Those damn monkeys!

Wabonwa!

Since getting to Zambia 2 weeks ago I haven't had much time to sit and relax as a lot is happening. After spending a week in Lusaka getting acquainted Zambia and working in the head office of ASNAPP I headed down to Livingstone. There I met up with my coworker, Newton Phiri, and toured my various projects for the summer. Looks like I'll be involved with implementing and evaluating 4 community projects and optimizing the technical operation of a greenhouse at Sun International Hotels over the next 3 months. In the coming weeks I'll give more background on the community projects but for now I'll recap what is going on at the greenhouse at Sun.


Last week was spent focused on successfully fixing several issues that the green house at Sun. In monitoring the drip irrigation system I was able to detect and correct deficient levels of nutrients in the system and plants. There were also problems with leakages and water feed volumes that we fixed, which will minimize the water wasted while improving plant growth.

As I found out this week monkeys are a notorious problem for high value vegetable production near the Vic Falls. Several months ago they cleverly broke into the greenhouse and ate all the cucumber plants. Yesterday Newton and I visited the greenhouse to service the irrigation system to find 2 monkeys riping the newly planted cucumber plants out of the ground. Luckily we were able to scare them out, but not before one growled and made a jump towards me, which scared me half to death as Outbreak was the last movie I watched in Canada. No bites and no Ebola.


I have been living with a family for the past week, which has been rewarding. It has helped me learn the culture, language, and history of the Tonga people in southern Zambia. Eating Nshima (the staple dish - corn meal at the consistency of thick mash potatoes) twice a day with my hands now feels normal and I have acquired a taste for it.

Next week I'll begin to work more directly with two communities for the blind, Linda and Mapenzi, to construct cooling huts to preserve their vegetables under the hot Zambian sun. If you'd like to get in touch or have any questions feel free to call me at +260976846162 or email me at bkotelko@gmail.com - Please keep in mind that I am 8 hours ahead of Mountain Standard Time if calling.

Muchale kabotu (Stay well),

Brett Kotelko

Original project briefing

Wabonwa!
(Hello in Tonga)

So as you might know, this summer I will be headed to Zambia with Engineers Without Borders Canada (EWB) for a 4 month "Junior Fellowship" placement. Why call it a "Junior Fellowship"? Well, the main purpose of the placement is to get exposure to international development while exchanging knowledge and bring experiences back to Canada. I see it very much as a opportunity to learn about the challenges of poverty and more about myself.

4 months isn't much time to insure lasting impact, but by working with a local non-profit organization - Agribusiness in Sustainable Natural African Plant Products (ASNAPP) - it is hoped that the skills and knowledge I bring will stay within the community, and ASNAPP, more than if i were to work on independently on a short term project.

So what will i be doing? 5 days ago i would have told you a long winded answer about how i don't know but while i cant say exactly what i'm doing i can tell you which organization and projects i'll be working on.

As i mentioned, i'll be working with ASNAPP, which has operations in the Southern Province of Zambia where Tonga is the dominate language and ethnic group. ASNAPP's goal is to create better livelihoods for rural communities by broadening agribusiness and providing opportunities for local entrepreneurs to prosper. By treating agriculture as a business communities are able to increase the value they receive. In Zambia I will be working in the Livingstone area with vegetable producers that are supplying the large hotels in Livingstone (Project 1), and also with a chilli grow out scheme near Kalomo (Project 2). The role i play within each project hasn't been defined yet but please read the project backgrounds taken from ASNAPP's website:


Project 1:
She bends over and squints at the enormous butternut lying between her feet. A few metres away, a man stares sightlessly at the patty pans that have to be harvested.

The pre-harvest fever in the rural Zambian village is contagious. Smiling faces dot the field and hands run over the smooth curves of the vegetables waiting to be harvested. As fingers touch spiny butternut stems and jerseys snag, it becomes clear that the people are visually disabled.

Situated a mere stone's throw away from the majestic Victoria Falls are the communities of Linda and Mapenzi. Although they listen to the water thundering into the gorge hundreds of metres below, many of these people have never been fortunate enough to watch this natural splendour. In 1978, the Zambian government decided that the only way they could provide for the needs of the sight impaired, was to bring them together. From here, they would receive an allowance and a house. Economic difficulties unfortunately dried up funding and the people were once again left destitute and vulnerable -abandoned to a life of begging and busking on street corners. For over 15 years, the people of Linda and Mapenzi have been stripped of dignity and any form of opportunity.

