Asatayike

Mziza Meeting

2011-01-14T15:08:00.001+02:00

*from africawindmill.blogspot.com

We held a community meeting at Mziza this morning, an introduction to the activities we hope to carry out this year. In true African stile, the Blessings Malamba and I were sat in fancy chairs beside the chief, the men on the ground to our right, the women to our left.

We discussed the idea of planting about 30 water pumps in their various gardens. *applause* We told them what we would require of them: to provide all trees and planks for the pump, to produce 1 ton of compost, to plant half their garden with indiginous vegetables, and to attend all meetings for the project. *applause* They really appreciated that we would not let anyone float by without doing the work. There is far more jealousy when someone gets something they didn't work for than when someone is exclude for failure to work.

I also tested their water source with this kit from 3M. The community are eager to see the results, which we explained would show not only the presence or absence of E. coli, but also the concentration of the bacteria.

It was a promising meeting, promising as much hard work ahead as anything. Blessings and I left optimistic that at least some of the people present would really use the pump technology to improve their health, home and community.

Christmas Eve service

2010-12-26T03:59:00.005+02:00

Last night was the Christmas Eve service at my church in Spokane. My favourite thing about returning to the church where I grew up is seeing the people with whom I grew up. I get to catch up with the people who mentored and taught me. And I run into old friends from church and school.

During the time to greet people in the congregation, one old friend came up and greeted me. She asked if I was home for good or going back to Africa? I told her I was going back and she went on greeting other friends, one of whom sat next to me and overheard our brief conversation. This friend asked her if she is living in Spokane, and she replied, "No, I live in Cambodia," as if she was just naming the street she lived on or the town she lived in, and not a country thousands of miles away.

Well that was a funny moment for me. But to top it off, after the service I had a short conversation with the friend seated next to me about Africa. Following which conversation, another of my old high school friends comes by to say "hi". Long story short, I asked her if she had moved back to Spokane and the answer was; "I live in Honduras."

Naturally the man next to me wondered aloud, "Does anyone live in America anymore?"

The only answer that comes to mind is I'm not sure. Let's pinch some of them and find out.

2010-12-20T17:25:00.001+02:00

Project Pics

2010-12-20T17:09:00.003+02:00

Solar cooker

Water Pump Experiment

Bearing on a Pulley

Windmill

Sweet Potato and Groundnuts

Soil

2010-12-19T02:02:00.005+02:00

One the greatest challenges to food security in Malawi is the quality of the soil. Many soils have been depleted of their nutrients. Three major nutrients that plants take in through their roots are nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K). Inorganic fertilizers supply these three nutrients and are identified by their NPK ratio (e.g. 23:21:0 or 46:0:0) which tells you the percent mass of each nutrient per 100g of fertilizer. Urea fertilizer is 46:0:0 which is 46% N, 0% P, and 0% K, by mass.

The NPK ratio allows a farmer to apply exactly the amount of each nutrient he wants. But things get complicated from here. For example, Calcium Ammonium Nitrate is dissolves and evaporates quickly when it is in contact with open air. If not buried in the soil, the nutrients will not be available to the plants. Other fertilizers take a long time to become available in the soil: anywhere from a few hours to weeks. Organic compost can take even longer to make its nutrients available.

Some plants are heavy feeders when it comes to different nutrients. The one that most farmers watch out for is nitrogen. Corn, Sunflower, Wheat, Tobacco, and many other widely cultivated plants eat a lot of nitrogen from their soils. They typically require large quantities of fertilizer to maximize their yields. One solution to this problem is to use legumes in the crop rotation to resupply the soil with nitrogen.

Legumes are plants that have the capability to use atmospheric nitrogen (i.e. the nitrogen that we inhale and exhale a thousand times a day) for their growth. Legumes are an excellent way to reduce the amount of inorganic fertilizers applied to heavy feeders. A field previously planted with soya beans will not require as much nitrogen fertilizers as a field that did not have a legume on it recently. Common legumes in sub-Saharan Africa are soya, beans, peas, ground nuts and acacia.

What is often overlooked about legumes is that they must be infected with the bacteria rhizobia before they can begin fixing nitrogen from the air. Before the plant is infected with rhizobia it utilizes soil nitrogen just as non-legumes would. A farmer who is trying to increase the nitrogen content of his soil by planting legumes must understand this. If his soil does not host rhizobia, then his legumes will never be able to fix nitrogen. The solution to this is first apply rhizobium inoculant to the seeds before planting. This will establish rhisobia in the soil. After the bacteria is established the crops can be managed to preserve the rhizobia population. This will increase the yield of legumes over time and also the nitrogen content of the soil.

However, some common practices can reduce the rhizobia population in the soil. Plowing the field will expose rhizobia to sunlight which can kill the bacteria. Low pH (acidic conditions) will also kill rhizobia. Low pH is a consequence of using inorganic fertilizers and raw animal manure in the fields. A farmer can manage his pH by applying lime before planting.

pH also affects plant growth. Most plants crops grown in Malawi grow best under mildly acidic conditions with pH around 6. If the pH falls bellow 5, significant crop losses can occur. Many farmers do not realize that their soil is too acidic and don't understand why their fertilizers are not effective. Again, pH can be effectively managed with lime (or sulfur, if the conditions are too alkaline).

