Wow!

Ahhhh, paved roads (NO potholes) winding along steep mountain ridges and parallel to ancient valley riverbeds, long ago filled with volcanic earth. EVERY last bit of land is terraced and farmed here, save for small, scattered stands of eucalyptus forests and, of course, the national parks.. And it's BREATHTAKINGLY GORGEOUS, every minute, every where! An endless stream of "wow!…wow!…OMG wow!…"

Wow!

Wow!

This incredible country, a success story other African countries would do well to model themselves after, is unlike anywhere else we've seen. And we've seen!
Next Stop…Musanze District
Genocide commemorations during this time limited our interactions but we were able to catch up with some of the Amizero Cooperative of ex-poachers, outside Volcanoes National Park as the first group of them get ready to pay forward in the coming months.

Catching up with a few of The Amizero Cooperative members...

Once again we get to hear the joy of simple accomplishments and the dignity that comes with standing up to proudly announce not just increases in crop yields but conscious decisions to make life improvements. Check out just a few.

Marie Rose has 3 sheep and one is ready to deliver in the next week or so. She thinks it might be twins!
Her crop yield of potatoes has increased from 350kg to 2000kg in just over 2 years. When she collaborated with us she was farming one acre. She has since used some of her profits to rent another acre as she has sufficient fertilizer.

Innocent
actually a member of The Porters Cooperative, who has already paid forward.
organic fertilizer from his sheep and offspring increased his potato yield from 700kg to 2000kg.
The first year it happened, he sold his potatoes at market and immediately bought a tin roof to replace his thatched roof. This is both a safety measure (against fire), more efficient, and lasts longer.
"Now I know that I can have dreams and make them happen." His next plan, with the next harvest, is to re-do his mud walls with cement.

Fostine
increased crop yield from 200kg to 500 kg as well as fertilizing his fruit trees, and added the income to savings to purchase a pig. He now composts the pig manure with the sheep manure and offers free fertilizer to his neighbours kitchen gardens "because someone helped him, he wants to help others."

And yet another new development. Paul was unaware, when he leased 2.5 acres last year, that we cannot put up so much as a match stick in terms of construction. What to do with a 5 year lease?!? Well, thanks to Francois, head of The Amizero Cooperative,

Jeff and Francois head of The Amizero Cooperative of ex-poachers, heading out to our 'acreage'.

22 single mothers/widows have formed a cooperative and haves already begun farming potatoes on it. They will pay rent, at a VERY reduced rate but in keeping with our mission to provide the dignity of opportunity, not hand outs. They will each receive a sheep asap!

gotta love these little shitters!

Our newest cooperative in Musanze. With meagre funds these lovely women were each renting tiny plots of land and producing little. Believing they could be stronger together, they are leasing our land for 3 years to see if they can make a go it. We are backing them with sheep and looking forward to bountiful yields! Women Rock!

Continuing To Spread The Sh*t...

We've expanded into Eastern Rwanda, as we begin working with 2 cooperatives in communities just outside both the north and south boundaries of Akagera National Park.
Poaching has been a BIG problem here.
Nearby Akayange Village is home to Mr. Kadogo, one of the most notorious poachers known.
Twiteze Imbere Cooperative has 80 members, part of a larger community founded 5 years ago during a government relocation program.
They will all get goats.
The cooperative hopes to set an example to encourage others to join.
Gisunzu Village Cooperative has 120 members and we are the first project to approach them. They will also all get goats.
Poaching is a problem for the park at this end as well.
Baboons are problem for the farmers as they raid the crops.
The government guarantees compensation as part of a commitment to partnership between the park and surrounding communities.
In both areas there is an understanding that if any cooperative member poaches, all members will lose their goats.
A bit Draconian but it gets the message across and keeps everyone working together for common benefit.
Animal distribution will begin in the coming weeks, BOHORO, BOHORO, (slowly, slowly) in order for the price of goats not to sky-rocket!

Paul sensitizes as part of the initial introduction to the initiative with co-operative leadersoutside the south end of Akagera National Park.

 

 

Jeff works the financials...and EVERYONE marvels at his magic pen!

Skinnamarinky-dinky-dink...

 

And the next day we introduce our initiative to members of a cooperative just outside the north end of Akagera National Park. Once again, Paul works his magic and Jeff works the financials!

 

A great turn out bodes well for the initiative.

It's about listening AND contributing as we're all a team!

