FROM THE FIELD PROFITS ARE MUSHROOMING IN TANZANIA SHEEP BRING STABILITY IN ETHIOPIA FABULOUS WAYS TO SUPPORT FARM AFRICA!

Size: px
Start display at page:

Download "FROM THE FIELD PROFITS ARE MUSHROOMING IN TANZANIA SHEEP BRING STABILITY IN ETHIOPIA FABULOUS WAYS TO SUPPORT FARM AFRICA!"

Transcription

1 mushroom FA From the Field - v3.2 REPRO.indd 1-4 has been running his produce call or Megan GOES this photo of Paul drying his first

2 A BIG THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO SUPPORTED OUR CHRISTMAS APPEAL TOGETHER WE HAVE RAISED OVER 130,000! Thanks to the amazing generosity of Farm Africa supporters, this year things are set to change for farmers like Husein, who are struggling to feed their families. Husein lives in Ethiopia s Dello Mena district. He rears livestock to earn a living but, despite his hard work, he struggles to earn enough to provide his children with even two small meals a day. Husein is already trying to supplement his income by keeping bees, but his traditional log hives only yield a small amount of poor-quality honey to sell, so he is still unable to provide enough food for his children, let alone send them all to school or buy them a new set of clothes each year. That s why, thanks to the kindness of our supporters, we are providing farmers like Husein with new, more efficient beehives, along with modern beekeeping equipment and training so they can turn beekeeping into a sustainable business that will help them provide their families with everything they need to thrive. Along with their new beehives, each farmer receives a beekeeping veil, overalls, gloves, boots, a smoker, brush, water sprayer and wax. They also take part in training where they learn modern honey production techniques, including how to harvest their honey using a honey press, and how to strain and package it so that it can be sold for a much higher price at market. And when their honey businesses are up and running, farmers will share their new skills with other farmers in neighbouring villages creating an amazing ripple effect that could change the lives of whole communities. NUTRITIOUS SOYBEANS PROVE TO BE A WINNING CROP ROSE HAS A FLOCK OF SUCCESS WITH CHICKENS SPOTLIGHT ON MAEF Soybeans are proving to be a lifeline for 29-year-old Ketra, her husband Rova and their two sons Alex and Anod who live in Uganda s Rubirizi district. Until recently Ketra s family, like the majority of people living in rural areas, lived a hand-to-mouth existence. She managed to grow just enough bananas, beans and grain to sustain the family but had no surplus to sell at market. On paper, rearing chickens is the perfect way for mothers like Rose, who lives in Kenya s Kitui district, to earn some extra income for their families. They can be reared close to the family home, meaning Rose is able to supplement her husband s limited earnings while she spends time at home with her young children. Farm Africa s Maendeleo Agricultural Enterprise Fund (MAEF) helps new, innovative farming ideas to take root and flourish across Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda. By giving grants to local agricultural organisations, it gives farmers like Benedict who lives in western Uganda, the opportunity to trial new crops and try different ways to earn a living. However, hunger and a constant struggle to survive are now things of the past for this family, thanks to their hard work and the humble soybean. Soybeans are tasty, nutritious, rich in protein and can be sold for a good price. Ketra was lucky enough to learn all about soybeans and how to cultivate them at a series of training sessions provided by Farm Africa near her home lessons she has been sharing with other farmers living close by. In the two seasons since her training, Ketra has been allocating increasing amounts of her land to soybeans. Her plentiful harvests mean her children now start each day with a healthy, protein-filled porridge made from ground soybean flour. And the rest of Ketra s harvest is generating much-needed income for the family. Ketra has used some of the money to buy two goats which she can rear and selling their offspring will provide her with another source of income. And with all this success, it s not surprising she has high hopes for the future. Whereas once she worried how she would feed her children from one week to the next, now she is looking to the future and hoping to expand her sources of income by setting up a small shop in her village. Ketra recently shared these words of thanks with us, I thank everyone behind the project. Initially I did not know that soybeans were such an important crop. I have planted it for two seasons so far, and have managed to buy two goats from the sales of my soybeans. So thank you again, to each