Africa Windmill Project

Preparing the Demonstration Garden

2012-03-07T19:33:00.000-08:00

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

From Kimberly Drake while in the fields of Malawi.

A group from Summit Church on a mission trip with COTN (Children of the Nations) joined me today at the Malawi Central Region demonstration garden to help Africa Windmill Project staff prepare the garden and irrigation areas.

A couple of Africa Windmill Project staff members, Blessings and Chewaszi, gave us a tour of the garden. It is .88 acres and they have several varieties of crops, irrigation, mulch and planting techniques planned for training the local farmers and ngo's (other non-profits).

Africa Windmill Project continues to encourage familiar crops such as corn, beans, ground nuts and squash, but also incorporates many other types of vegetables as well. They have the seedling nursery started and have begun transplanting into the beds.

Some of the surrounding village farmers were there watching and asking questions, they are beginning to prepare to harvest from the rains and begin their composting for their next plantings.

Wallace and Custom, two other staff members, were working hard to till the bed areas. Erin was raking the trenches to remove the grass and clearing channels so the stagnant water could travel down hill. Ryan was leveling ground and slashing grass. Josh was removing stumps and roots and clearing areas for more beds. Carlos dug and cleared an irrigation canal. John was mixing sand and cement for the reservoir and Christopher was working with the peddle pump. There were many others helping to lay brick, wheelbarrow sand, move, stack and lay bricks. It was incredible seeing this come to life. The trainings will begin in three weeks and there is much to be done.

Tionanna Mawa is See you Tomorrow in Chichewa. We will be back again with a new group from the United States. Also this week we will be talking with the Africa Windmill Project staff, learning about them and will begin to share their stories with you.

Usekio Wabeno (good night).

A tough season for Malawi growers

2012-02-26T03:31:00.001-08:00

Pictured below, maize is ripped to shreds by wind, rain, and hail.

Malawi has experienced a worse rainy season this year. Rains started falling in the late days of December last year and were poorly distributed across the region. Most areas had continued dry spells up to the middle of January. Maize planted in December, dried up due to unconducive temperatures for the germinating maize. However, farmers didn’t give up; they replanted in January to at least harvest something at the end of the rainy season. Few weeks after replanting, rains started falling heavily, affecting some areas in the southern part of Malawi with floods. In other areas where maize was about to tassel, heavy rain drops tore maize leaves to pieces. This situation has left farmers expectation in akimbo. Rain-fed farming ends in March and its likely that those affected will face hunger.

These are some of the unexpected situations that have prompted AWP to help rural communities understand climate change and its underlying challenges. AWP is there to teach farmers how to build low cost irrigation pumps; AWP is promoting conservation farming which is among the proven sustainable strategy in mitigating climate change issues that have hit food security; and is also encouraging small scale farmers to partake in irrigation farming and grow supplementary crops that would help in increasing availability of diverse foods at the household level.

New Ways of Farming

2012-02-24T23:10:00.001-08:00

Farmers in Malawi sometimes fall into a narrow view of what farming is. The typical view of farming might be something like: "dig, sow, weed, harvest".

That's a nice start but we re trying to encourage farmers to see a wide variety of activities as fitting into their farming practices. There's composting, budgeting and planing, marketing, seed storage, irrigation, pest control, among others. While farmers with the more basic understanding of farming still practice these other farm activities, the farmers don't consider them essential and tend to make them last-minute afterthoughts.

With some training we are encouraging farmers to see a big picture of what they do on their farms. Farmers are beginning to see the connections between their rain-fed crops and their irrigated gardens. They have taken an interest in seed selection and storage. And they have emphatically adopted composting and mulching.

One farmer leads the way by preparing compost far in advance:

Other farmers learn how to compact soil in preparation for a water tank:

Agriculture Extension Demo

2012-02-17T08:15:00.001-08:00

Joining government extension officers, we travelled to a small village 10km from Mziza to demonstrate a pedal pump, promote winter cropping, and sensitize the community about trainings we will conduct with them at our demo garden. Farmers were full of questions, which we will pick up on in April when they join us at the demo.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Rains, rains, come and stay...

2012-02-16T01:08:00.001-08:00

We are in the midst of the rainy season (December-April), here in Malawi. For us in the irrigation business this means a lot of preparation and shop work. We are using this time to refine some old designs and get our pumps ready for March to April installations.

The sooner the better, I should say, because for farmers in Lilongwe district the rains have been a bit insufficient; maize yields will be low, preserved vegetables will not last. We have already started advising farmers to shore up their food supplies by planting tubers like sweet potato, potato, and cassava, in the dambo areas. Farmers have also been provided with okra, cow pea, pigeon pea, and butter bean seeds from the AWP seed collection.

AWP Manual/Pedal Water Pump

2011-11-03T03:48:00.000-07:00

This is Post No. 1 in a series of 5; each post deals with the particulars of our projects. These posts are designed to give more information about the technologies and techniques AWP is promoting.

1. AWP Manual/Pedal Water Pump
2. AWP Windmill Water Pump
3. Basin Irrigation
4. Conservation Techniques
5. Solar Water Heater

1. AWP Manual/Pedal Water Pump

Africa Windmill Project has the goal to bring sustainable irrigation systems to the hands of smallholders, farmers who wish to irrigate 1.0Ha (2.5 acres) or less.

The first development towards this goal is moving from watering cans to a positive displacement pump. The water pump that AWP promotes is a rope-and-washer pump operated by hand or foot.

As the user rotates the crank (hand crank in the first two photos or bicycle crank in the third photo above), the tyre-pulley spins. The rope is pulled by the tyre-pulley, through the pipe (40mm diameter), down into the water, and back up the pipe. As the washers tied along the rope pass through the water, they lift water up and out of the pipe. This happens many times per second, and a large volume of water flows through the pump. Water flowing from the pipe falls into a 25 liter plastic container, which funnels the water into a larger diameter (50mm to 63mm). Finally, the water exits the pump into a stilling basin at the top of the irrigated garden.