Crop rotation is known as an effective way to improve soil nutrition. Many Malawian farmers understand that heavy nitrogen feeders such as maize should be rotated with legumes. But what is often overlooked is role crop rotation plays in disease and pest control. A farmer might decide to alternate growing soya and maize on his plot. This provides him with good nitrogen levels for his maize and sustained rhizobium population, but over time his yields will diminish. That is because the soil becomes laden with bacteria, viruses, and nematodes that target soya and maize. If millet and ground nuts could be introduced, they might provide bumper yields with no signs of disease. This is another benefit to crop diversity.

A good understanding of soil science is key to increasing crop yields. Many farmers actually damage their soil and their crops' growing conditions because they do not understand the soil. This is one area where extension workers can easily improve the community's annual yields without incurring large subsidy costs. Lime and rhisobia inoculants are cheaper than fertilizer. Good soil management will reduce the over all demand for fertilizer there by reducing its cost on the market, further dropping the cost to the farmer and the consumers.

A Whole Year

2010-12-15T03:02:00.004+02:00

I haven't posted on this blog in over a year. It was hard to resist, but I didn't even look at it. I hope some of you looked at it, but then I apologize for not updating. It's no excuse, but I've been busy. (In fact, if the opposite were true, I would have no reason to post anything at all.)

Here's the deal: I've been on a new project for the last year and now I have to share it with you. It's called Africa Windmill Project. I'm supposed to be keeping a blog for the project too, with updates from our US-based team as well. Here are the key pages for AWP:

www.africawindmill.org
www.africawindmill.blogspot.com

Those places should give you a good idea about the project, and I hope that you'll be checking on them from time to time. On this blog, I plan to include more personal ideas and stories.

I'm back on the fund raising campaign so please check out the donations page at http://www.africawindmill.org/Donate.html. (Donations are tax-deductable. I am the only employee of the Project so general donations are fine: the money will go towards my support and the programme expenses. Designated giving is possible as well. I hope you can all get on an email list for AWP updates, but I'm not sure how to do that right now. Stay tuned in for details.) Thanks for your support!

Well, I'm back home for Christmas. It's good to see some of you at Whitworth or wherever we might meet. Here's a phone number to reach me on 407-463-1024. Call me up!

Keep checking in for pictures and updates. Merry Christmas to all!

Mitengo

2009-12-08T06:52:00.002+02:00

Nursery: Moringa on the left and growing in the clay pots in the middle. Papaya on the right. Jatropha at the bottom.

Moringa Oleifera

2009-12-02T02:30:00.002+02:00

Wikipedia: Moringa_oleifera

The Heart of Darkness

2009-11-18T13:44:00.004+02:00

Behind my storehouse at Njewa.

Back to school

2009-09-04T08:54:00.003+02:00

September is the month of back-to-school. For me it's back to the farm. Yes, we grow vegetables during the dry season and keep rabbits and bees, and yes, the rains are still three months away. Still, now is the time to hunker down and start growing something, even if the first crops won't emerge until December.

After the mild success of last years Sunflower crop, we've decided to go bigger and better. We've gone from 3 acres to 9. From 1 crop to 3, and from 1 farmhand to 4.

We've rented 9 acres at a cost of K34,000. We'll plant 4 acres of maize, 2 acres sunflower, and 3 acres soybean.

The expense breakdown:

Land: K34,000
Seeds: K8,000
Fertiliser: K64,800
Pesticides: K5,000
Salaries: K215,000
Marketing, etc.: K30,000
TOTAL cost: K386,000

The expected yields are in the ranges of,

Maize: 2-2.5 tonnes/acre * 4 acres = 8-10 tonnes
Sunflower: 1.2-1.4 tonnes/acres * 2 acres = 2.4-2.8 tonnes
Soya: .75-1 tonnes/acres * 3 acres = 2.25-3 tonnes

Maize sells for an average of K35,000/tonne. Sunflower (as oil) sells at about K70,000/tonne. And soya goes for about K40,000/tonne.

Then the value of the crops are:

Maize: K280,000 - K350,000
Sunflower: K168,000 - K196,000
Soya: K90,000 - K120,000
TOTAL value: K538,000 - K666,000

Value - expense = K152,000-K280,000

This assumes decent weather, and neglects any income from rabbits or honey during the same period. Also, we'll have 1 additional acre on which to grow 4 crops to propagate their seeds. These crops are: pearl millet, Peredovik sunflower, winged bean, and amaranth.

Pray for us! We need it.

Another Season Gone

2009-08-31T10:40:00.003+02:00

I just noticed that my last entry has "spring" in the title. And now this is September. So a whole season has passed without any updates.

During the summer we had our 2-month interns here at Njewa and Chiwengo. They were working as teachers and mentors for our kids. It is remarkable to watch the changes in some people as they spend time with our kids. It's not so interesting to watch butter melt, but to watch a person melt like butter, to break down under the intensity of being suddently interwoven in the life of an impovershed child, a strange thing to see indeed, a marvelous portrait of the human heart.

Now I'm back to my old work of rabbits and cooking oil. It will be great to get back into it finally. And also to have more time for the kids.

I hope everyone had a good summer. All the best this year. I hope to keep in touch more.

Spring cleaning

2009-05-24T20:02:00.003+02:00

Just a bit of housekeeping: I've made a new blog to go more in depth about the technologies I'm using. Things like windmills, evaporative coolers, irrigation pumps, and peanut shellers will be the focus of the new blog called How 2 Africa.