 

 

Notes taken by the secretary will be reiterated to the rest of the cooperative members.

Taking, and taking in, the minutes!

And a short way away, beautiful Akagera National Park, the focus of our conservation initiative.

While we are in transit from Uganda to Rwanda,
please take a moment to give thought to the 20th anniversary of a most heinous genocide - almost 1 million people mostly hacked and bashed to death in just 3 months!
Sorry for the graphic description but the truth is the truth!
It is impossible not to be moved by what many agree is the single greatest conscious act of forgiveness in human history.
The deeply personal narratives are haunting and humbling.
Perhaps it is just the trend in portraiture today, but what I found missing from the collection of solemn photographs is the vibrancy and joy that is, for many Rwandans, a reflection of the journey from darkness and despair into the light offered by the experience of forgiveness.
I had an opportunity to see this first-hand when I traveled to Rwanda for the second time 6 years ago, and had a chance to witness Truth and Reconciliation (T&R) first-hand.
I was already seated as I watched a young couple arrive on a bicycle, chatting and laughing as she slipped off and he parked the bicycle under the shade of a mango tree.
My first thought was that they are probably husband and wife, or perhaps brother and sister.
Then they sat down in front of me and I soon learned that he was responsible, along with a larger group of young men, for slaughtering her entire family.
She had managed to escape to a nearby swamp where she hid in the water by day and foraged for sustenance by night.
Their reason for initially coming to the program was the same as most.
She said her heart was beating but she was dead from living in the darkness of nightmare, loss, anger, and fear.
He said he didn't just wake up one morning and decide to kill Tutsis, but had been indoctrinated since childhood.
He lived in the darkness of guilt, shame and regret.
Both longed to move toward the light of being alive.
It was a journey filled with struggle that they consciously made together.
Many sessions before he could look her in the eye and describe, in detail, what he had done, and ask for her forgiveness.
Many more before she was able to grant it.
They were at the T&R session that day to work with other victims and perpetrators trying to move forward.
I was awe-struck.
Remember, I was here during the Bush era, a time of finger-pointing, hate-mongering and 'othering'.
Yet here was an incredible example of love and togetherness in it's purest sense.
We in the West had something truly profound to learn from these Rwandans.

Meanwhile...

Meanwhile…
Members of 2 new cooperatives have received goats, having already dug their compost pits and are most proud o show off their participation in this initiative.
120 members of the Abia Cooperative (January 2014) and 100 members of the Bala Cooperative (February 2014).
Both are made up of a significant number of families who have returned to their land post-conflict after having spent too much time in Internally Displaced Peoples camps.
Joseph Kony's campaign of terror effectively proceeded him and many ran away from their villages rather than possibly face his horrors. In this way he was able to disorganize over 500sq miles and displace over 40,000 people with a relatively small, ragtag but brutal army.
While these new beneficiaries are still early in their farming possibilities, they are already banding together, understanding strength in unity, and have been working hard to cultivate the land in preparation for the coming rainy season.
Members of the Abia Cooperative are already pooling their collected manure to maximize the yield of a collective farming plot.

These meetings, during the waiting period before the rains allow seedlings to turn dusty fields a vibrant green are a great opportunity to hear stories about the successes realized by other cooperatives who are putting their kids through school, building and renovating houses (including adding tin roofs and replacing mud houses with brick) and buying shared motor-bikes.
In discussions with Solomon and various cooperative leaders we have decided that it would be best to establish 'Action Visits' - opportunities for various leaders and members to come together and share expertise and ideas for best practice farming.
And talk about 'Spreading The Shit', 5 families living nearby the Grandmothers of Ober Bar (recipients back in January 2013), having witnessed their successes and having goats of their own, have begun composting as well!
YEE WA YOM! (We are happy!)
EH! (indeed!)

Rose explains the project in her own words

Sh*t Rocks!

Field visits to cooperatives who received goats and began composting in January, 2012 were an awesome and reassuring experience.
Over and over we heard uplifting stories of small but significant (and repeatable!) successes, related to us by people filled with joy and pride.
And remember, this is all organic fertilizer, with none of the health risks associated with chemical fertilizers
Take a moment to read these brief but incredible testimonials...

GOOM (opportunity) + TICHA TEK (hard work) = KATO (success)
YEE WA YOM! (we are all happy!)