The manual/pedal pump is very effective and can irrigation a substantial garden. Compared to a treadle pump, the manual/pedal pump is superior by every measure.

The cost of the pump is within range of most smallholders and can be earned back in one growing season. Farmers can be trained to build and maintain the pumps themselves, so there is little need for skilled technicians to install or repair pumps. Materials for the pump can be found and purchased in any district of Malawi.

For more information contact Africa Windmill Project through our website: CONTACT US.

Africa Windmill Project 2011 year in review

2011-10-31T10:33:00.000-07:00

This short video shows a portion of the work completed this year in two villages by AWP Malawi staff and village farmers. Please take a minute and watch the video to see the amazing work done by the village farmers this past dry season. Go here (http://www.africawindmill.org/60.html) to the Africa Windmill Project website to donate. All donations go to enabling rural farmers to provide food for their families.

Mr. Ng'ondola Receives His Water Pump

2011-10-13T14:53:00.000-07:00

Farmer Without the Use of His Legs Impresses Africa Windmill Project

2011-10-05T04:53:00.000-07:00

When you read this story, you will find yourself wanting to visit Paul Ng’ondola of Mchera village, traditional authority Kaluma, in Ntchisi district. This man has a great garden to look at, a good house to admire in his village, and an amazing story to hear. Mr. Ng’ondola was born,48 years ago, without the use of his legs.

But how did AWP came to know Mr. Ng’ondola? Blessings Malamba (AWP Employee) had read an article some time ago about a farmer who was crippled in the newspaper. He recognized the water pump he works with for irrigation could be operated by a person with these physical challenges. Blessings had been working on a new design, which places the controls close to the ground. Fortunately, Malawi Broadcasting Corporation – MBC – offered AWP the details of how to locate the farmer that had been profiled on television and in newspapers as one of the few 2010 Malawian achievers in agriculture.

On 30th September, the AWP team visited Mr. Ng’ondola. They found him working alone in the field under the heavy heat of the sun. Our first view of his garden made our jaws drop. We were impressed by what we saw.
Mr. Ng’ondola received a primary school education, but due to his physical condition he could not continue in school. He can read only Chichewa, the local language. He is welcoming and always smiling to his occasional visitors, who often include Social Welfare representatives and more recently television crews and their newsmen.

Mr. Ng’ondola was excited to share about the history of his garden.
“I started farming on my own in 2002. I wanted to prove to the surrounding community that disability is not inability. Like others who have the same physical disability, I would have been in town or other locations begging for money. But I wanted to do something for myself. Luckily enough, in 2004 European Union brought an Income Generating Activity in our area that involved small scale farmers.” As he was explaining, I was moved with this story. A man who cannot walk or run is able to do what able-bodied people are failing to do. I was wondering who taught him how to make basins for irrigation and he explained. “European Union taught us how to make the basins. As you can see, the beds are uniform and they run parallel to the feeder canal”

When I looked at the field, I was surprised. How did he manage to channel water into his garden? The garden is far from the valley: it is established at higher elevation than typical, bucket-irrigated gardens.

Pointing to the horizon, he explains: “The water you see running in the canal comes all the way from that area. Participants dug the river diversion which passed through every garden. Unfortunately, EU discontinued the project, but I have continued growing maize up to date”.

But Mr. Ng’ondola does have challenges, he explained further.
“Look, my garden is at the far end, and I can’t access enough water. I have to wait or come early in the morning to irrigate my crop. Secondly, I can’t afford to purchase enough fertilizer. I buy what I can afford after selling maize. … I can’t stop farming. Where will I get food and money if I cease coming to the field?” I agree by nodding my head.

Mr. Ng’ondola married in May, 2010 and he has a son. Unfortunately the time we were at his garden, his wife was not around for us to meet. But he told me that his wife has been so helpful in his life and helps him in the field.

When we explained that AWP would like to install the rope and washer pump so he could irrigate his garden anytime, he was trembling with excitement. “Honestly speaking I can say I’m a lucky man. I will make use of every piece of information that you will pass on to me. Tell me what should I do?” Mr. Ng’ondola asked. AWP staff explained that his relatives could dig a well at the edge of his garden and that AWP would come back to install the water pump made specifically so that he can operate it with his hands while sitting down.

Within 3 days, Mr. Ng’ondola had called us. He had dug the well with the help of his brother and was ready for the pump to be installed. Again, excitement poured through his voice. We can only imagine what this pump means to him. Keep checking in for updates on Mr. Paul Ng’ondola as he begins using his new water pump

Written By Chaswezi Z. Simwela

Meet Khumbidze Kandodo A 63 Year old Widow from Mziza Village

2011-09-16T05:42:00.000-07:00

When AWP formed an agriculture club in the Village of Mziza to introduce sustainable irrigation farming, few women joined, but among the few was Khumbidze Kandodo.

Khumbidze was born in 1948 in Mziza. She never had a chance to go to school in the colonial days. She used to wake up every day to help her parents do household chores and farming in the upland. She says, "back then, people did not cultivate in the dambo areas, for they had plenty food to feed themselves throughout the year." Ways of farming changed when the population started increasing, and there was continuous environmental and natural resource degradation affecting farm yields each and every year. As a result, people started cultivating in dambo areas. However, throughout the years that she has been in the dambo farming, she has had problems on how to improve soil nutrients and water holding capacity and, how to increase yield each growing season.

She said that with the coming of AWP in Malawi there has been a change in terms of farming systems in the village but especially to her life. "When I was joining the club in March, 2011, I thought, I’ll not be able to grasp the concept by looking at my literacy level,” she narrates in Chichewa. “But thanks to AWP facilitators for making the technologies understandable for me. Look at me! I am an old woman but I have done it and am determined to do better than this next year.”