The reason for the change is mostly for the user's sake. It is something of a "how to" guide, and needs to be well organised (not mixed in with posts about the children or my life, etc.).

It is going to take me a long time to develop the blog though. Just based on how long it has taken me to actually build some of these things, it will take me probably 3 to 4 months to make the How 2 Africa guides. But these are supposed to be a permanent resource. But also, a fluid resource that others can take and amend and improve. Then I'll come back with updates, etc.

Internet collaboration is so in vogue - I'm awesome! And so r u, if you try to build the stuff you find in Africa that makes life better!

Check out the first post on the windmill already uploaded.

Sunflower Oil

2009-04-25T18:02:00.006+02:00

We pressed our first oil yesterday. I measured out 6.5kg of sunflower seeds and headed over to the Chitedze Research Station where they have an oil ram press. It took us about 45 minutes to press the 6.5 kilos into 1 litre of oil. Well, that's not too bad considering the seeds I brought were not grown with fertilizer.

Anyhow, it tastes great. It's got a real flavour: tastes like sunflowers. So you can use it fresh in salad dressings without the bitterness of some of the cheap oils. It also worked well frying sweet potatos.

So here's the stats:

Dry seeds: 2.3 tonnes
Seeds-to-oil ratio: 6.5kg/litre
Total Oil yield: 354 litres
Total expense: K63,000
Cost per litre: K178/litre
Litre market value: K400/litre
Gross income: K141600
Net income: K78600

Or US$570.

Not bad so far. Still the little business of selling the oil.

Sunflower II

2009-04-13T20:42:00.003+02:00

Today we harvested sunflower again. We cut about 3 tonnes of sunflower and left another tonne on the field. With the tonne or so we harvested 2 weeks ago, that's 5 tonnes total. Respectable, I'm told.

And I'm pleased we managed to do this much, but I remain skeptical that we will get the kind of oil out of it we had hoped for. But this is a trial, so let the trial begin.

Now we have to dry the seeds and press out the oil. That's another big job in itself, not to mention a drain on my pocket change, especially if this doesn't work out in the end.

No, no. Don't think about that. It has to work. Has to.

Pictures of the loot:

Mpendadzuwa

2009-03-25T17:45:00.008+02:00

Sunflower.

The early harvest has arrived today. We cut about 1/5 of the garden, those flowers that were mature. And set them out to dry in the sun where we can protect them from birds feasting. Looks like a pretty good yield, in spite of some small flowers and a few rainless weeks. It's ahelluvalota work though.

Pictures:

The Steady Hand of an Artist

2009-03-22T12:44:00.003+02:00

The hand-crank concept en illustracion.

Scale

2009-03-20T20:17:00.003+02:00

For scale, me and the windmill. I'm 6'2".

Windmill

2009-03-16T10:14:00.006+02:00

What a busy week! We've had visitors from Florida since last Monday, the 9th of March, and I've been working side by side with a group of them on a windmill project.

Tuesday: buy materials

Wednesday: Build windmill 7am-midnight

Thursday: Build windmill 7am-midnight

Friday: Build windmill 7am-1am

Saturday: Build windmill 7am-2pm. And done.

We finished Saturday afternoon with what we thought was our best attempt given the time limits, but there was no wind to test it at that time. (Though we had seen it spinning and we were pretty sure it was going to work.)

Sunday: The wind picks up and the windmill pumps water for almost 30 minutes straight, broken sail notwithstanding.

The windmill was designed by John Drake, John Parker, Bill Salter, Isaac (surname coming soon), and myself. Drake and Parker run a new non-profit called Africa Windmill Project, and this was a proof of concept experiment, proof-positive. Their website is www.africawindmill.org

We brought two leading agriculture engineers from Malawi's colleges to see the windmill and discuss the design, Dr. Kantuzi and Mr. Chitseko Malawi's universities. They were impressed and hope to work with us in the future. They saw potential and also learned a lot about why past attempts had failed.

Design details will be available soon from Africa Windmill Project, but the basic idea is a vertical axis windmill with four pivoting sails, a cog at its base to turn a rope and washer pump through a PVC pipe submersed in water. Soon we will add bamboo drip irrigation to make an automatic watering system for a vegetable garden.

How to Help

2009-03-05T21:10:00.003+02:00

This is one of the hardest parts of being surrounded by needy people. The paralysis of not knowing how to help. I'm reminded of the part in Blood Diamond where the reporter asks why she should help just one man when there are thousands just like him all around. It's sounds so bad to the ear, as if the reason not to help is actually the reason to help: because there are thousands in need all around, I have to help somebody.

But then it never stops; once you start helping people there's always someone at your door. It's no big deal in principle, but I have limited resources. And what's worse, they're not strictly limited; it's not like when I run out of food I can just throw my hands up and walk away. I've got to feed myself, right? And then there's my car and computer which I could turn into food. But is it worth it? You see, it gets very tricky.

What I want is the guide book on how to help people. The Physician's Desk Reference on fixing people's suffering. It doesn't exist. It just takes so many parameters to figure out the best way of helping someone that to write it all down would be impossible. That's why people say it takes a relationship, not a prescribed step-by-step development scheme. But honestly, relationship is not the key, but friendship and brotherhood.

Parasitism is a relationship.

