C.A.R. (Wednesday, July 6)

Roy with a new fruit.

From guest blogger, the wonderful husband, Roy Thagard! 

Today we woke up to a light rain.  Who would have thought that it would rain in Africa?  But living in a rainforest climate, it is likely to come!  One realization in my eyes is that on days of rainfall, are people able to work during the day?  For jobs that are labor-intensive, I would believe many would not be able to work due to the weather.  This would also mean that if a wage is unearned, that perhaps their families may go unfed.  So while we know the rain to be life-giving, today was a reminder of job insecurity within African countries.

With the rainfall today, our team did a tour of the CEFA farm where we were staying.  There is so many individual projects  that are taking place, today was a day to see just a glimpse of all that is being done.

A typical day will see 2-3 flat bed trucks bring as many as 100 people to work at the farm for the day.  Everyone is dropped off at the front gate where a morning devotion is led by either Roy D or one of the farm managers.  These are shared in Sango, the local trade language.

After the devotion, everyone disperses into their respective jobs.  Today we would see some of the efforts to establish cover crops, the agroforestry landscape, aquaculture ponds, and the nutrition garden. 

The perennial peanut as a cover crop in the "Garden of Eden"

There are many purposes of a cover crop in a landscape.  In a tropical climate, rainfall can quickly deplete soil nutrients.  Legume crops produce nitrogen in the soil, which is desired for plant growth.  If a cover crop can provide this valuable nutrient, it will make other plants and trees grow substantially more efficient.  We looked at two legume cover crops that the farm is interested in establishing—kudzu and ground peanut.  Those in the southern US know kudzu for its undesirable ability to take over a landscape because of its prolific growing habit.  But if the plant is kept in check it builds a great soil biomass while providing a great nutrition source for the landscape.  Ground peanuts are an unreproductive plant that also produces nitrogen.  It grows closer to the ground as it spreads, so it does not require as much management as kudzu.  It does, however, seem to spread more prolifically through its rhizomes when left unchecked. 

Here are a few pictures of workers on the farm using a board on a string to pack down the kudzu from growing and spreading onto trees in the landscape.

stompimg down the kudzu

the stomping down tool :-)

We also went to see the nutrition garden.  Here they are just beginning to establish vegetables as the rainy season begins.  Insect feeding has been problematic, so early establishment of these vegetable plants has been slow.  The CEFA farm has a night watchman, and his family lives here near the nutrition garden.  His children seem to be tasked with keeping the garden growing well. 

Roy D. in the newly planted nutrition (vegetable) garden

Beside the garden are 6 individual aquaculture ponds.  These ponds have tilapia fish that are harvested every 8-10 months and sold in the town’s market for profit.  This money would go back to the farm to sustain its work, such as purchasing additional fish.

One of the Tilapia ponds

For our afternoon time, we were invited to be guests for lunch in Kenzu, a village on the Cameroon side of the border just a few miles from our location.  Today was the day that the Ramadan fast was broken, so it was a time of celebration.  Aleta told us our greeting for the day, “Barka de sala” which means Blessings of peace.  We spent time getting to know H, a very dear Fulani friend of Aleta.  It was wonderful seeing the children dressed in new clothes made just for the celebration of the day.  Even the men in the village would take time to come and greet their family, many traveling from great distances for this celebration.  We were honored to be invited to celebrate such a special occasion with these new friends.

Denise with H and a friendly kitten

We were blessed with a delicious meat and rice meal. 

Aleta catch up with H's family

 Later in the day we walked and visited other family members and friends in this same village.  Roy D. noted fruit trees that he had once planted in the village continue to thrive.  He was excited these trees were being cared for.  The family also took us to the edge of town where they were establishing personal family garden areas.  

The ladies showing their garden preparation.

C.A.R. (Tuesday, July 5)

Today we went out to see some of the farmers that the CEFA farm works with. We visited a couple cooperatives which is the primary way that CEFA works in the community. First we all climbed in a land cruiser pickup and traveled down a path which they called a road. Oh, and I should introduce all those in the "we." We includes Roy and I, the 3 men who joined up with us at Cameroon, Roy D. (our missionary host), Benoit (the director of CEFA, and Nadej (another CEFA staff member). Most of the guys bounced around in the back the truck on what Roy calls worst road in CAR.  :)  (They were mighty nice to me and I got to sit in the front while Benoit drove.) We stopped when the road started becoming just a motorcycle path. A hike from the truck brought us down to the field. One of my first impressions was "where is the fence?" To me, no fence means that there isn't many livestock around that would otherwise destroy the crop. 

One of the coop members describing his field

This field was a peanut and cowpea field, and they had also planted cassava, an important staple crop. The cooperative members joined us out in the field. This was their first year grouping together as a coop. They had received permission to clear and plant on the village chief's land. This coop also was made up of members from the same church. CEFA  had given them seeds to plant, tools to work the field and expert advice. At the harvest time the coop will give back the same amount of seeds to the project, they will also save enough seed necessary to plant the next year, and the rest of the crops can be divided or sold. Money from the harvest will go into a lock box where there are 3 different locks and 3 different keys. They will decide as a group how the money will be spent & 3 different key holders provide accountability.

Roy looking at the health of the peanut plant with the CEFA director, Benoit looking on.

While the farmers already know how to plant, CEFA comes alongside to help them improve their technique. First, their access to tools is limited and so they provide tools for the Coop members to use. Second, CEFA teaches some techniques to help get the most harvest from a field of crops. They learn about crop spacing instead of just broadcasting seed or putting several in one hole. This year this coop learned about distancing the plants. Next year they'll learn about planting in rows and also plant a different crop. 

The peanut, cowpea and cassava field

We also learned about the importance of land ownership. They would love to purchase their own land. CEFA teaches the importance of doing this properly and getting the land deed (a challenge that comes with paperwork--difficult if you aren't literate!) One goal of many cooperatives is to plant fruit trees eventually (interspersed with the crops). BUT, we learned that if you plant trees on borrowed land (or land that you own but don't have the deed) then suddenly the land owner sees the value of the fruit trees with their fruit and he claims that the fruit is his and takes the land back. The cooperative is then left with nothing and must start over. 

After lunch we visited the "Garden of Eden." This is an acreage on the mission station in Gamboula where Roy D. has collected and planted trees and plants from all over the world. They are arranged in sections according to the continent of their origin. Plants that do well here may be propagated and used in the community. We saw all sorts of fruit trees and fruits that I've never heard of. 

Roy D. showing us a jack fruit. 

Then we went to the mission hospital for a tour. They treat many things including lack of nutrition--mothers and their young children are particularly susceptible. Malnutrition patients and children will stay for 3 months, and the ladies learn how to plant vegetables, eat healthy and save seed for the next year. When they leave they will receive a machete for at tool and seeds to plant at their home.

Nadej showing us the nutrition garden.