To AWP staff in Malawi, Khumbidze has made a difference. Though she walks a long distance from her house to her garden, she has proved to the world that age is not a limit in development. She promises to do extraordinarily in her garden and meet some of her life needs she has never had in her life. She wants to errect a brick-fired house with iron sheets through farming with AWP.

"I have never slept in good house with iron sheets. I believe, this will be my dream come true. I will be following every theory that AWP is requiring me to implement,” she foretells. I had time to go through her small garden and managed to take a picture of what she has done with her aging potential energy. The few months that she has been with AWP, the 63 year old widow, has managed to grow cauliflower, tomato, onions and green peas.

As for Khumbidze, she does not care where to sit in the garden. She says, “soil is the foundation of life: I came from soil; soil provides me with food, water, firewood and materials for building my shelter. With AWP, I will continuously have food and have some money after selling some crops to purchase other life needs like clothes.”

--by Chawezi Simwela

Water Delivery Structure: Canal Construction Training

2011-09-14T23:24:00.000-07:00

A lot has changed in this farmer's garden. He is doing so well that we decided to call a training session to demonstrate the method of constructing a good delivery canal. This method involves a concrete-like soil that forms a very hard surface. With this soil the canal withstands some abuse, and infiltration is greatly reduced over mud or sand canals.

Project coordinator Blessings Malamba teaches farmers how to compact soil at the base of the canal

Mustard greens grow in the foreground, broccoli in the background, an irrigation canal at right

Plastic linings for the canals have been used in the past, but it is costly. This plastic canal lining is a good example so-called "inappropriate" technology. What makes it inappropriate is that the type of plastic that is readily available and affordable is no more effective than the alternative (concrete-like soil), which is cheaper and more readily available. Of course, high grade plastic would be more effective than the soil method, but it is not appropriate to our farmers.

Peas, green beans, tomato, and mustard greens are irrigated from the trench in this photo

A view of a bean field from the water pump

Appropriateness, in the technical sense, is one of the most critical measures of a technology when it comes to predicting the success or adoption rate of the technology. That goes even for the West, where expensive options may still be appropriate. A good example in the West is that all Humvees are outfitted with automatic transmissions. In spite of the loss in performance and increased maintenance costs, the automatic transmission is more appropriate to unskilled drivers.

Lovely tomato

So here we are, deciding how best to get water to the crops. We must take into account more than the crop water requirements and the flow rate of our pump. We must consider the skill, fitness, time availability, and experience of the farmer as well.

After the training on canal construction, the group rides back to the village in the AWP vehicle

Shoes!

2011-09-12T10:40:00.000-07:00

Club members were rewarded with new working shoes, a gift to appreciate their efforts and to commend their achievements. These farmers were not bad farmers before we came along; no, they were bad believers in themselves. They lacked confidence that they could bring something to market that is new, valuable, or rare.

They have done that. And they'll do it again, in style!

Thanks to Light Feet Project from Grove church in Chandler, AZ, for their generous donation of new shoes.

The Windmill

2011-09-10T10:00:00.000-07:00

Today we turned on the windmill to begin filling the reservoir. We are very pleased with the performance we saw today. We'll return on Monday to get the results of from the weekend.

It's a beautiful structure rising out of nowhere on the edge of a dambo. Quite the sight to see!

The tank is fitted with an inflow pipe just above and overflow pipe. The overflow is directed back into the well to prevent excessive groundwater losses in the event that the tank is full and the farmer is not prepared to use any water.

Ideally, the farmer would begin irrigating before the tank overflows so as not to waste any wind energy cycling water through the tank.

Water flowing into the tank

Club members were all smiles seeing the pump fully operational. It isn't difficult to see its potential from this point, delighting even the skeptics in the group. The club intends to begin using the land around the tank as a community garden so that each farmer has an opportunity to learn how to irrigate from the tank.

Keep checking in next week to see the results!

Harvesting Broccoli

2011-09-07T23:01:00.000-07:00

Petros and Mr. Storo harvest broccoli for the first time.

Just call me Mr. Broccoli

AWP project coordinators discuss harvesting methods with a farmer

Lunch in the field consisted of a carrot wrapped with lettuce, a.k.a. "vegetarian hotdog" or "rabbit's delight"

Windmill Reservoir

2011-09-06T17:00:00.000-07:00

With successful tests under our belts, we have stepped up our work on the windmill irrigation scheme at Mziza. We have come up with a reservoir system that will act as a buffer between the pumping and delivery structures.
Expected benefits are:

Water is available on demand

Water will be under pressure at the top of the delivery system (and at the bottom if we use pipes instead of canals)

The volume of water pumped into the tank can be easily recorded

Farmers will know exactly how much water they are applying to the field (with the exception of evaporation)

Downsides to this system are: the capital cost of the reservoir (i.e. cement ain't cheap); evaporation will be greater in the reservoir than in the well; standing water attracts mosquitoes (and watering at dusk may put farmers at risk of malaria). There is not much that can be done to reduce capital costs because structural integrity should not be compromised. A crack in the floor of a house does not affect the utility of the house; whereas a crack in the reservoir floor is catastrophic. Every insurance must be made that the concrete will not crack. As for evaporation and mosquitoes, a simple covering over the reservoir will reduce these problems significantly.

Domestic Well II

2011-09-05T02:22:00.000-07:00

Another domestic well fitted with a pump. This time, we were asked to provide this pump to a woman at Mgwayi village. She is doing some permaculture around her house, growing plants with waste water from the home.
The well is a bit deeper this time at approximately 7.2 meters. We faced no major challenges in getting this pump in there, and it delivers a flow of nearly 2,000 l/hr.
The location of the pump is visible to many people from communities near and far; it sits close to a major foot path leading between Njewa and Chisapho townships.

