Build victory gardens for 500 Ethiopian households

Our volunteer, A Gebru, visited the victory gardens pilot project and stated that the the rainy season was over two months ago, in September, however, the young apple trees are doing very well. The two water collection tankers were refilled due to one heavy  rainfall at the beginning of November. The clay pot irrigaiton system are also saving water as expected. Our on going activity during these dry season is to complete the ground surface water harvesting system that we started in August. Now that the the pond under construction is dry, we plan continue with construction by building inside walls and water proofing it.The pond will be sealed with concrete and cement. It will also be fenced for safety. Once th eunderground water harvesting system is completed the water need of the demosntration site will be saved. We appreciate your continued support to successfully complete our goal of training the students in victory gardens.  It is reported that our activities have coincided with the Ethiopian government’s aggressive support to farmers to create a household based water bank to deal with the hazard of climate change in the country.  

Thank you for your continued support.

153 farmers in the village of Atebes requested the supply of 600 additional apple seedlings to plant during the rainy season of 2011. This is in addition to the initial plantation of 300 apple trees for the first time in July 2010, using the clay pot irrigation system. They were motivated by the success of last year's plantation at the demonstration site and their backyards. The training about fruit tree management that was provide to them by our volunteers in the Spring of 2011 was also very useful for the new demand.  We are very happy to report that the majority of farmers requested between 2 and 5 seedlings, the quantities that they can manage both in labor and water supply. The 17 students continue to get rained as interns in the demonstration site. To provide security of water supply to the demonstration site, the project has begun the construction of a 40 cubic meter capacity underground water harvesting system (see photo). This new water harvesting system will be finalized during the coming dry season. Farmers are very happy about these posibilities to improve their knowledge and livelihood for the future.

In the name of the beneficiaries I would like to thank you for contirbuting to realize this inception and for creating hopes and possibilities in the hearts of the farmers and the students that problems that seem insurmountable can be solved.