INCREASING SUSTAINABILITY AND SELF-SUFFICIENCY IS A PRIORITY!
Dream it
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Build it
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Grow it
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Dream it • Build it • Grow it •
Crop Cultivation
Above and beyond the Water Storage project and the Irrigation project, we need to take advantage of the rainy season which will soon be upon us. We need to get the fields plowed and seeded immediately.
We have arranged for plowing to be completed on November 20, 2022 and can begin seeding immediately after. We are proposing to plant Maize [1.4 acres], Beans [1.3 acres], Millet [1 acre], and Sunflowers [1 acre]. The Maize and beans are a basic staple used in Tanzania and the sunflower is used for cooking oil; the Millet is a test field as it is a better nutrition compared to wheat providing the girls with a healthier alternative for food. All products are easily sold to markets all around the Shinyanga region and all surplus will provide monetary support for the girl’s other needs.
Agape Knowledge Open School has 5 acres of farmland directly north of the school; this land presents a great opportunity for the school to provide nutrition and an agri-business to help sustain the school.
All labour will be pulled from the local Chibe community, and we would continue support to the community by selling our products to the local markets. We will be plowing the fields in double rows of 42 rows per acre separated by ½ meter spacing; this configuration can be maintained and replanted throughout the year and requires plowing once every year or two.
Irrigating the fields would boost the crop yield and extend one season into 3 seasons of harvesting, which should provide 75% of the school’s needs bringing the school very close to full sustainability but our first harvest this season will give us a more accurate estimate for the school needs.
Food Security
Learning is difficult when you are hungry.
AKOS is in need of continuous and reliable funding for the food that is purchased locally and cooked on site by the students and teachers.
Meat is a rare treat, and rice and porridge are often portioned out to stretch the quantity to last over a week. Having a reliable amount of food to provide the necessary calories for growth is critical to the well being of the girls during their childhood and teenage years.
The goal for the future is to hire an onsite cook to free up more time for learning as the girls currently spend up to four hours each day contributing to food prep. Additionally, having proper cooking and preparation areas in the school with a secure propane supply to replace the wood burning stove would improve cooking safety and food hygiene.
The cost to increase proper nutrition of one girl for an entire month is only $17.22.