Tiko program: Preventing hunger and malnutrition

A very happy progress report for GLOBAL GIVING END OF AUGUST 2023

After a slow start due to the late rains and a long extremely cold period the Tiko program is now in full swing.

Zambians love maize and subsistence farmers love it more – if you asked whether they have eaten, they will say NO, unless it was maize. That was the situation 30 years ago as it is now at least for the rural community, some 60 % of the country. However, with this project Tiko found a group of villagers who are taking to the new methods with a vengeance – after six weeks, there were 29 out of the expected 32 vegetable rings, there were 29 households that had started making compost, another 29 that had started a worm farm to produce humus (and vermiliquid, a strong pest control), but only few farmers who had started to crush rocks, the third ingredient for making the vegetable ring. But – and here is the triumph: the guy who had crushed more stones than he needed himself, complained that he needed a shop.

He reported that people were keen on having vegetable rings and had also enquired after starting pigeons, rabbits, chicken which go with a pond for Agri protein in the form of AZOLLA and one more:  The clay-stove headman (mayor) of the most active village has requested another item we offer, namely a clay-stove, which uses only very small pieces of firewood. This cooking method is the least expensive of all, and in the village, where, if there is food, families do cook three times a day, the most recommendable. To properly make firewood renewable energy, furthermore, we recommend, as do the Chiefs, that the village start a woodlot. Our champion has described the plot to us where he wants to start one and is putting a fence from thorny material this week. – The stove goes together with an outdoor kitchen, which protects the clay from melting in the rainy season and prevents chest and eye damage from the smoke that has to be endured when the cooking is done indoors.

And one more reason to celebrate: The Tiko crew, because of financial problems after covid-19 now reduced from 80 to 58 members, have also changed their minds and are asking for the vegetable ring! They had believed that buying vegetable in the market was the way, but being made aware of the very serious threat of hunger from November till May 2024 and perhaps at last seeing the importance of a balanced diet, have changed their minds. The responsive group in the villages are health workers, who in 2005 attended a seminar at Tiko, where, with American money, they learned how to look after AIDS patients, and Tiko had included growing vegetable into the curriculum, since such patients absolutely do need a balanced diet. They had continued to grow vegetable and had noticed that their patients and they themselves did benefit. That was 20 years of learning. To get new people into the fold, we will need a lot more money yet than we asked for initially, but if we succeed, there will not only less hunger and malnutrition, but increased dealing and wheeling in the villages, with new jobs for now loitering young.

We thank you from all our hearts for your help in the past and hope you will continue to help us, as we intend to continue energetically with more and more villages.

Zikomo kwambiri,

thanks a million times. 

Here is the link to our latest edition of the "steps out of poverty" program by Tiko: Link to our website.

Links:

• Visit "Tiko Lodge" and see for yourself, as tourist or volunteer
• Visit us on Facebook
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• Our new 2023 "steps out of poverty" brochure (PDF)
  

Dear friends,

sadly, this report is not one of progress, but of delay. With your help we raised about a third of the money for our project which consists of:

1. A big 5-day seminar followed by
2. two-day seminars which go together with actual help by Tiko for setting up activities in the villages of the 26 clubs involved.

This year climate change was especially noticeable in Katete, with the rainy season starting on time in October, coming down aggressively, causing flooding in places, and – still going the third extra month after being expected to stop. This meant that our villagers were in their fields all the time, first planting, then weeding again and again, then having to watch over their beginning harvest to protect it from thieves and even now being off harvesting what is left.

That means that we will only be able to start our big seminar in June. We must admit also, that we are so short of money that we would like to have more money with us before starting, (so far, we have received about one third only) so that after that seminar we can go in full time to do the actual work, within 4 months, so that we don’t stop the villagers from planting in the next season.

This time we are planning to work in a totally different area, very remote, which we know from having taken our visitors there to see the ghost dance, in the night. The dancers are believed to be ghosts, not humans, when they are in their costumes, and the atmosphere is memorable. Below photos of the dance – best seen at the KULAMBA ceremony end of August – and of the headwoman of the area, who attends our Monday management committee meetings. photo

Thank you for being part of this journey with us. We will keep you updated on our progress and impact in the next report.

We created this project to last for a longer period and to be joined by little micro projects along the side, so we expected not to reach the goal within a few month - but with your help we are adapting and already have gathered a great amount of money. 

Together, we can help the people around Katete, take steps out of poverty and towards a brighter future!

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