An Opportunity to Help

We have an opportunity to acquire an acre of land near the Ndandini Primary School to use as a "community garden".  We have talked to the community about this concept for over a year.  They are eager to contribute.

Here is the idea:

1.  Our donor community contributes the funds to secure the land, fence it, and acquire and install a drip-irrigation greenhouse system similar to the one that we have already installed at the Ndandini Primary School.   The preliminary estimates are that the cost will be in the area of $12,000 to $14,000 to buy the land and the greenhouse system and to buy and install a fence around the acre of land.

2.  The village secures volunteers from the village area to contribute their labour (free) to plant the crop, oversee the community garden, and manage the operation.  The greenhouse at the Ndandini Primary School which has been started already will serve as the training ground for these volunteers.

3.  All proceeds from the community garden crops would be used to fund the operation of the well in order to keep the cost of the water as low as possible.

I am looking for expressions of interest and donations from all parties who may be interested in participating in the project to get a community garden implemented at Ndandini.

The greenhouse that we have installed at the Ndandini Primary school is performing wonderfully.  After only 2 months of us buying it for the school, the tomato plants are already starting to flower!  This proves that the community garden would be a great support project for the well and the village.  Take a look at all the tomato plants in the first greenhouse.

You may make a contribution to this project by clicking on the "Donate Here" area at the top right of this blog.  Or contact me at terryumbach@gmail.com .  Thanks

For your interest, an acre of land would potentially allow the village to eventually install 6 or 7 greenhouses.  Amiran Kenya, the supplier of the greenhouse system, has documented that the proceeds from one year of crops is enough to buy another greenhouse.  So, this could be the start of a very worthwhile economic development project for the village.

Terry