Friendships are built upon respect, while many Americans in Africa build relationships on novelty. Brotherhood comes indeed from working and suffering side by side, while some people believe it is enough just to hang out with their new African brothers. Learning the language is a big part of it. But I speak their language perfectly every time I dig a potato out of the ground and eat it raw. They do it all the time, but they see me do it, and they're stunned.

Once we are friends and we are brothers, the question is not longer how to help them, but how to help ourselves. And that's still a question I don't know how to answer, but I can no longer give up on it.

There is a village where I want to help out my friends and brothers. The first thing we have to do is dig a well that won't make people sick. Then we have to prevent malaria, and the swarm of parasites and opportunistic infections waiting to envelope the village. Next people have to find ways to provide food for their families. And finally, we'll have to produce something that other people want. I'm thinking rabbits, but of course I am.

Malungu

2009-03-05T10:21:00.004+02:00

I had malaria this past week. The effects still linger. It's a horrible disease, little creatures swimming through your blood, bursting open cells and eating your platelets (or whatever they do). I had fever of over 100 degrees for six days in a row. I ate 4 pieces of bread. Only. Stomach pain, hunger pain, nausea, etcetera.

After three full blood counts, across which I saw my anemia perform the numerical equivalent of synchronized skydiving, I managed to bite something nutritious, and keep it down. I'm finally better, though still exhausted from the whole thing. It's infuriating in a way because the first blood count was the only one that showed the Plasmodium parasites that cause malaria. After that I was cured, "but these things can take days or weeks to run their course." Shut up, Doc, that's not helping.

I have gained sympathy for the millions around the world who get this disease, many each and every year. I envy them, some of them, because they're naturally resistant by now. But I pity them because they can't just buy the prophylaxis like I can and did. Interestingly, it is cheaper for me to take prophylaxis the whole year than to get malaria once, but that's the swing of subsidies for my particular demographic.

All the best to those poor souls who will get malaria this year.

(Thanks Bill Gates, if you're reading this, for buying drugs for me.)

I want KALULU!

2009-02-12T19:30:00.002+02:00

Kalulu = rabbit in Chichewa.

We received a donation of 20 rabbits on Tuesday. What an amazing turn of events! The kindest lady and her sweet daughter brought the rabbits out to our farm. They had been keeping them as pets, so you can imagine the sadness in the girl when she saw our chicken-wire cages. She was in tears going away. I don't think she knew we were planning to eat them, though her mother told her that the rabbits had blessed them and now they will bless other people too!

And how! What a blessing. Today we slaughtered 8 rabbits to clear out the hutches. Now we have 12 remaining, 9 will be eaten within 1 month. One will be eaten the month after that. And 2 remain as breeding stock. We'll add at least 1 more female for the initial breeding pool.

Part of the objective is to reduce the cost of food for Chitipi Home. The home houses 37 children and sits at one end of the farm. For record keeping purposes, the home buys food from the farm (though the money is just moved around on paper, as both are part of COTN). The home may choose to use its budget at the market and not buy from the farm, and this option is more often taken, as market prices are lower than our farm's prices for most things.

Not any more! We will be able to supply the house with rabbits at MK300-MK400 ($2.00 - $2.70) each. Chickens run at about MK800. A chicken makes 10 cuts, a rabbit makes 9. So we're about doubling the available meat to the home (provided we can produce enough rabbits). We estimate that it will take 5 rabbits to feed the home one meal. It takes about 5 chickens to do the same, but the budget only allows for 3 chicken per week. If all goes well, the kids may eat rabbits twice a week!

In addition, we'll sell the rabbits to the general public at about MK500 each. Our estimated expense per rabbit produced is MK100. And that makes for a nice coushion on other prices such as vegetables, chickens, and crops, that are sold to the home. We're challenging the traditional mindset that says it takes more money to get more food. Necessity is the mother of all innovations. (Not to say our rabbitry is innovative, not at all.)

Anyway, what a great day eating rabbits with the kids! They were so excited for a treat on any-old-Thursday. :)

(So you're thinking: that sounds so cool, how can I help? We need drinking valves that cannot be found in Malawi. So you could donate some and send them over here with a visitor. Just let me know.)

Clement, mercy

2009-02-09T17:57:00.006+02:00

It seems all I have to tell these days is about sick kids. But it is important for me to share their experiences because many of you know them, and those who don't know them, if you're interested to know what I spend my time with, it's making these kids feel loved and secure. You can imagine how insecure a little boy or girl may feel if they are sick and their is no doctor in a thousand miles who can do anything about it.

Clement is a boy in Chiwengo who I've been very close to. There is a group of kids in our homes who came to us from other institutions, churches or hospitals mostly. And these kids see us as their true family more than some of the others who know their aunts and uncles and grandparents in the villages. Clement came from a Roman Catholic church in the Northern Region, and is a part of the COTN family.

Last week it was discovered that he has a brain tumor, and there's not a doctor between here and South Africa who can help him. Clement has always been a brilliant soccer player, scoring from seemingly out-of-nowhere as a left-footed striker. A few weeks ago he began having trouble balancing and he would struggle with massive headaches. After numerous hospital visits, it was finally found that there is a tumor on the front of his brain.

He has applied for his passport and arrangements are being made to fly him to Johannesburg for treatment as soon as this Friday. I promised him that when he gets back I'll teach him to drive so that he can be the first COTN child to get his driver's license.

Please pray for Clement as he goes for treatment.

