buy manures, seeds and other items.

Edwin visited five members of Alpha group, three of them had successful stories. Frank Chisenga, Jacqueline Litwayi and Marlon who planted green beans each raised an income of 3,500 ZMW (US$125) respectively which helped them to survive. They used some of the money to buy the materials for making Bokashi fertilizer for their rainy season maize.

The other two members, Mr Nchima and Ms Clementina, planted onions (25m x 25m) and winter maize (25m x 30m) respectively. Despite both having a water challenge, Mr Nchima managed to raise an income of 2,375 ZMW (US$85) and Ms Clementina raised 2,150 ZMW (US$77) from their garden produce.

Due to large price increases for fertilizer, Edwin has taught the Alpha group how to make Bokashi, which is a replacement for the chemical fertilizers. The Bokashi recipe is
1) black soil,
2) brown material or dry organic matter,
3) yeast,
4) biochar,
5) ash
6) water,
7) meal no:3 or Gaga (common there)
8) sugar solution / molasses / fruit juice 

This is mixed up in layers of three wheelbarrows each material then two and the last 1 layer of each material. The farmers have been very impressed with the results, as can be seen in the photos.

The demonstration plots at GLO struggled in the dry season and were a loss for onions and Chinese cabbage. This was due to the lack of water at GLO given issues with the pump and bore hole. The demonstration plot of wet season maize is still currently growing and will be harvested in late May / June.

The Alpha team have completed clearing land for off-season vegetable growing in March, and we received pictures of the cleared fields. 

Comments

It is great to see Edwin engaging with the community farmers and showing that he is a good teacher and thinking outside the square to help with growing, i.e. the Bokashi idea.

I have discussed with GLO what their vision is for agriculture at the bible college as currently Edwin does not do any training with the theological students. They have potentially said they want Edwin to add an agricultural element to the church extension programs which would be great. 

Currently our commitment to fund Edwin personally for three years finishes in the middle of 2025, so when we visit Zambia in July this will be up for discussion.