Please see what fantastic growth is occurring at Nhimbe for Progress because of your support! The donations for the masks you are now wearing, as well as the ongoing remembrance of our work, both financially and through your words of encouragement, is making all of this possible. And, it is heartwarming!
There has been a spontaneous ignition of effort at the Nhimbe Community Center permaculture garden since the infusion of water and air with the new bore hole and windmill. They took the mombe by the horns and with great determination, the Nhimbe staff (not actively operating the preschool yet) are shown in these videos, doing what they know how to do so well. As people who live close to the earth, and who innately work hard with focus, the team has done an extraordinary job.
They decided to expand our 10 rows to 24! And, did so rapidly. What an amazing and resourceful group effort! We extend a big makorokoto (congratulations) to them all!
This picture shows some of the results from our planting in the November training. It’s called Rugare and is easily started from cuttings. This plant continues to produce over time, and you may be able to see that the leaves have been being harvested over this year’s summer and fall months. The great success from the Zambian training with the drip hose and bucket system married to the new water tank full of an abundant supply is producing enthusiasm as well as vegetables.
To prepare the new beds, the ground is first broken up and dug down to create a wide deep trench. Then the maize stover (stalks, leaves and remaining cobs) is laid into the bottom, covered with manure and water, and finally topped with a final layer of soil. In our training we planted immediately which surprised me, but it obviously worked well.
The sadza preparation lets us know that this was a full day of work. I know that it took more than one day!
Listen carefully and you will hear the Shona/English mix which is the norm. I hear masks, Covid, social distance, for instance.
The stover is moved around the field by arm loads and really gives great tilth! We are not sure where the maize and manure has come from but are very happy it was made available.
Moving the manure around the field is a bigger deal!
The brigade makes them a highly productive unit.
This garden is impressive considering they are heading into winter. There are tomatoes as well as onions and other vegetables. What a lovely contrast…the productive garden and the just prepared new beds.
There is something soothing and meditative about the windmill pump action…really easy to listen to…makes me want one in my back yard. Clearly, the growth of gardens is symbolic of the mushrooming of our Nhimbe project. Its delightful to be in partnership with our team, seeing big results (we really aren’t known for small ones), and finding the path forward to be well-stimulated, particularly during these high stress times.
We will still need to create the bucket platform and buy buckets and drip hoses for all of the new beds (22 of them) but due to the quarantine and focusing on getting the borehole/windmill operational, there hasn’t been time to source them. We are really hoping to find them somewhere in Harare, since the first two drip hoses came from Zambia. The trainers unexpectedly dissolved operations there, and so we are on our own. I’m grateful that we tapped into the training when we did … timing is really everything! Like the notes and rhythms put together amongst us all (you absolutely being part of that us), blessing everyone in a huge way with this music.
Just imagine how powerful of an impact was made in all of their hearts and minds, to see the outpouring of concern from our side of the planet, right as the collective shut-down occurred. Many more smiles and happy sentiments, as well as enormous gratitude, fuels well-being on a grand scale.
Thank you so much for your interest and concern for these people. I realize that, for many of you, its Cosmas Magaya, and your relationship to him, that led you to initially get on board with our community building efforts, but there are also countless others of you that are just simply huge-hearted humanitarians, not knowing anything about Mhondoro, and now having found a special connection here. Whatever your motivation, it is all greatly appreciated!
Please find our mask making venture here (proceeds are supporting our Covid-19 intervention efforts), as well as read about CHANGE!, our Covid-19 Intervention here, checking in on our Progress report here. We always accept donations via the website here or paypal at zimbabwe@ancient-ways.org, and also appreciate it greatly if you set up a monthly bank draft, as your dollar goes much further (there are no online fees), plus it helps us tremendously in budgeting.
We are investing in these people and this community. It’s experimental in a way…like what happens when people have enough clean water and other basic resources? Are we changing the face of rural Zimbabwe? We certainly hope so, in a positive, and eventually, self-sustaining way! Tatenda Chaizvo (thank you very much) for your impactful contribution…you do make the difference!