Benedict Schwartz: 6-week Report

I just returned from 6 weeks in Zambia; my 5th trip this year. I want to share with you the progress at our 230 acre farm there, and on our efforts to train-up orphans to become productive Christian citizens in Zambia.

Our Missionaries have arrived!
Francis and Kimberly Kamau, their children, and Marika Galanis have come to Zambia. I spent two weeks orienting them. They learned how to drive British style: on the wrong side of the road, sitting in the wrong side of the car, and shifting with their left hand. They learned quickly!

Our Conservation Farming Training (CF) begins November 1st
The Zambia National Farmers Union - Conservation Farming Unit (ZNFU-CFU) is providing a trainer to teach a class of 10 to 20 young adult orphans (17-24 years old). He will teach one day a week. We are looking at a three year program:

Year One: The training phase will last one year. The objective is to equip teen and young adult orphans with the knowledge and experience to become self-employed small-scale commercial farmers.

Our trainee supervisor recently graduated from a 3-year Zambian agricultural college program. He is the daily supervisor for the farming trainees. The curriculum includes daily Bible study, and instruction in knowing and following Jesus. Africare is providing Life Skills Training related to HIV/AIDS prevention.

This class will learn by hands-on clearing and preparing land, then planting maize, cassava, soy, sunflowers for cooking oil, and ginger. This will establish a model for clearing the land with subsequent CF classes, and planting crops.

Year Two: After the year, we will form the participants who have remained with the program, into a cooperative. Africare will provide them each with their own tools and implements. They will farm a plot on our property, and we will help them learn about marketing and business practices. We are working with Zimbabwean farmers now living in Zambia, to establish a wholesale produce market along our almost 1/2 mile of road frontage on the Great North Road.
The co-op members/trainees will sell their produce there.

Year Three: We will assist those completing Year Two, to acquire their own land, complete with Title Deeds. This knowledge and experience to become self-employed small-scale commercial farmers.then becomes like the land for landless farmers program in Nicaragua.

Our Zambian Board thinks that there may be strong opportunities in food processing. Zambians do not currently preserve or can the huge surpluses of tomatoes, mangoes, and other fruits and vegetables that grow here during the rainy season. There is only one Lusaka area company doing jams, jellies, and preserves. Judy Mpondella of Swingilli Gardens thinks that existing products are inferior, and that we should explore producing jams, jellies, and preserves in this region for the hotels and supermarkets. Members of our local network of friends are linked to hotels, restaurants, and some of them provide products to supermarkets throughout Zambia.

Children's Village for 3 to 6 year old orphans
The foundations have been dug for 4 of the cottages; concrete poured for three, and the walls raised for two. They should have roofs within the next few weeks, if we can secure the funds before the rainy season comes. We have made over 30,000 construction blocks for the cottages. We need funds for the electrical, septic and sewage, bunk beds and other furnishings. If we have the funds, we can begin receiving children by the end of November.

Land Clearing
We hired 20 temporary workers to clear 8 hectares (approx. 20 acres). This took 2 weeks. We hope to put in seed for at least 6 hectares for planting for this 2006 rainy season.

Equipment
Windmill, well, and storage tank - gift - (hopefully 5,000 liter): We have been assured that we will be given these through a Trust in the UK. These will help us with hand-hose watering and drip irrigation for the conservation farming. They would also like to help us get fish ponds operating.

Small portable food processing plant - a gift
This includes a steam boiler, cooker, cycle-grinder, and press. Outputs: 30-40 liters/hour - soymilk; 20-30 liters/hour - fruit or vegetable sauces, purees and juices; 20-30 lbs/hour - flour or meal from corn, sorghum, wheat, soy, etc.; 20-30 lbs/hour - peanut butter; 20-30 lbs/hour - ground roasted coffee. A Canadian firm, "Malnutrition Matters", will install this in January.

Large Equipment
New Holland Tractor model 8030, and a trailer - Loan- from Africare Ripper for tractor – loan from Ronnie Landless Rental - from Africare - 2003 Mazda pickup truck - monthly. This allows us to have a vehicle for use on the farm immediately, for any length of time we choose, while we pursue a more permanent, more cost-effective situation.

Blessings to you all...
Benedict