Abraham, Community Chief and leader of the Kamdini Cooperative
Understanding that there is strength in numbers, 110 cooperative members (each a group leader) have come together to create a Learning Centre on his land.
They all contribute goat and cow manure to common pits and farm larger plots together to create even larger yields which command a better price.
From first round of fertilizer production - harvesting corn, millet, sesame and beans - the yield is expected to fetch 5 million shillings (roughly $2,000.US)
Strength of numbers allows for good bargaining and increased profit sharing!
And please note that this is the first time in over 20 years that this community has generated any monetary income!!!
And, they have begun a Pine Tree nursery, using fertilizer, that produced a bumper crop of 2000 saplings in 2013 alone.
These will be planted on various farm properties to create the forests that will clean the air, hold the soil, and provide shade and future building material.
They will repeat the process next year and begin to sell excess saplings!

James, leader of Barlonyo Cooperative
Using the motto 'Together We Are Stronger' they are no longer selling their sunflower seed harvest individually, but have entered into profit-sharing with a bumper harvest of just under 8,000kgs grown from an upgraded seed.
Their yield will fetch 8million shillings ($3,100.US)
And James is leading members of his cooperative to test different seeds using compost in controlled environments, showing increase in yield every time.
He is also trying out different different growing methods for dry-season farming using direct-to-root irrigation planting in tubs and black polyurethane sacks so that crops can be generated year-round.
Wow!

Molly
planting Nakati, a cabbage-like vegetable
in 2012 another year of poor quality harvests nets 20,000Ugandan Shillings (roughly $8US)
in 2013, after applying her organic fertilizer, harvest nets 80,000 Ugandan Shillings (roughly $32.US)
a 400% increase!
and a buyer said, "next year don't take your nakati to the market, we will come to your farm and buy the whole harvest from you directly."
and nakati seeds mixed into chicken feed helps to prevent diseases so Molly has set aside 2kg for her chickens and plans to sell extra seed from increased crop yields.
and Molly has begun to set aside funds to purchase a cow in the coming years.

Phoebe
planting Antola, an eggplant-like vegetable
in 2012 another year of poor quality harvest nets 50,000 Ugandan Shillings (roughly $20.US)
in 2013, after applying her organic fertilizer, harvest nets 150,000 Ugandan Shillings (roughly $60.US)
a 300% increase!
Buoyed by this wonderful result of her hard work, Phoebe has expanded her farm plot for harvest in June.

 

Lois (in front of a communal compost pit)
diligent use of her fertilizer allowed her to harvest enough peanuts, potatoes and tomatoes to cover school fees for her 3 children.
Lois, like all too many of the women in this area, suffer abuse at home because they are seen as 'not producing anything!' 

Now there is a new peace in the house as their weak (lazy!) husbands have stopped nagging (yelling and often beating!) seeing a return on their dowry 'investments'.
Lois looks forward to going to the field each day knowing there will be a benefit to her toil.
And her 'weak' husband has even started to help out!

 

 

 

 

Taking Our Sh*t Even Further North...

this frontier town is putting it's dark past behind them and re-building

Good morning from Kitgum, northern Uganda, about 100kms from the South Sudan border.
A heavy rain storm knocked out all the power in town last night, but a hotel generator ensured cold beer, pizza, and that ever-present spaghetti bolognese, as well as good company - a small and motley collection of Ugandans, Canadians, Americans and one Japanese, all trying in one way or another to enable a better future for Ugandans in an area brutally decimated by Joseph Kony and his LRA not so long ago. 400,000 people perished in unspeakable ways around here.

ever-present signs of conflict

The rains, (cherished by all as they mark the end of the dry season) have washed away the red dust that settles on everything (and every one) and the morning is crisp and fresh.

Chickens and ducks drink from newly formed ponds and two young children play with a toy car made from an old plastic bottle, a couple of sticks and 4 pop bottle caps - can you picture it? 

 

People head off to work and school as small shops open their doors to the day's business.

We're here to visit our friend Sam from Memphis, who runs a chicken farm operation that provides an egg each morning to many hundreds of school children as a way to get protein into their diets.
The school owns land nearby to set up the farm and there is excess. We are hoping to start a co-op of war widows, who's children attend the school where the breakfast provided is their only meal each day. The women could farm that land using the TSSH model. Rent for the land could be paid through a percentage of the crops raised.
Fingers crossed.

land awaits development

 

And then, all too soon, we're back on the road, heading to Barlonyo to visit the cooperative there that received goats over a year ago.