and every person who sent a donation to our Christmas appeal. Our life-changing work simply wouldn t be possible without the generosity of our supporters. Thanks to their new beekeeping skills and equipment, farmers will be able to transform their families lives. A gift of 60 could help provide another farmer with the beekeeping equipment and training they need to earn enough to provide for their family. FA From the Field - v3.2 REPRO.indd 5-8 Ketra and her family with their two new goats. A gift of 6 today could help pay for another farmer like Ketra to attend a training session where they can learn which crops will help them grow their family out of poverty. But the reality is very different. The majority of women have little knowledge of the best ways to house their hens to keep them safe from predators. Many are also unsure what to feed their chickens so that they grow fast and stay healthy, or how to spot signs of sickness in their flock. And access to veterinary care is very limited. As a result, almost all the chicks their hens produce die before maturity leaving few to be sold at market. Farm Africa is working with 1,200 chicken farmers like Rose providing them with the skills and knowledge they need to earn a good living from rearing chickens. As part of the project, farmers also have access to a new breed of cockerel which will mean their hens produce larger, more valuable offspring to sell. With such increased poultry production levels in the area, Farm Africa is also helping farmers to create a co-operative together and form links with buyers who will pay a good price for their chickens. Rose has seized the opportunity she has been given with both hands, and has increased her flock of chickens from five to 120! With over 90% of her chickens now reaching maturity, they are providing Rose and her family with a reliable income. She has already sold 42 chickens for around 3.15 each earning her enough money to buy a donkey to carry water to the family home instead of carrying it on her back. Rose s hard work doesn t stop there. She has also been trained in basic veterinary skills, and now helps her neighbours by vaccinating their chickens against the most prevalent poultry diseases, and shows them how to identify and treat other illnesses in their flocks. Meanwhile some farmers have been selected as community-based trainers and are each sharing their poultry rearing skills with 10 more farmers - helping spread the benefits to an additional 1,800 families (around 16,200 people!), creating a wonderful ripple effect. Benedict became involved in one of our MAEF funded projects two years ago, when he was frequently finding himself unable to earn enough money from his banana farming business to feed and educate his children. He is hard working and eager to improve things for his family, so he jumped at the chance to learn about growing cassava. Cassava is a starchy root vegetable a little like a potato and it is highly nutritious, has many different uses, and is well suited to the land where Benedict lives. As part of the project, Benedict learnt how to grow the cassava and, just as importantly, techniques to increase the value of his Rose s chickens are providing her family with a reliable income. A gift of 360 could help set up a farmers co-operative so more farmers like Rose can earn a reliable income from their chickens. Benedict was given some cuttings for a relatively quick growing variety of cassava (some varieties can take 18 months to mature) to plant on a small area of his land using the new techniques he had been taught. He also learnt how he could preserve his harvest and increase its value by turning it into cassava chips, and was Benedict and his family turn their cassava peelings into charcoal that can be sold at market. given the tarpaulins and drying rack he needed to make the drying process hygienic. After waiting a year for his cassava to mature, Benedict recently had his first harvest which he peeled and dried using his new equipment. He was delighted to earn an incredible 485 when he sold it via the cassava farmers co-operative that has been set up near his home. He s even using the cassava peelings to make charcoal to sell at the local market. And having seen how lucrative cassava can be, he is hoping to take out a loan from the co-operative to buy more cassava cuttings and increase his production levels this year! Benedict s neighbours have seen the success he has had, so he is now sharing his newfound skills and knowledge with them and giving them the chance to earn a good living from their land, so they too can share in his success. A gift from you today of 120 could help train and equip a group of budding entrepreneurs who are eager to start farming a more profitable crop. 12/01/ :01:36