Hunger Strikes

2009-02-01T20:07:00.005+02:00

As I've written in many letters this week to various friends: this is a hard time to return to African life. The reality of life hasn't changed - just my connection to it. I suppose it's the generalization of the phenomenon in which a light bulb may be lit for 100 hours, but the next time you turn it on, it burns out. More current flows through a cold bulb than a hot one... In other words, I've been away for four months and now the bulb has been flicked back on.

This season always brings with it hunger, malnutrition, malaria, cholera, dysentery, and a host of other problems for the average Malawian. And my friends are not immune.

I received a call today from a farmer who I've employed to help me grow sunflowers and soya beans. He said that after visiting one of our gardens, the land owner told him that the village was suffering general hunger. This is very true; I had visited the village two weeks ago and saw it for myself even then. The land owner pleaded with the farmer to ask me for some maize flour.

It's a reasonable request from the land owner since he hardly asked anything for rent on the land - $7 for the year. But I happen to know that a bag of maize flour is going to hardly improve anything. It will be eaten in one day, and add almost nothing in terms of nutrients. I could provide a bag of beans or some soya. Still, I don't know what to do.

The reason I bring it up is that it is a common occurance. It's the kind of situation that makes me think long and hard about how I can help these people. I always give what I can to a genuine request for help. Americans tend to over think these things, and I've often been told that I shouldn't give because when I'm gone the people will not work hard to get food. But of course, they don't have food now. It takes more than a day to teach a man to fish.

Nthawi zonse, all the time

2009-01-29T12:13:00.004+02:00

It's been 90+ degrees, not a cloud in the sky for four days now. I'm sick of it - this is supposed to be the rainy season, and before long the crops will be devastatingly sick of it, too. Exhaustion, hunger, sunburn, follow. But with all these comes a brilliant moment.

I had stood for about half an hour, from 4:00 to half past, waiting for a mini-bus to take me ten kilometers west to Chitipi Farm. Throughout the day I had had the experience, as I imagine it, of a Thanksgiving turkey roasting for hour after hour. Only I was simultaneously roasting and building a rabbit hutch.

And that's where the brilliant moment comes in. A car pulled off the road and a friend of mine got out of the passenger's side. This car's going your way, he said, and introduced me to the White South African lady driving the rig. Perfect! A climate controlled ride - door to door, no more waiting, and some pleasant conversation for the trip, I thought.

She asked me what I was doing on the farm, and I told her building a rabbitry. Oh really, she said, where are you getting the rabbits from? I told her I hadn't the slightest idea. Oh well my friend is trying to get rid of her rabbits, and I'm sure she'd give you some. Some?... twenty actually... for free.

And that's how things get done, all the time. Amen to that.

Chimwemwe, Joy

2009-01-23T07:30:00.005+02:00

I have known Chimwemwe for nearly three years. I've come to know her quite will in the last year because she spends as many days at home as she spends at school. She is sick so often that I almost count on her to be home in the mornings while the other kids are away, so we can have a chat or take a walk through the gardens.

I can tell when a child is suffering. They make it well known after all, but to understand their suffering is not as easy. But I carry the burden of a sympathetic heart; I can tell very well what troubles Chimwemwe. The pain of the thing itself - a headache, sore throat, or whatever - is insignificant anymore compared to the hopelessness that comes from knowing that even when the pain goes away it will return at any time. I can relate to that very well, and I have spent hours talking to Chimwemwe, telling her that she cannot allow these things to defeat her.

She is a sweatheart, kind to the last. It is injustice that she must face the sickness and fatigue she does. You will now pray for our other daughter and again for healing. It is not in our hands to heal her, so much we know. Joy, on the other hand, we can provide, and do whenever possible. God be with her.

Mpingu Garden

2009-01-21T22:13:00.002+02:00

Sorry I have not yet brought out my camera. I know it makes this more interesting for all of us. It's a battery issue for now.
-------

I devoted the night to prayer, but don't think I'm so holy; I couldn't sleep if I wanted to. And the morning was quite hectic. By the time it started raining I was ready to turn in for the day, around 1 o'clock. But I still had to travel out to see my second garden.

After getting stuck in the mud twice, we arrived at a remote village somewhere in the bush north east of here. From there we walked a kilometer through maize gardens to find the place where my sunflowers are growing. It is a huge plot, nearly 3 acres and all stations have germinated at least one plant, most 2, 3, or 4. It's a beautiful place out there.

All is well!

Tomorrow some boys will be transplanting the extra plants to clear soil, others may weed a certain corner where the undergrowth is starting to leech nutrients.

I will be moving on to the next phase: processing. It will be a daunting task to figure out how to produce oil most efficiently. It will of course be an adventure. I'll also be getting started on a rabbitry.

Madalitso, blessings

2009-01-21T06:06:00.005+02:00

4:47am awake. Again I'm here, beset on all sides by chaos, tragedy, and the heroic spirit of the children. Hearing about the infection in Madalitso's arm has reminded me of this place. As was often said over the past two years, if ever you forget where you are, look around you.
-----------

Madalitso is one of the girls at Chitipi Children's Home. She's about 12 years old and apparently indomitable. Madalitso's humerus, her upper arm bone, was infected from the inside out. It split open and is now a mass of nearly dead tissue and surrounded by a terrible infection. She's lost almost 30lbs since November when the infection first burst through her bone. She has sat at death's door, but with her back to it and smiling; she may have been the only one who knew she wouldn't die. Skin and bones, one of which is poisoning the whole body.