It has garnered admiration from nearby families and organizations working in the area.

Windmill Video

2011-08-29T02:20:00.000-07:00

Domestic Well

2011-08-22T02:08:00.000-07:00

Last week on Friday we installed a water pump into a domestic well. This is the second pump we have installed for domestic use, and the first that will be shared and used by a village community. (The other domestic pump is used by an individual in a village setting).

Almost 3 weeks ago, the chief at Mziza approached the AWP coordinator in his village asking if the it is possible to use the pump to draw water from their domestic well. We knew it was possible, and had plans to install one in some village at some time. What better time than now, when we have been invited to do so by the chief?

We had a crowd around as we began the installation. The usual suspects where there: club chairman, club members, village chiefs, and a whole bunch of interested kids. There was little need to do in-depth training, since some of these guys have installed their own pumps before. The club members have agreed to help the community get used to the new pump and keep an eye on any maintenance issues.
The pump will help keep the well clean. But the responsibility still falls to the community to make sure that their drinking water is safe. It doesn't matter how hard you try, if cows are drinking this close to the well, it will be contaminated.

2011-08-07T09:56:00.000-07:00

Training Day II

2011-08-05T09:39:00.000-07:00

Continuing the farmers' training, we held classroom sessions at Chibanzi village last week. The topics again focused on leadership, advanced planning, setting goals, and teamwork.
Club members were asked to brainstorm goals for their farming activities, and make plans that they thought would achieve their goals. The club as a whole was able to set its rules and responsibilities for members.The trainings we have conducted are showing results in the field. Many farmers who were showing reservations about the project became motivated to invest their time in their gardens. Farmers have responded by mulching their crops, visiting other gardens, working as a team on nursery demonstrations, and sharing their goals and plans with the group. They seem to be convinced that the new technology is a great opportunity for them to develop their irrigated gardens.

Training Day

2011-07-16T01:00:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday the 13th of July, we held a training day at Mziza. The training covered topics surrounding leadership and many chiefs attended. Also in attendance were our lead farmers and the leadership of the farming club.We began the training by discussing the goals of AWP in the village. They helped set rules for their club, and described the farmers' responsibilities as club members. The primary topic of discussion is what is the chief's or leader's role in development? Trainees had small group discussions before sharing their conclusions with the group at large.
We shared drinks and donuts. We expect that the farmers in attendance will be better equipped to lead their peers in the field.

Irrigation

2011-07-13T21:54:00.000-07:00

We have been hard at work in the field with farmers at Mziza and Chibanzi. Most of the farmers are now using their water pumps to irrigate various crops such as broccoli, cauliflower, mustard greens, Swiss chard, tomato, maize, rape, and Chinese cabbage.

Farmers have been receptive of the technology, and they believe that it can transform their work in the dimba garden.

We are hopeful that these farms will realize an exceptional harvest this winter, putting them on track for a great rain-fed crop this year.

We Have A Truck!

2011-06-25T20:10:00.001-07:00

Thank you everyone who contributed towards the truck! Africa Windmill Project now has a tuff 4x4 truck to continue conducting trainings in remote villages. Christopher and Blessings delivered supplies this past week for one complete windmill to the village of Mziza. Below are a few pictures of the action, thanks again for being a part of Africa Windmill Project.

Blessings is tying down the supplies.

ECHO seed trial results

2011-06-07T09:24:00.000-07:00

A while back, I posted about our seed trial using seeds from ECHO (www.echonet.org). With the end of the rains, the trial is (almost) complete. Here are some results, conclusions and future plans for some of the crop varieties we grew:

1. Winged Bean: low production. Given that this is the second time we have tried growing this crop in Malawi, and that both attempts resulted in low yields, I have only to conclude that it is not well suited to our environment or method or both. Germination rate was good. All plants produced many flowers, but most plants did not produce seed pods. This would seem to be a pollination issue, though it may have been due to drought. I would not discourage others from trying this climbing vine. The leaves are delicious all the same. This crop is not known by the farmers we work with.
2. Millet: good production. Extremely easy to manage. We will cultivate this one again, and promote it if we can come up with any recipes that don't involved fermentation. Might be good toasted in porridge or breakfast cereals (granola, etc.). The yield was not high, but the crop is so easy to manage it's worth putting a few rows in a larger garden. Millets are grown in Malawi, but this variety seemed to be a bit different. Local varieties are tall with one large seed-head at the top. This variety was short, grass-like, and produced many seed-heads from each tuft.

3. Grain Amaranth: very good production. Amaranth is known as bonongwe in Chichewa. It grows wild and the leaves are eaten like spinach. Some varieties are not eaten. The Grain Amaranth we grew in the trial produced a much larger seed head than most local varieties. We will promote this crop and/or the harvesting of wild seeds, which can as well be pounded into flour. The flour or toasted seeds adds well to porridge and soups.

4. Pigeon Pea: Our stand of Pigeon Pea is just producing seeds now. I was experimenting with a much closer planting than recommended given the small size of the garden. Such close spacing would work well as a hedge or boundary. The leaves are well liked by rabbits. This crop is grown in Malawi, but rarely on a large scale. It is called nandolo. We may promote this crop within the wetlands to demarcate paths and gardens.
5. Tomato: The tomato plants have produced well, though not as well as store bought varieties. The real test will be whether the second generation and onward maintain the level of production. I will continue to grow this variety, and I may share some seeds around in the future.
6. Cowpea: A great success. I had high hopes for this crop after what I saw at the ECHO Agriculture Conference in December 2010. I was not disappointed. I planted this climbing bean stalk at a slightly closer distance than recommended with the expectation that seed production may be reduced. The experiment was to verify the effectiveness of cowpea as a cover crop that could be planted later but still grow to the point that it covers the entire garden floor. The trial was successful. With a planting date in the first week of January, the cowpea would be able to grow up behind knee-high maize without overwhelming the primary crop. We will try this green manure with farmers. Cowpea is grown locally; it is called khobwe.
7. Italian Edible Gourd: failure. Perhaps we did something wrong (late planting may have brought on disease), but this crop did not fair well. Typically, gourds, pumpkins, squashes, etc, do well either planted with the first rains or under irrigation. It sounds like a delicious vegetable, but we'll stick with local pumpkins for now.

