Model gardens

With time getting smaller by the minute before departure home, I decided to show the ladies from Dedza around our model farms, just to give them a small view of possibilities. Of course no day is simple and we had a few detours and it became a very long day!!
We first visited the co-operative, commercial model farm, the Taweni women's farm, where we bought 23 acres this time last year on a loan which has had 25% repaid by last November. The Chair welcomed us warmly and outlined the work so far and the plans. She talked about ownership and repayments and little things like sanctions for the late-commers and the lazy!! We visited their seedling production shed, where this pic was taken.
We then visited the conservation farm of the chair, Jester and the farm of the adviser Dupu, which i think were really great educational experiences for our visitors.
After having a small snack with Rose, we then journeyed to a new and unique possibility. We went to do a little pre-planning visit to a new project where the Chief will donate 10 hectares of land to the community so that they can divide it between families to work-on as a conservation farm.
To-morrow morning will tell if we get the go-ahead to assist these families to grow enough maize without artificial fertilizer and relieve so much unnecessary hunger and stress, being endured by so many at the moment.
After collecting blankets (our visitors are finding Mzuzu much colder than at home!1) from the hostel, we headed to Lusangazi, tired and hungry