Aside from the brief moments of agonizing pain, as I said: indomitable, unbeatable, joyful, and hopeful. She is now in hospital, on bed rest. Her arm still shows signs of life, which gives us all hope that it will not be amputated. Oh God be with her.

Please join hundreds of people who now pray for Madalitso. Physician, heal thy daughter.

Ndafika

2009-01-16T06:03:00.003+02:00

I have arrived. The journey was too long, but I made it just okay, if a little under the weather. My luggage managed to arrive in good time also, A FIRST! When Security in South Africa weighed my carry on bag, I was double the maximum. I all but emptied the bag, put it on the scale again, now half the maximum. Loaded it back up and continued on my way. Why, oh why?

I greeted a few of the staff members, but many were out. I walked to the nearby Sunflower garden to see how it stands - happily better than expected. Most stations have produced small plants already, some producing two or three healthy specimens even. The plants are small yet, and hopefully the rains stick around long enough to see them through.

Still many things on the agenda in terms of settling in: unpacking, getting my Defender up and running, and a few urgent matters pertaining to the gardens. After that, in a week or so, I'll be traveling up north to the Children's Homes at Chiwengo.

Good to be home. : )

They ate my seeds

2009-01-08T19:51:00.001+02:00

The pesticides were not strong enough. We had to scrap much of one of the gardens due to pests. We have planted groundnuts in that place now.

Travel plans

2009-01-02T22:23:00.009+02:00

I have to leave Spokane on the 12th to make my early flight to D.C. on the 13th. So things are getting down to the wire. I leave one week from Monday, and that's crazy.

On a related issue, I still don't know when I will be back. After all, I don't have enough information to figure that out, and I'm not the type of person who defaults to, say, a year just because I have no other plans. In fact, I have other plans that include continuing to help my friends in Malawi as long as I can.

Which brings me back to the issue of money. I am still in need. Please click here and help.

Is this the proper time to take stock? Perhaps this departure, more than the other two, is a real departure, as opposed to a detour. A detour is guided and puts you back on your original course, even keeps you out of harms way. A departure is, well, the opposite.

Which brings me back to this blog's motto: Asatayike. In English, he does not perish. Latin: non omnis moriar, I shall not all die. To which I add a slogan, stolen from a nearby gym: "Quitting lasts forever". I do not perish, therefore I do not quit. That sounds like faith and deeds. Hmm.

Sunflower Garden update

2008-12-26T10:22:00.003+02:00

Seeds were planted on the 15th of December, and fertiliser was applied the following week around Christmas. So far so good.

We did not intercrop beans. I don't know why not, but the farmer chose not to do it.

Khilisimasi Yabwino!

2008-12-25T01:11:00.006+02:00

Tikutamandani lero Mulungu watu chifukwa anakonda anthu a padziko lonse lapansi kwambiri. Anali naye Mwana mmodzi yekha, komabe anampereka kuti aliyense wokhulupirira Iyeyo asatayike, koma akhale nawo moyo wosatha.

We praise this day our God for he dearly loves all the people of the world. He sent us his only Child, so that everyone who believes in Him does not perish, but has eternal life.

What diversity brings

2008-12-08T03:29:00.004+02:00

In America, to everything there is an alternative. From food to entertainment to careers, life is a near constant decision process. Some decisions seem unimportant, while others are the most important dilemmas in life. But for many people in the world, choices big and small are a luxury. That is the case in Malawi, where opportunities are limited and what you eat is determined by the seasons. While a hundred varieties of cereal seem frivolous, and some career and family decisions make life more stressful, a diverse spectrum of choices throughout society play a vital role in personal and community development.

Even after a plentiful harvest, people in the developing and Third worlds continue to suffer malnutrition as a result of unbalanced diets. Diversity in agriculture is essential to ending malnutrition. The greatest obstacle subsistence farmers face is the challenge in raising various crops during a single growing season. Cooperative farming comes with its own challenges, but is one promising solution to the problem. Other factors that improve crop diversity are multiple growing seasons provided by irrigation; labour saving practices; improved seeds and fertilisers; inter-planting; and farmer education.

The malnutrition problem is a special case of a more general macroeconomic phenomenon. As far as is feasible, the monocrop market has been driven to equilibrium. The farmer no longer sees an increase in production when he invests more into his crop. But he still suffers malnutrition. (It's important to remember that an equilibrium is not necessarily sufficient for sustainability.) The markets flow along but require outside inputs (subsidy, foreign aid) for viability.

When the second, third, and forth (crops) markets are introduced the entire economic system becomes more stable. The farmers are less susceptible to shocks, and their nutritional needs are met. More importantly, the overall wealth increases (yields increase) because the individual markets are essentially traded in the labour market, which has a higher equilibrium than it did in the monocrop scenario. That is, farmers are able to maximize the use of their resources because they can divide their labour among different markets.

There are many barriers that prevent more and varied feed crops, but these can be overcome. The value of diverse markets is indispensable for any developing community. What is shown in principle is borne out in the evidence: nations which have relied on a small number of output markets have been more prone to recession, civil conflict, corruption, poor health quality, and high mortality.

This is World AIDS Day

2008-12-01T06:06:00.001+02:00

Today is World AIDS Day, on which we remember those who live and those who have died with AIDS. When this day ends, millions of people will continue to suffer AIDS. So let our remembrance today give us perspective tomorrow to not take for granted any blessing that we have.