8. Carrot: the carrots have done well. My understanding is that carrots produce seeds in their second year, but this was not indicated on the ECHO Plant Information Sheet. Would have been nice to know before hand so that I could have planted them in a corner of the garden, instead of the dead center.

9. Sunflower: decent yield, poor germination. We experienced a low germination rate for sunflower, perhaps due to flooding a few days after planting. The plants that survived yielded about a pound of seeds, which will give us a decent start next year. Unfortunately, diversity was lost but we will see how the seeds do in future generations. In Chichewa, Sunflower is known as mpendadzuwa, or "follows the sun".
10. Moringa (from 2010): there are now moringa trees scattered around my house. The trees grow well but need plenty of water during the dry season, especially during their first year. Farmers know about this tree and its uses, but tree planting is not a common practice among Malawians. We will try to promote this tree with farmers. In Chichewa it is commonly call chamwamba, because it produces food overhead.

11. Vegetable Amaranth (from 2010): these seeds are still producing, 2 generations on. Malawians like the taste of the leaves, but the red colour is not appetizing. If mixed with other bonongwe leaves, it is more appealing.

Solar Water Purification System Testing Today!

2011-05-18T05:54:00.001-07:00

Drinking Water – it’s a problem.

Africa Windmill Project is working on a sustainable, affordable solution for rural villages in Malawi….We TESTED bore-hole wells that are in some villages and the open wells that we find in our villages, this is what we found:
The Malawians we are working with do not have access to healthy water or sanitation so we began working in the US to develop a solar water purification system. This system needed to be similar to the windmill in that it will be able to be made out of locally available and known materials, and will be simple to construct and operate.

Adam & Derek finished setting up the system last night so today is Test 1. At 8 am the temperature was 82 degrees (aim 165) and water level was ¼ inch below the tape. If all goes according to plan water will transfer to pasteurized water bucket (orange) as soon as the water temperature heats up to proper temperatures.

Disease causing organisms such as worms, protozoa cysts, bacteria (cholera, giardia, e.coli, shigella, and salmonella) and other viruses (hepatitis A, rotavirus) are killed by exposure to heat in a process called pasteurization. Water is a critical issue facing the global population. The World Health Organization estimates that 80% of all diseases are caused by infected / contaminated water. Therefore pasteurization (destroying of disease causing organisms) is critical. Although we have begun with irrigation in these villages, the need for everyone to have healthy, clean drinking water is at the forefront of our thoughts and plans. Although it is hard to understand in the US, Malawians are not aware that their water can make them sick (diarrhea). By beginning with agriculture and working into drinking water we are finding that the villagers are readily accepting our recommendations (such as, not dipping each households bucket into the water source). We know that with nutritious food, enough of it and healthy water, systemic change will occur in Malawi.

Also, not to be remiss, I want to mention that we are in the midst of a fundraiser to purchase a field vehicle for our Malawi staff. We are so close, thanks to a donor who agreed to match the remainder of our need! Today we are at $7,615 (which is AWESOME!) but we still have $3,692.50 left to go before June 1st. Please consider sharing this post or the previous one about the vehicle with your “peeps”. We are so grateful for your support! (They are too!)

Rural areas of Malawi have very low access to healthy water (40%) and sanitation (1%). (source). Africa Windmill Project enables You to effect change in these children's lives. Please Partner with us.

Butternut squash sales

2011-05-12T21:57:00.000-07:00

The Mziza Farming Club have started harvesting butternut squash from their vegetable gardens. We are selling marketing the crop at the open vegetable market in Lilongwe. The price ranges from MK50-MK80, depending on which vendor we deal with.

Farmers have so far harvest a crop worth MK6,400. Many vendors at the market have asked us where we source the squash, and they are eager to find other scarce vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, sweet onions, and spinach.

Latest Water Pumps

2011-05-04T21:39:00.000-07:00

We've been running at full steam putting these pumps in at Mziza. We have 11 pumps installed, hoping to reach 15 by Friday, 30 by the 15th of May. The farmers have come out day after day to help and learn to put up the pumps.

Word is spreading about the project; several times we've been stopped on the road out to the village by a farmers who want water pumps in their own gardens. This is a sign that we are being successful.

The club members are excited to get started using the pumps. We have been talking with them about how the pump is going to help them. They are hopeful that they will be able to produce a vegetable crop that will exceed their nutritional needs, and provide an income that will help them avoid selling their maize crop at low prices.

Your Help: It matters!

2011-05-03T06:36:00.000-07:00

Africa Windmill Project is raising money for a truck. This will enable us to reach more remote villages and get supplies to the villages we are working with. We have currently raised $4,125 for the truck and need $15,000. Every dollar will go towards the truck enabling staff to provide training to the remote villagers in need.

Here is a link to our new video showing some of the latest from Africa Windmill Project and details on the truck.

