When the Bukabwa community was trained in conservation agriculture techniques, many community members were reluctant to try something untested. But the Oyogas were willing, and so the first in Bukabwa to adopt CA principles, despite their neighbors’ suspicions, including that the Oyogas were witches. But Steven and Josephine’s soil had been in a state where it was no longer productive and so conservation agriculture’s promise of conserving and rehabilitating exhausted soil was compelling enough to overcome their neighbors’ accusations.
Mr. Oyoga says “The trainings forced and inspired us to adopt CA principles though other people didn’t accept the principles! In applying them, I realized that my soil has been improved. Our harvest has exceeded our expectation for the climate of the year. Now I don’t rush to clear bush to look for virgin and fertile land, since cover crops (a conservation agriculture technique) return my soil to its origin. We used to carry a lot of manure by bicycle during preparation of our farms, but in these past two seasons I didn’t do the same task. What I did is just to devote my time and energy in employing CA principles.”
Cover crops are also source of income, as Steven and Josephine were able earn income by selling 60kg of jack-beans and 20kg of lablab beans (both cover crops) to the conservation agriculture team of World Renew partner AICT MUD.
Both the soil improvement and the drought-resistance of cover crops have convinced the Oyogas that conservation agriculture techniques are the best way. They say “Now we are happy that people have something to learn from our family and our plan is to implement crop rotation while extending our production from one acre to two acres.”
Prayer Requests
- We give thanks for the good rains that have been falling in most places this rainy season. Pray that rains will fall at the right time and in the right quantities, so that farm families will have enough nutritious food to eat, along with some surplus to sell for cash income.
- Pray for good health and safety for the World Renew team and our partner organization colleagues as we travel on dangerous roads, and live at risk of various tropical ailments.
- Pray for comfort for the family of Yuda, the chief accountant for our partner AICT MUD. Yuda passed away in November and left behind his wife and two small children. He is sorely missed by them and by his colleagues.
- The World Renew Tanzania team will spend a week in January doing long-range planning, with the assistance of some of our colleagues from Kenya and Uganda. As we look ahead, pray with us that we will exercise wisdom and discretion, and focus on how best to use the resources placed at our disposal.
As we come to the end of 2017 we would like to thank all of our supporting churches and individual supporters for your correspondence, prayers and financial support this past year. Best wishes to all for a blessed Christmas and New Year!
Blessings,
Jim Zylstra and Paul Kaufman
Story of Transformation written by Charles Loleku, Conservation Agriculture Project Officer for World Renew Partner Africa Inland Church of Tanzania Diocese of Mara & Ukerewe