Village Life

What Has she been Doing!!????
Well i have really been Focusing on Cultural exchange and making friends in my Village. My LIFE (Linking Income Food and the Environment) program work has been slow but with small successes. I have a Lead Farmer and friend named BaTitus. We have planted many conservation agriculture species in the hope to harvest enough seed to create a seed "reserve" or resource within the village. Our goal is to create an available seed resource within our area that farmers can agree to develop as a Seed multiplication program. Meaning; I gave BaTitus 1Kg of a particular seed. He than Plants than Harvests those seeds and returns that same amount back to me so that next season i may do this with another farmer. On top of this he than gives three other active Farmers interested in this program 1Kg, to than plant for next season, continuing our Goal and seed program by three fold each season. This is our idea...we shal see...
I just finished hosting my first Workshop this week in Bee Keeping! I invited the Forestry Department to come to my village and help demonstrate how to keep bees and make Bee Hives. This is one program that i am very excited about. One because Bee Keeping is a great income generating activity, is a source of food, medicine and most importantly supports the idea of planting more local vegetation and tree species to support the Bees food supply. Killing many birds with one stone!
On Monday I have my first Cooking Demo as well! We are really promoting Nutrition and healthy eating with the uses of nitrogen fixing plants. Such as Soya beans, beans, ground nuts and a tree like legume that is called pigeon pea or cajanus cajun.. The demo is on Soya and staring today now also Pigeon peas because a very nice shop owner that is interested in our Peace Corps just gave me a 25Kg bag of seeds for free!!!! love Zambia! I will focus on making soya milk, flower, and a cake like mash that you can make sausage out of!!!! yum! cant wait. I baked cookies for the group while i was here in Choma Today!
Also i just bought a radio/tape player and i and some girl friends are going to start a women's club/aerobic funk class that will reach the topics of HIV, Gender, IGA'S and what ever else we can do....
Little by little i am collecting those Peace Corps marks that makes one seem to be a successful volunteer on paper...i already am succeeding though because i have made some really great friends that will be painful to leave......and i can make them laugh in my Local CiTonga....yeah baby!