Thank you
John Drake
Africa Windmill Project
407.432.0795

Conservation Agriculture training

2011-04-13T04:52:00.000-07:00

Conservation Agriculture (CA), basically the intersection of agriculture and Sustainable Land Management, is a promising way forward for smallholder and sustenance farmers in Africa who face rising input costs and environment degradation. AWP has always viewed irrigation as a means to extend the growing season(s) in a given area. If irrigation doubles the number of harvests a farmer can realize in a year, the farmers technique may be the greatest factor effecting his total output for the year. In other words, in a single growing season (rainy season) many farmers realize less (far less) than 50% of the potential of their land. AWP offers training in CA to improve a farmer's yield and set a basis on which irrigation can build. As I mentioned, this training is in high demand. In 2011, AWP plans to provide training to farmers in 7 villages across 3 districts of Malawi's central region.

Mziza, Lilongwe.

Chibanzi, Dowa

Kaduwa, Lilongwe (with Collective Hope)

Chitedze, Lilongwe (with African Bible College students)

Mponela, Dowa (with Biwi Home-based Care)

Dedza Saw Mill (with Julian and Nora)

Dedza (with African Bible College students)

The trainings will take place throughout the year. There are seven lessons centered around a demonstration plot. (Pictured above is the Mzumala Agriculture Club at their demonstration plot.) The 7 lessons in chronological order:

Composting

Crop residue and mulching

Planting technique

Use of fertilizer and compost

Weed, pest, and disease control

Harvesting

Crop rotation and farm planning

A demonstration plot for Conservation Agriculture is comprised of 8 subdivision of 10 sq. meters each. The first subdivision demonstrates the farmers' traditional method of growing maize. The second demonstrates CA techniques using chemical fertilizers and pesticides. The third demonstrates an integrated fertilizer/compost technique. The fourth is CA applied to soya, groundnuts, or beans. And the 5th through the 8th are a repetition of the first 4.

From the archives...

2011-04-10T04:21:00.000-07:00

Following up on the previous posting about my car, one of those "African Life" photos involving my car and a bunch of water pump parts:

Now multiply that load by 30 pumps... just doesn't fit.

Enabling families in the US to HELP families in Africa

2011-04-05T13:40:00.001-07:00

Africa Windmill Project has a pressing need.

A Truck.

Our current transport is pictured here. We call it the "goat" named because the horn is broken and sounds like a sick goat when used (which is often, because, well, it's Malawi).

We love the gas mileage this car gets, but used parts that we can find to fix it have about 10% of their life left. We have rebuilt and re-rebuilt this car. The villages we work in are not located on roads, speed bumps here in the US are nothing compared with the creeks, ditches and other obstacles that stand in our path when trying to reach our sites. Also, now that the farmers are seeing success they need to be able to take crops to market, which is more than a days walk in some cases.

When I asked Christopher if he would write a blog about this pressing need, this was his response...

"I will try to get a blog post up about the distance and conditions of the villages. I think one thing to remind the donors is that this will directly impact the people we are working with. Supplies will arrive on time and in 1 trip (rather then 5 or 6 different trips) and we will be able to search out new markets for their crops. Also the truck will help us in the future be able to reach villages farther from town that are neglected by support organizations and government programs"

So, if you are willing to donate money towards this need,

PLEASE go to www.africawindmill.org/donate.html or mail a check to Africa Windmill Project 2869 Carew Avenue, Winter Park, FL 32789 c/o John Drake (make all checks payable to Africa Windmill Project).

You will be directly impacting farmers and their childrens lives in Africa. Thank you for your generosity. We appreciate you!

Project Update...

2011-03-28T09:20:00.000-07:00

On 11 April 2011, Africa Windmill Project will install 30 water pumps. Well, if we can’t manage to do it all in one day it may take us the whole week. But by the end of that week, Mwakhundi and the Mziza Farming Club will have the means to irrigate 15 acres.

The rains may persist well past mid-April. Also, some farmers have used their dimba gardens (wetland gardens) to plant maize, sweet potato, or rice. In any case, whenever the farmer is ready to plant a winter crop, his irrigation system will be in place.

Shortly after the installation of 30 water pumps, butternut squash will be ready for sale. The market for this is sweetening as time goes by. One grocery store is importing this crop and paying MK150/kg ($1/kg or $0.45/lb). We think we will profit quite nicely at MK50/kg, so we’ve got MK100/kg to bargain with. Consumers pay between MK200/kg and MK320/kg. We would also like to see consumer prices down to under MK200/kg to reach a wider base and maybe push up demand and open new markets (such as those in poorer townships and outskirts of town).

Aside from the work we are doing within the community, we’ve discovered a substantial demand within the NGO sector for agriculture training. Many NGOs are discovering that credibility within a community means meeting people on their own terms. And that means NGOs can’t sweep in with projects about health or education, and expect results, without at least addressing the critical issues of agriculture: water management, soil management, and crop management. This just confirms what the data shows: Malawians live on $1 a day, while farming income is under-reported. So if an NGO wants to train a group of tailors or brick layers, that NGO has to account for the fact that such professions will not usually earn enough income to forgo farming. Instead, the tailor earns money to pay for household goods, school fees, and luxuries, while he and his family till the land for food.

What does this mean for AWP? About every two weeks, I get a call from someone who wants to know if we can help them with irrigation projects or dryland agriculture. It’s not their specialty, but it’s vital to their work. So far we have tentative plans to bring training to three other NGOs: one in each Lilongwe, Dedza, and Dowa districts. It seems most of these groups are in the home-based care category of NGOs. These organizations assist people, usually widows, orphans, disabled, or sick, in their own homes within the traditional safety nets of the culture, usually extended family and church.

Watering Dryland part II

2011-03-11T23:25:00.000-08:00

We have had a busy week. (Check out some of the pictures on facebook.) Our dryland pump has been an important project as we build up to the dry season, which begins in April or May or whenever the clouds decide. Water is essential to life, and some people live far from wetlands or don't own a plot suitable for the 'old way' of gardening. If we can expand the horizon of our pump, we will be able to teach such people how to grow food close to their homes.

This well is 6m deep. In the above picture you can see us installing the pipe. Pipe sections are sold in 6m lengths, so we had an easy job of fitting this pipe together.