An Update on the Sunflower Project

2008-11-30T05:27:00.005+02:00

The last few weeks have seen some good progress on the Sunflower Garden in Lilongwe. We have, we think, avoided any impending trouble with acquiring fertiliser by purchasing ours early and from independent distributors, not the government. We were under pressure from the decreased fertiliser subsidies and the addition of more land to our Garden, but have managed to procure sufficient Calcium Ammonium Nitrate and 23:21:0:4S fertilisers for the initial applications. More of each will be needed in January.

The Garden doubled in size with the donation of community land, to a total of 4 acres. Without time to prepare anything different, we only considered planting an additional 2 acres of sunflower. The plan remains: 1 acre Sunflower intercropped beans; 3 acres Sunflower on free-stand.

Land preparation was completed last month in anticipation of the rains. Rains began last week around 20 Nov. pushing our planting and fertilising date to 20 Dec.

Because of the additional land and higher fertiliser prices, our budget has changed, narrowly exceeding the contingency funds we incorporated into our initial calculations. With an expected double yield (or more since all additional land is planted free-stand), this is acceptable, provided we can move all the produce.

All in all, we've been quite blessed so far by the community and the dedication of the farmer managing the project in Malawi while I am away.

An updated budget calculation:

Expenses: labor ($200) land ($100) chemicals ($100) fertiliser ($550) seeds ($35) processing ($200) transportation ($100) TOTAL ($1,285)

Income: projected oil sales $2,800 to $3,200

Net: $1,515 to $1,915

Still working on the oil extraction process which can significantly improve yield if done in the most efficient way possible. Logistically, it may not be possible to process efficiently in the first year, but we plan redundant options, one of which is to sell the raw product and not produce any oil (for sale).

Ku mwamba

2008-11-09T04:59:00.003+02:00

Come that Heavenly Day

EDZI

2008-11-01T07:42:00.004+02:00

EDZI is an acronym. "E" is for Acquired, "D" for Immune, "Z" for Deficiency, "I" for Syndrome. EDZI is the word for AIDS in Chichewa.

Over the past 2 years, I have heard the stories, and witnessed the devastation AIDS has caused. I know many children who were rescued from villages in precipitous decline as a result of the disease. When I visited one of those villages, I met children who had never been to school, suffered malnutrition, chronic infections, and hunger. And I heard the stories of children, relatives of the ones we rescued, who had died. If our children had not been rescued, those who survived would live in extreme suffering.

But I am always thinking of those villages, that they will never escape hunger and AIDS. The road they are on is filled with perpetual suffering, and without any sort of intervention, that road leads nowhere good. We should expect nothing different, for the social conditions caused by AIDS lead to increased transmission of HIV: loss of labour, malnutrition, poverty, lack of education, etc.

I go through ups and downs of seeing hope and total despair. I know it doesn’t have to be this way, but I fear it always will be. I just want to explain that this is just one more reason I keep going back to Malawi. I want to see the end of AIDS in one village, and I know several children who want that too. And I know thousands who want the same in villages across Malawi, and across Africa.

Pepani ndasowa

2008-09-30T04:59:00.010+02:00

Sorry for forgetting about the blog. I'm back in the States, back at home in Spokane. It's good to be here, though I wish I was in Malawi right now. I don't think it's going to be an easy four months, but I'll enjoy it. And it's been nice catching up with folks in Seattle and Spokane.

I had almost a week in the Seattle area, during which I visited the Children of the Nations headquarters for the first time. It was nice to meet, face-to-face, all the people I've come across in emails, and then some. They work very hard over there; heck, I was there for an all-day Saturday meeting - not my favorite, but the rest of them showed up ready to go. I, on the other hand, fell asleep before dinner, one word: jet...lag.

I spent a few days at the U-district... meh, I remembered it better. Still played a lot of video games at my old roommates'. (Highlight: fresh-ish mangoes.)

Then I was finally home, almost 460 days later. Lot's changed, lot's not. It's been a good time, seeing old friends, driving fast at the raceway, watching some American television and sports. Lots of smiles.

Still I miss Malawi terribly. I hate to think what I'm missing being away. I should really be there right now. Since I'd walk through fire for any one of those kids, it doesn't feel right to go away for anything. How much I love them.

Ndili pano. Muli kuti?

2008-09-08T15:20:00.005+02:00

According to personal principles of good communication, this is a posting of my whereabouts over the next, say, month. It's where you can find me.

10th Sept. - 17th, Seattle area (city centre or Univ. District)
18th Sept. - 30th, Spokane area
30th Sept. - 10th Oct., Seattle area
from 11th Oct., Spokane area

*Make your appointments today. First come first serve applies. (Except when you're buying: then you jump the queue. :)

Ndikufunani...

2008-08-24T12:05:00.006+02:00

I'll be home in 2 weeks. Can you believe it?

A wish list:

1. 35mm Film Camera - no digital developing in Malawi.

2. Digital video camera - moving pictures are moving. I'd like to document some of the projects we are working on here.

3. CYGAWA - a book by Allan Weisbecker. I really like his In Search of Captain Zero, probably the best book in the world, probably.

4. 2-way handsets - communication in Malawi would give you an ulcer.

5. unlocked cellphone - therefore, I appease my love of communication technology, turning that frown upside down.

6. A Weber 2x-choke carb - (is it 34/36) or other appropriate carburetor for my rig, since the FoMo Co. one currently attached is a liability.