In a stark contrast to the rural communities, the Livingstone and Zambezi Sun International Hotels stand nearby. With foreign guests strolling through the huge entrance doors and a constant demand for fresh food, ASNAPP-South Africa struck on an idea that would benefit both the hotels and the communities. Previously Sun International had been importing their vegetables from Lusaka and even as far as South Africa, but the impact on quality and the expense weighed heavily on hotel management.

With the backing of the hotels and excited community members, Dr Petrus Langenhoven from ASNAPP-South Africa and agricultural technician, Newton Phiri set about implementing an open field and hydroponic vegetable project. The Mapenzi community planted 1.2 hectares of vegetables and was assisted by Sun International, who bought a water pump as well as greenhouse building materials and flat laying pipe for the project.

ASNAPP's reputation in the area of hydroponic cultivation ensures that they are regularly called upon to provide capacity training courses to resource-limited farmers. Hydroponic vegetables are not grown in soil, but rather in neutral substances such as coco-peat, bark or gravel. The plants are fed pre-mixed nutrients and monitoring and ensuring the correct ingredients takes intensive training. Both Langenhoven and Phiri played key roles in educating and training community members. The communities' response to the vegetable scheme has been positive, and this is seen in the large quotas coming off the fields. Despite initial financial constraints and the distance from major input suppliers, Langenhoven says that the technologically advanced production systems will ensure higher harvests.

The support from the hotels did not end at them purchasing greenhouse materials. Not only are they buying the produce, but Sun International is putting 10 percent of the overall profits into the communities - back into the pockets of the entrepreneurs.

One of ASNAPP's strong points is that they work back from market demand to field activities. Seeing a gap in the market for specialty vegetables, they filled it. Many of the specialty vegetables being grown in Linda and Mapenzi are untried, but the high success levels have attracted the attention of commercial farmers and numerous non-profit organisations (NPO's). Since community members started harvesting, the vegetable choices on the hotel menus have expanded - leaving elated chefs and satisfied guests. English cucumbers, green beans, sweet peppers, sweet corn and cherry tomatoes are just some of the new-comers to the hotel menu.

The first harvests in November 2006 yielded over two tonnes of tomatoes and over one tonne of cucumbers. These were sold to the hotels, and total revenue exceeded $US 6 000 - figures that many could only have dreamt about. Stain Musungaila, CSI Coordinator of Sun International says, he "can not believe" that the produce is growing right in their own backyard.

Misozi Tembo, Corporate Affairs Liaison for Sun International, says it is "rewarding" to see parents able to afford to send their children to school again, pensioners earning a living, and people joining medical aid schemes. She says the organic farming project has changed the lives of the people. Being able to grow, harvest and sell their produce has given them a "vision and dignity." ASNAPP-South Africa has meanwhile been applauded by local government and development organisations for their approach to poverty eradication, development and nutritional improvement in the two communities.

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Project 2:

ASNAPP Zambia is extending its hydroponics vegetable production technologies in Zambia by establishing another greenhouse at Mitengo Women in Ibex Hills, Lusaka. The three tunnels covering a total of 720m2 is capable of providing quality products and yields 4x more than those grown in the open field. Taking a page from the success of the Livingstone Greenhouse project, the greenhouse in Lusaka will be owned and managed by the 100 member Mitengo Women Association, technical assistance provided by ASNAPP and produce sold to the high end hotels, Lodges and Supermarkets in Lusaka.

More Money for Farmers! Leveraging its market linkage capabilities, ASNAPP has secured a $400,000 market for farmers involved in the production of birds eye chillies (BEC) in Zambia. Under this contract farmers will supply 200mt of BEC in 2008 to a reputable buyer in South Africa. The order is expected to increase depending on the execution of this initial order. ASNAPP will provide technical assistance to the farmers along the entire supply chain.

ASNAPP Zambia has opened operational office in Livingstone, Zambia, in response to the increased demand for ASNAPP services; technical assistance, market linkages and quality systems, to farmer groups and cooperatives in the Southern Province of Zambia. The office is located on the 4th floor of the Mosi -O-Tunya in Livingstone. This second office for ASNAPP in Zambia will help to harness resources towards efficient delivery of services to the communities.

The Moringa plant, especially the leaves, is documented to contain most of the nutrients needed for the human body. Mitengo women Association (MWA) in collaboration with ASNAPP is actively promoting the use of this plant. MWA has presented the plant in various forms to ease its consumption: from leaves to powder to tea bags. Their latest product is Moringa capsules. To MWA, the economic opportunities which abound in Moringa are endless. Who knows next!
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If you have any questions or anything you want me to find out when i'm in Zambia, let me know.

Muchale kabotu (Stay well),

Brett