3 A BIG THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO SUPPORTED OUR CHRISTMAS APPEAL TOGETHER WE HAVE RAISED OVER 130,000! Thanks to the amazing generosity of Farm Africa supporters, this year things are set to change for farmers like Husein, who are struggling to feed their families. Husein lives in Ethiopia s Dello Mena district. He rears livestock to earn a living but, despite his hard work, he struggles to earn enough to provide his children with even two small meals a day. Husein is already trying to supplement his income by keeping bees, but his traditional log hives only yield a small amount of poor-quality honey to sell, so he is still unable to provide enough food for his children, let alone send them all to school or buy them a new set of clothes each year. That s why, thanks to the kindness of our supporters, we are providing farmers like Husein with new, more efficient beehives, along with modern beekeeping equipment and training so they can turn beekeeping into a sustainable business that will help them provide their families with everything they need to thrive. Along with their new beehives, each farmer receives a beekeeping veil, overalls, gloves, boots, a smoker, brush, water sprayer and wax. They also take part in training where they learn modern honey production techniques, including how to harvest their honey using a honey press, and how to strain and package it so that it can be sold for a much higher price at market. And when their honey businesses are up and running, farmers will share their new skills with other farmers in neighbouring villages creating an amazing ripple effect that could change the lives of whole communities. NUTRITIOUS SOYBEANS PROVE TO BE A WINNING CROP ROSE HAS A FLOCK OF SUCCESS WITH CHICKENS SPOTLIGHT ON MAEF Soybeans are proving to be a lifeline for 29-year-old Ketra, her husband Rova and their two sons Alex and Anod who live in Uganda s Rubirizi district. Until recently Ketra s family, like the majority of people living in rural areas, lived a hand-to-mouth existence. She managed to grow just enough bananas, beans and grain to sustain the family but had no surplus to sell at market. On paper, rearing chickens is the perfect way for mothers like Rose, who lives in Kenya s Kitui district, to earn some extra income for their families. They can be reared close to the family home, meaning Rose is able to supplement her husband s limited earnings while she spends time at home with her young children. Farm Africa s Maendeleo Agricultural Enterprise Fund (MAEF) helps new, innovative farming ideas to take root and flourish across Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda. By giving grants to local agricultural organisations, it gives farmers like Benedict who lives in western Uganda, the opportunity to trial new crops and try different ways to earn a living. However, hunger and a constant struggle to survive are now things of the past for this family, thanks to their hard work and the humble soybean. Soybeans are tasty, nutritious, rich in protein and can be sold for a good price. Ketra was lucky enough to learn all about soybeans and how to cultivate them at a series of training sessions provided by Farm Africa near her home lessons she has been sharing with other farmers living close by. In the two seasons since her training, Ketra has been allocating increasing amounts of her land to soybeans. Her plentiful harvests mean her children now start each day with a healthy, protein-filled porridge made from ground soybean flour. And the rest of Ketra s harvest is generating much-needed income for the family. Ketra has used some of the money to buy two goats which she can rear and selling their offspring will provide her with another source of income. And with all this success, it s not surprising she has high hopes for the future. Whereas once she worried how she would feed her children from one week to the next, now she is looking to the future and hoping to expand her sources of income by setting up a small shop in her village. Ketra recently shared these words of thanks with us, I thank everyone behind the project. Initially I did not know that soybeans were such an important crop. I have planted it for two seasons so far, and have managed to buy two goats from the sales of my soybeans. So thank you again, to each and every person who sent a donation to our Christmas appeal. Our life-changing work simply wouldn t be possible without the generosity of our supporters. Thanks to their new beekeeping skills and equipment, farmers will be able to transform their families lives. A gift of 60 could help provide another farmer with the beekeeping equipment and training they need to earn enough to provide for their family. FA From the Field - v3.2 REPRO.indd 5-8 Ketra and her family with their two new goats. A gift of 6 today could help pay for another farmer like Ketra to attend a training session where they can learn which crops will help them grow their family out of poverty. But the reality is very different. The majority of women have little knowledge of the best ways to house their hens to keep them safe from predators. Many are also unsure what to feed their chickens so that they grow fast and stay healthy, or how to spot signs of sickness in their flock. And access to veterinary care is very limited. As a result, almost all the chicks their hens produce die before maturity leaving few to be sold at market. Farm Africa is working with 1,200 chicken farmers like Rose providing them with the skills and knowledge they need to earn a good living from rearing chickens. As part of the project, farmers also have access to a new breed of cockerel which will mean their hens produce larger, more valuable offspring to sell. With such increased poultry production levels in the area, Farm Africa is also helping farmers to create a co-operative together and form links with buyers who will pay a good price for their chickens. Rose has seized the opportunity she has been given with both hands, and has increased her flock of chickens from five to 120! With over 90% of her chickens now reaching maturity, they are providing Rose and her family with a reliable income. She has already sold 42 chickens for around 3.15 each earning her enough money to buy a donkey to carry water to the family home instead of carrying it on her back. Rose s hard work doesn t stop there. She has also been trained in basic veterinary skills, and now helps her neighbours by vaccinating their chickens against the most prevalent poultry diseases, and shows them how to identify and treat other illnesses in their flocks. Meanwhile some farmers have been selected as community-based trainers and are each sharing their poultry rearing skills with 10 more farmers - helping spread the benefits to an additional 1,800 families (around 16,200 people!), creating a wonderful ripple effect. Benedict became involved in one of our MAEF funded projects two years ago, when he was frequently finding himself unable to earn enough money from his banana farming business to feed and educate his children. He is hard working and eager to improve things for his family, so he jumped at the chance to learn about growing cassava. Cassava is a starchy root vegetable a little like a potato and it is highly nutritious, has many different uses, and is well suited to the land where Benedict lives. As part of the project, Benedict learnt how to grow the cassava and, just as importantly, techniques to increase the value of his Rose s chickens are providing her family with a reliable income. A gift of 360 could help set up a farmers co-operative so more farmers like Rose can earn a reliable income from their chickens. Benedict was given some cuttings for a relatively quick growing variety of cassava (some varieties can take 18 months to mature) to plant on a small area of his land using the new techniques he had been taught. He also learnt how he could preserve his harvest and increase its value by turning it into cassava chips, and was Benedict and his family turn their cassava peelings into charcoal that can be sold at market. given the tarpaulins and drying rack he needed to make the drying process hygienic. After waiting a year for his cassava to mature, Benedict recently had his first harvest which he peeled and dried using his new equipment. He was delighted to earn an incredible 485 when he sold it via the cassava farmers co-operative that has been set up near his home. He s even using the cassava peelings to make charcoal to sell at the local market. And having seen how lucrative cassava can be, he is hoping to take out a loan from the co-operative to buy more cassava cuttings and increase his production levels this year! Benedict s neighbours have seen the success he has had, so he is now sharing his newfound skills and knowledge with them and giving them the chance to earn a good living from their land, so they too can share in his success. A gift from you today of 120 could help train and equip a group of budding entrepreneurs who are eager to start farming a more profitable crop. 12/01/ :01:36

4 mushroom FA From the Field - v3.2 REPRO.indd 1-4 has been running his produce call or Megan GOES this photo of Paul drying his first

5 mushroom FA From the Field - v3.2 REPRO.indd 1-4 has been running his produce call or Megan GOES this photo of Paul drying his first