7. A set of metric tools - a good set, even used, would make life a lot easier.

Next, a set of applications for which I will be raising direct funding (and the need). By highest priority:

A. Sunflower oil production (US$1,500)
B. COTN vehicle maintenance and protocol ($600)
C. National Interns ($2,000)
D. Youth Retreat ($4,000)
E. Educational visits and Vocational training ($500)

If you are interested in raising funds for one or more of these activities, let me know. I can send you pictures, proposals, outlines, and other details to help.

Takulandirani

2008-08-23T21:39:00.003+02:00

We welcomed Joseph to his new home in Chiwengo a little over a week ago. Welcome Home, Joe. He's two and a half months old. When his parents died shortly after his birth, Social Welfare contacted COTN. Upon seeing the condition of the boy, the Centre Manager quickly accepted him into the home.

In other news, I met Adidya's brother two weeks ago. He's a very bright kid. Government of Malawi encourages families to be kept together, and I hope we can reunite Adidya and her brother Happy soon. That would be a great day.

Galimoto yabwino

2008-07-31T17:15:00.007+02:00

The Defender 110 returned from a brief, long stay at the garage where comprehensively minimal repairs were carried out. The stirring warbles were eliminated and the exhaust blowing was undone. Now it runs nice except for the fact that you basically sit directly on top of the drive shaft, which gets hot, and so do you. And the heat on your seat causes a loss of fluid as if you were running not driving. But still, point B never felt so close to point A.

Not yet ready to drive long distances, just in case.

Adidya

2008-07-16T20:24:00.007+02:00

Our new daughter is called Adidya. We brought her home today to Mtendere House of Peace, where she met her house parents, brothers, sisters, and aunties. She just happened to arrive in time for a welcome programme for another group, which made her feel so welcomed to a new home. Surely, it was a day of high emotions for Adidya as she traveled up and down before finding her bed waiting in the girls' wing at Mtendere.

Adidya is a beautiful girl, 9 years old, and excited to re-enter school after a long time away. Adidya's mother and father have been dead for over 3 years now, and she has stayed with an aunt in the meantime, though her aunt's husband was not fond of the girl. When she became just a bit sick, her aunt was forced to send her away to a clinic. Adidya returned home after many months, healthy now. However, her guardians were not interested in caring for a sick girl and sold her medication.

By the time Adidya returned to the clinic she was near death. The clinic staff and other's who had met the lovely girl immediately began searching for a place for her to stay, where she could receive the care she needed, and the love. It was through these people's search that Children of the Nations first heard of Adidya. Though, even I met her some time back and she has stayed a long time without a family. Today she is home.

Tionana

2008-06-21T07:59:00.002+02:00

I'm heading to Chiwengo today. Been busy these days preparing for interns to come. I think we are finally ready. I wanted to visit Chiwengo one last time before I bury my head in the intern sands.

We pick up the interns on Tuesday afternoon. Then they'll have some orientation lectures and activities before they start work on the following Monday. I think we are going to have a wonderful group dynamic because, as leaders, we have that. Frackson and I have our heads together, always thinking the same things at the same time. And Jennifer who just arrived has got on great and has a lot of good ideas for caring for the team as they go through a stressful experience.

See ya later. Tionana.

Galimoto (day 2)

2008-06-12T17:16:00.004+02:00

The have done list for to-day with respect to the Defender:

Purchased insurance
Paid taxes
Purchased Certificate of Fitness
Repaired bonnet (hood) latch
Repaired passenger's door lock
Replaced driver's front tyre tube
Repaired headlight connections
Repaired choke attachment
Purchased jack

Left to do:

Replace some engine hoses
Repair brake light connections
Replace exhaust manifold gasket
Install seatbelts
Oil change

The hunk of junk is now road legal, if not road worthy.

I've tried it in 1st-3rd gears. It doesn't pull hard. Still trying to figure out what to do about that. I think it might have been that the choke was fully shut before I repaired the linkage. Now it may do better, but I haven't gone over 30kmph since.

Galimoto

2008-06-11T19:53:00.003+02:00

I now own this rig. I have wanted to have a vehicle for a long time; this will be very useful.

It needs some repairs right away like a new tube for the driver's side tyre and the electrics sorted out. But it runs nicely.

And it seats 10 people.

Asatayike

2008-06-11T09:26:00.004+02:00

This is the beginning of a great work.

Today I rented the land for the first trial of two technologies that I hope will catch on in Malawian villages. I rented 2 acres: 1 for Sunflower Oilseed and 1 for Groundnuts.

I hired a partner, Charles Chisale. Charles is a self-proclaimed farmer, cleaner by day, and 19 years old. He will manage the site, and do all the work in my absence. (I will be overseas during the growing season). I am grateful for his help.

Here is the estimated breakdown:

Expenses

Land: MK15,000
Seeds: MK6,000
Fertiliser: MK14,000
Equipment: MK4,000
Labour: MK20,000
Ram press: MK21,000
TOTAL: MK80,000

Income

Oil: MK95,000
Groundnuts: MK30,000
TOTAL: MK125,000

NET: MK45,000 ($321.43) This ignores the sale of by-products which could amount to MK15,000 or more.

50% of the net (MK22,500) will be invested in the second season. If successful in the first season, the second season will use more land. I hope to grow 2ha. or 5 acres the second year, yielding a profit of MK368,000 ($2628.57).