Tomatoes and more tomatoes!
May 3 – ongoing
Almost everyday, either a group of
women, or a group of boys, begins picking tomatoes from the drip
irrigated gardens, that are available for the solar water source and
tank system Hope 2 One Life has implemented. The second tank added
this year has helped the project immensely as there are now approx 2
1/2 acres of tomatoes irrigated and 1 1/2 acres of watermelon.
Richard's tomatoe garden is about 1 1/2 acres and the drip lines he
added in December when he found the great need for tomatoes in dry
season. There are no tomatoes available in northern Uganda or
southern Sudan during this time and the prices go up considerably.
Richard has found a great market. Like the watermelon, the buyers
now come to the farm to buy. Richard bought a more expensive seed to
start with this first trial and it worked well. The tomatoes are
picked slightly green with tints of red so they will ripen in
transit. They are picked by hand and put into large basins piled
high, placed on the head and carried to a tarpauline on the ground
and emptied in a pile. They are then sorted and rotten ones thrown
out. The buyer comes with crates and the tomatoes are loaded into
crates, dried grass is placed on top to protect them and off they go
to market. A basin of tomatoes sells for 20,000 shillings approx 8
dollars. A crate of high end tomatoes, sells for 200,000 shillings.
A typical day of harvest yields 8-9 crates if done about 3 times a
week now that they are ready. This has been a huge blessing and
source of income for the farm and Richard and his family.
With the Family Empowerment Women's
group we started a micro loan project at Richard's suggestion with
this tomatoe garden idea. We bought drip lines in December and
Richard helped them with seeds (the cheaper kind to start with
initially). They prepared approx 1 acre of land near the clinic and
4 drip lines implemented. Seedlings prepared and then planted in the
garden and irrigated throughout the dry season of January and
February. There is approx 25 women and a few men who participate in
the seedlings, planting and weeding. The fruits of their labor is in
abundant tomatoes and more tomatoes, red and slight green tinge,
hanging precariously weighted on the vine and begging to be picked!
Finally, on Sunday, the ladies were called to come and pick as the
buyers were coming. It was a beautiful sight to see, as they
staggered throughout the garden inching down plant after plant along
the long rows, picking and placing in the basin, then when full,
hoisting the heavy basin to their head and gracefully standing very
erect and slowly walking one by one with basins over flowing with
bright tomatoes on their heads, to the tarpoline, emptying the
tomatoes in the the pile and walking back for more. All afternoon
they picked, walked, stooped, bent over, hoisting, basin on head,
walking, emptying and repeat. Wagers were placed by Big Tom and
Jasper as to how many crates the tomatoes would make. 9,10,12.....no
it was 19!! These crates of this type of tomatoe sells for 115,000
shillings a crate. The ladies have made over 3.5 million shilling so
far. They are writing it all down and had previoulsy agreed to pay
back 50 percent of their drip lines cost - $500 over 3 years. They
are prepared to pay back the first year of 418,000 shillings! This
will be paid each year for 3 years, they will save some money for
more higher end seeds for next dry season of planting and some for
possibly more drip lines and then divide the income amongst them
selves. There is still at least one or two more harvests of tomatoes
left. For 3 months of labor a few times a week, they will an
estimated 200,000 shillings each or $80. That is still less than a
dollar a day but more than what they had and combined with the
tailoring projects, they are immensely happy as this is much much
more than what they had opportunity for in the past and potential to
grow more prosperous each year. This in itself is the pure joy of
providing this solar water project and tank system that we didn't
even dream possible when it began. Angie, was here to see it all for
Tom, who has spent many painstaking hours writing grants and mou's
and plans for these water projects. Well done Tom, you would be so
so proud!!
We are planning to take this to another
level as well...at least this is my hope...and that is beginning an
income generating project for the clinic with this solar water and
drip lines and vegetable or fruit gardens....given the need to
supplement the clinic sooner than later and the goat project will be
a while before it is able to provide sustainable income to run the
clinic.
Overall, this solar water system has
enormous potential, it's full abillity yet to be tapped. Richard
plans on piping water to the nursery school next as well.
Thank you God for the water and the sun
and the rain and the soil.....and every living thing. We are all
truly blessed.
Nadine
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