Website Update

Hello everyone,
 So much has been happening in the life of the Community Based Water Program since May 2011

• Hongera! (Congratulations) to the three community groups we have been working with over the last few months on completing the construction of their sand dam and adjacent wells. Construction of the sand dams started on May 10th and was completed on June 13th. During the week of June 20th we held celebrations at each site. It was exciting to see the groups being vey proud of their work. Each group invited leaders from the other groups to come and share in their celebration ( capacity building 101).

Following are some photos from the construction celebrations.
 

Celebration at Soweto (left) and  Kawawa (right)

 

Celebration at Chijendele

•   CBWP is hoping to start and complete one or two more sand dam this year before the rains begin in late November 2011

  On June 13th, 2011 we worked with 3 new community groups to construct and complete 3 sand dams and 3 wells. We were very impressed with the commitment level of the 3 new groups. They worked effortlessly to complete this task.  To date, the groups are very much anticipating the rains that are due to come in late November-early December. Since the first week in May, Dodoma and it's surrounding villages  have seen no more rain fall. We are now in our driest time of the year.

• We are praying ( truly praying) that the rains will come early this year and soon the new groups will begin to enjoy the benefit of getting water from the dams and wells.

Note: It takes about 3-4 raining seasons before the dams will mature.

Kawawa, Zuzu (Umoja group) Sand Dam and well constructed May 10-June 13th 2011



Chididimo (Chijendelele group) Sand Dam constructed May 10-June 12th 2011



                      Soweto, Zuzu (Vumilia group) sand dam constructed May 10th-June 11th 2011

•    During the month of  August 2011 our staff took advantage of some much needed training time. Our Mobilizer ( Chitema) and our Mason(Shomary) went to Nearby Kenya ( Kitui)  for training in mobilizing community groups and Sand dam construction. This will greatly help to reduce the amount of time it will take us to help the Self-Help-Groups (SHG) construct the dams and also cut down on the number of meetings that usually goes into organizing the groups before construction begins.
• In August 2011 we were very exicted to receive guest from the Food Resource Bank(FRB).

Their mission:

• Share with program staff and participants about FRB and the role of their growing project and its role in FRB.

• Learn about the principles behind sustainable food security and integrated development.

Some of the guest participants were:

·  Leader: Bev Abma, Executive Director of Overseas Programming from Michigan (Canadian)

· Leader: Beth Mooy, FRB Board Director and Growing Project participant from Fremont MI

·Val Wykstra, Interne from Calvin Seminary, from East Martin, MI

· Abigail Genzink, Youth Scholarship from Byron Center, MI

·Kimberly Nelson, Canadian daughter of Bev Abma from Calgary, AB

· Mark Nelson, Canadian son-in-law of Bev Abma from Calgary, AB

·Nicholas Kuperus, Youth Scholarship from Byron Center, MI

· Carol Boerkoel, Bryon Center, MI Friend of FRB

· Jacinta from Kenya Kitu

Pictures of FRB visit:

Mark&Kim Nelson with Beth Mooy and Al Wright at the dam site

FRB visiting 'The Office' in Chididimo village

Engravement on the Dam wall at Kawawa, Zuzu

FARMING GOD'S WAY KICK OFF ON TIME THIS YEAR!

Together in Prayer to the Lord for the Land
It all begins with humility (James 4:10)

• In September we held our 2nd Farming God's Way Seminar in the villages of Chididimo and Zuzu.

Our  lead trainer this time was Graham Stevenson from Arusha, TZ.  Graham has been Farming God's Way for 3 years now and has seen great results on his Farm. He was willing to come and share what the Lord has been teaching him with the local farmers and people in Chididimo and Zuzu villages of Dodoma, TZ.
The seminar was held from September 26-October 1st 2011. We are also happy to have Victor Jonathan on our team. Victor is a graduate from sokoine university in Morogoro and is doing his first internship work with us. Victor also led some of the discussions during the Farming God's Way seminar.

 (Victor Jonathan demonstrating soil runoff problem without God's blanket)
Conventional farming: typically 90% of rainfall lost in runoff
Farming God's Way: typically only 6% of rainfall is lost in runoff

Graham Stevenson(makofia) teaching FGW