After getting the pipe into the well, we must line up the inlet and outlet with the wheel. The kids enjoyed watching us, but probably thought we were crazy.
Emanuel, in the foreground below, will be using this pump to grow vegetable right outside his home. He was very excited to have the pump. His comment: "It's okay, it's easy, it's simple."

Mwakhundi

2011-03-09T07:30:00.000-08:00

Mwakhundi is a small village in Lilongwe District, Malawi. The village has 45 households, and is the site AWP's largest project yet. The village formed a farming club of 30 households, 2/3 of the community. The village is in the area of Chief Mziza and takes that name for its club.

The farming club at Mziza is developing rapidly. People are excited to see changes in their village, and the formation of a club is just one such change. Since the club has formed, club members and a few nearby friends have planted butternut squash together. Perhaps never before has the community been so intentional about coordinating farming efforts.

Club members have also completed their compost training. Each farmer must now gather material for his or her own compost heap. Most farmers were eager to give the new method a try; from an anthill vantage point, we could see compost heaps banded along the marsh's edge.

The club members motivate us with each pull of the hoe and swing of the scythe. They drive us along and outrun even our ideas. The sooner they realize this, the better; for that realization is the change that we cannot force upon the village. The understanding that they have the means to improve their lives; that loving one another means working together; that God has not abandoned them; this understanding cannot be doled out like food to the hungry or pills to the sick. However, such an understanding, as it implies a God given human dignity, can begin to satisfy the soul and heal a wounded spirit.
And where does an understanding of one's own dignity come from? I can only imagine a loving community is a good place to start. That is a place where charity (I mean, charity within the community) overshadows greed and jealousy and allows people to work together.

Watering Dryland

2011-02-26T21:44:00.000-08:00

When Africa Windmill Project set out to make water pumps, we took the treadle pump as our competition. We wanted to make a pump that worked better in every application suitable for a treadle pump. We have done that with our rope and washer pumps; our pumps are cheaper, easier to maintain, and pump as much or more water.

What we had not tried, until now, is to make a pump that will irrigate dryland, i.e. land that is typically only irrigated by rain. We have now built a pump that pulls water from seven meters below ground. I admit it is not as easy to use as the wetland pumps, but it does the job. We have proved the potential; now we have only to realize it.

This pump will allow the farmer to grow vegetables year-round right in front of his home. He can use the water for livestock or washing clothes. The garden space is approximately 800 sq. meters or a fifth acre.

Water filter

2011-02-10T20:47:00.000-08:00

A slow sand filter, or Biosand filter, is a type of water filter that uses sand, stones, and a layer of good bacteria to filter contaminated water. A Biosand filter can be up to 99% effective at removing organic contaminants, including bacteria and viruses.

Many designs have been used, ranging from large concrete cisterns to small individual sized plastic containers. We have been working on making a small sized filter that can supply enough drinking water for a household in Malawi. After the results of our initial water tests, we feel compelled to improve the situation.

After constructing the water tank, we filled it with stones and sand as recommended but found the sand too muddy. We are looking for an alternative to the sand we found. One idea is to dig out sand by river bends. Hopefully, we'll find what we are looking for.

ECHO seeds

2011-02-08T21:17:00.000-08:00

ECHO supplied AWP with 9 varieties of seed for trial and propagation.

Winged bean: A nutritious soya-like bean. Edible leaves, seeds, seedpods, etc.
Millet: Drought resistant grain.
Grain amaranth: A nutritious seed-grain with edible leaves. Grows like a weed! (Is that good or bad?)
Pigeon pea: Legume with edible pea pods, good forage crop. Our use: cover crop for weed/erosion reduction and soil improvement.
Tomato: You know what tomatoes are don't you?
Cowpea: Uses much the same as pigeon pea.
Lagenaria siceraria: Italian edible gourd, like zucchini squash.
Carrot: Rabbit food. People food.
Sunflower (Peredovik): High oil yield variety.

ECHO supplies only one packet of seeds for each variety so we must propagate the seeds ourselves.

Planting trial, winged bean recently planted on the right.

Tomato nursery on the left. Vegetable amaranth and moringa nursery on the right (seeds from last year).

Italian edible gourd.

Cowpeas. Most vigorous of all seeds planted. Nearly 100% germination rate.

Kick starting the winter crop

2011-02-07T22:36:00.000-08:00

Farmers gathering at Mziza.

Friday, met farmers at Mziza to discuss planting a starter for their winter crops. We are providing them with one packet of butternut squash seeds to plant now. We will market the crop together and use the proceeds to fund the winter crop, to be planted in April or May. Butternut squash is a valuable crop at markets catering to whites.

The farmers will plant at the same time, but each must manage his own seeds. When marketing, farmers will weigh the squash they are sending to market. This establishes their percentage of the total weight, and in turn their share of the profit. If a farmer sends 10kgs to market, and the total marketed weight is 100kg, the farmer gets 10% of the profit. This way marketing expenses are shared evenly and farmers are rewarded according to what they put into the crop.

Each farmer can earn as much as K8,000 on the first packet of seeds. And the more they produce, the better the market becomes. Reliability and consistency are essential to capture the supermarkets like Shoprite. This income will provide fertilizer and seeds for their winter crop, which will be irrigated by our pumps. The pumps might allow the farmer to plant more land than he could otherwise manage under bucket irrigation. But if he can't afford seeds for all his land, some of the pump's potential is wasted.
Blessings addressing the farmers at Mziza on Friday the 4th of February, 2011.

Mziza Life and Gardens

2011-02-02T00:25:00.000-08:00

Pics from Mziza. We walked all through the dambo checking out the locations for new water pumps. We just wanted to be sure that the wells were suitable. We also identified a few potential spot for windmills.

Impromptu Composting Lessons

2011-02-01T00:34:00.000-08:00

Last week we were passing through Mziza to check out the drinking well again. We were hoping for some inspiration on how to make the water safer to drink.

What we got was a great image of how compost effects maize. This is a teachable moment 10 months in the making: we taught people how to make compost, they made a compost heap, they used the compost on their veggies, and they forgot about the whole thing. I don't think they were ever convinced that composting actually helped anything... until now.

Here's what happened when they planted maize over top of the old compost site:

The maize in the foreground was planted on the old compost site. The maize behind was planted at the same time, all other conditions equal.

You can see three rows of maize on the left that are two or three times taller than the surrounding maize. The taller maize is healthy and will produce an average or better yield. The small maize will not offer much food.

My friend Emanuel standing on the same site with a compost heap.

We gathered a few of our farmers around to show them what was happening. When we asked why the maize was taller, they responded that the soil was better in that spot. When we asked why the soil might be better here, they didn't get it at first; they don't think of compost as having much power to grow. Then we asked what was on this spot before they planted. It soon clicked: compost!

They explained that they moved some of the compost to their vegetable gardens, but some remained and they simply turned it into the soil before planting their corn. Perfect!

2011-01-30T00:19:00.000-08:00

The rains continue in Lilongwe, promising a strong harvest and prosperity in the coming year. Some villages have begun to see shortfalls in last year’s harvest as they scramble for other sources of sustenance such as cassava and potatoes grown in their winter gardens during the dry months.

This week, we saw the results of the water quality test we performed on Friday, 14 January 2011. Just looking at the coliform count plate tempted my gag-reflex: there were 29 colonies of E. coli in 1 ml of Mziza’s drinking water. According to World Health Organization standards, 1 to 10 colonies per milliliter represents a high risk of illness and greater than 10 colonies represents a very high risk.

We are discussing ways to improve the water quality at Mziza. Ideas range from covering the well to solar purification. Covering the well is a must, but may not be sufficient to keep contaminants out. The bucket is thrown into the well 50 times a day, depositing bacteria and food for bacteria each time. Putting a pump on the well will reduce the contamination due to fetching water. Protecting the pump from wind and dirt will also reduce the amount of bacteria in the water. In the end, the well may not be deep enough to eliminate contamination from run-off.

We tested bore-hole water from an enclosed suction pump at Mgwayi village, approximately 40 miles from Mziza, and discovered 1 E. coli colony per milliliter: a high risk water source. The question remains open on the best method of fetching, pumping, storing, and purifying water, and there is no silver bullet. However, we will make some changes to the well at Mziza and continue testing the water. In the meantime, we will encourage people to use chemical treatments or boiling to purify their water.

First community meeting at Mziza

2011-01-14T04:52:00.000-08:00

We held a community meeting at Mziza this morning, an introduction to the activities we hope to carry out this year. In true African stile, the Blessings Malamba and I were sat in fancy chairs beside the chief, the men on the ground to our right, the women to our left.

We discussed the idea of planting about 30 water pumps in their various gardens. *applause* We told them what we would require of them: to provide all trees and planks for the pump, to produce 1 ton of compost, to plant half their garden with indiginous vegetables, and to attend all meetings for the project. *applause* They really appreciated that we would not let anyone float by without doing the work. There is far more jealousy when someone gets something they didn't work for than when someone is exclude for failure to work.

I also tested their water source with this kit from 3M. The community are eager to see the results, which we explained would show not only the presence or absence of E. coli, but also the concentration of the bacteria.

It was a promising meeting, promising as much hard work ahead as anything. Blessings and I left optimistic that at least some of the people present would really use the pump technology to improve their health, home and community.

2010-12-20T07:18:00.000-08:00

What is Christmas like in Malawi?

2010-12-19T13:15:00.000-08:00

As I am in the US this year for Christmas, I count my blessings every day, on my fingers and toes and the hands of others. They number more than lights on the tree, more than snow flakes on the ground. My blessings rain down more than the rains in Malawi, and call out above Christmas tunes played in busy department stores.

Blessings are gifts, and Christmas is a time to give and receive gifts. But that is our tradition. One of the questions I have been getting most this time is what is Christmas like in Malawi? Do people have Christmas trees or Christmas lights? Do they wrap gifts and open them on Christmas morning or Christmas eve? Is there Santa? Of course, our culture is so dominant around the world that these things have sprung up in the cities of Malawi. But generally, a Malawian Christmas bears no resemblance to an American Christmas.

On Christmas morning, many Malawians will got to church for a worship service, often followed by a meal with the congregation. Slaughtering a goat is a regular custom. Others will enjoy chickens or beef, a rare treat to a typical diet of vegetables, fish, and beans. Some people might enjoy a Coke or a traditional drink called thobwa. People will hear about the birth of Christ and remember the Christmas story. There are few decorations, no Christmas lights, no Christmas trees, no elves, no flying antelope, and no snow. Gifts or sweets are shared where people can afford them.

And that's Christmas in Malawi. It's what many Americans might idolize for it's apparent lack of commercialization and materialism. So let's be thankful for what we have, and thankful for what the Lord has done in our lives. Let's remember the poor and downtrodden in this time of blessings. Let's give of our hearts as much as our wallets. A gift gets it's meaning from the person who gives and the person who receives. Let's put meaning into Christmas. Let's join one another at Christmas dinner with joy in our hearts.

And never forget the beautiful holiday in remembrance of the coming of Jesus Christ. This was not Jesus' Christmas vacation from the right hand of God: rather He came with a purpose to seek and to save; to testify to the truth; and to atone.

Merry Christmas. God bless us all.

2010

2010-12-10T17:33:00.000-08:00

2010 Technologies: Windmill and Water Pump

2010-12-09T18:28:00.000-08:00