Whilst the foundation tries to focus its support on the countries where innocent drinks buys its fruit, we've agreed we also want to support countries with real need, but who don't currently produce fruit in large enough quantities to meet their demands.
Our partnership with Send a Cow falls into this category, and began at the end of 2004 introducing a pilot scheme in Lesotho. It explored ways of improving the health and livelihoods of the people living there, through sustainable farming and water harvesting techniques. We are really pleased to continue our support for this project for a further three years, which is now building the organic farming skills of the 31 families living in Ha Maphathe village.
Farmers are already able to grow a greater variety of vegetables to supplement their diet, and have even started selling surplus produce. We are now helping to build on this success.
Send a Cow was founded in 1988 in response to a plea from a Ugandan bishop. The country had been devastated by a long civil war in which people had lost their homes and cattle, and milk had become a luxury that few could afford. The bisho
p had heard there were milk surpluses in the UK, and appealed to British farmers for help.
A group of farmers based mainly in the West Country decided to send not milk, but long-term help in the form of cows. The first plane-load of 32 in-calf heifers left Gatwick Airport in June 1988 and arrived in Uganda 12 hours later. The cows were distributed to women who were then trained in caring for their animals, offered low-cost veterinary services and Send a Cow was formed.
The NGO has grown over the last 20 years, and has now expanded its work. The extreme climate of Lesotho means that still only 5% of the population is currently able to grow enough food to eat all year round, even though a majority of households in the country rely on farming to survive.
Our funding has supported the capacity building, training and provision of resources for the Ha Maphathe group in Lesotho since 2004. The group is fully involved in project planning and implementation from the start, in order that the changes are sustainable within five years.
By the end of 2005 all the villagers participating had constructed keyhole gardens and planted cabbage, mustard, onion, carrot, and beetroot seeds in them. They have since built double dug beds and put up fences (Lekhoakhoa) in order to protect their crops from roaming livestock. These techniques have enabled farmers to grow fresh vegetables all year round for their families.
Group members are also building small dams (Hafirs) in which to collect and store rainwater for livestock and agricultural use. Water management is a serious issue in Lesotho, where the climate is harsh. It is imperative for farmers to collect water during the rainy season in order to have sufficient in the dry season.
Having achieved so much over the last three and a half years, farmers in Ha Maphathe village are now preparing to receive livestock by planting sufficient fodder trees and by constructing light and airy sheds. Farmers who will receive goats have received training in goat husbandry and training in the management of other livestock will be carried out later this year.
Objectives Update : September '07
Their gardens are still flourishing and so the group has recently set up a marketing committee with responsibility for marketing their excess products. This is a new initiative that they hope will help members to sell more vegetables and produce to generate income.
The Ha Maphathe group members have also shared their learning with another nearby village, Ha Sonti, passing on training in how to build keyhole gardens and how to plant and tend vegetables.
September 2007 : droughts update
The drought in Lesotho in 2007 has been described as the worst the country has suffered in 30 years. A joint Food and Agriculture Organisation and World Food Programme mission visited the country in August, at the end of Lesotho's summer rainfall season. They reported that "a combination of high temperatures and low rainfall created one of the worst drought situations ever experienced in the country."
The drought will further worsen the already precarious situation of acute poverty and food security in Lesotho. The most vulnerable have depleted their food reserves and due to rising prices are not able to replenish them. An estimated 30% of boreholes and wells for potable water have dried up, as have many small dam reservoirs on which livestock and gardens depend. More than 500,000 families will be dependent on food aid.
Unicef summarise the impact of the drought as "A combination of national disaster and personal tragedy."
Because of the drought, Ha Maphathe farmers have been finding life understandably tough. The vegetables they are growing are in poor condition, but still edible so that they are at least able to feed their families. However, as a result of reduced quantity and quality of vegetables, marketing initiatives have all but ceased. Problems with water are the major constraint, with hafirs having dried up now.
Although life is difficult, the group members acknowledge that they would be in a worse state if it had not been for the project. We will keep you updated on how things progress.
Snowball success:
On a more positive note, as a result of their achievements and the programme's success so far, the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) approached Send A Cow to help deliver a "Sustainable Livelihoods Project." Consequently, 1916 households have been trained in sustainable organic agriculture so that they are able to make compost and build kitchen gardens and double dug beds. Several excellent farmers from the Ha Maphathe group were selected to be peer farmer trainers for this programme, along with farmers from other SACL groups. These peer farmers were responsible for primary delivery of the training for the FAO programme.
The group members say that they are very pleased that as a result of the project people are busy and no longer hang around the village with nothing to do. People work in their fields and gardens and are productive. They have a supply of vegetables and regular greens to eat. Children are also helping by watering the garden before going to school and on their return. They too are now useful and not just running around.
M'me Matumelo sums it all up by saying, "Above all, we live well and we eat well now."
Marathabile and Moitheri
Marethabile Matica and her husband Moitheri have created a half-acre oasis in the midst of a harsh and rocky hillside. They have constructed keyhole gardens and double-dug trenches. They are now able to plant spinach, beetroot, carrots, tomatoes and cabbages - crops that previously would not have survived.
The benefits of the compost they have dug into their relatively small garden have spread further a field too. A peach tree beyond the fence has borne so much fruit that they have had to dry and bottle a lot of it. Marethabile and Moitheri believe that this must be the result of some of the nutrients from the compost soaking away into the soil.
Their first harvest from the keyhole gardens was excellent and they were even able to sell a little. Their health has improved and they no longer have to buy their vegetables - they can now afford to eat. They used to grow vegetables "in the old way," and usually lost them in times of drought.
During the most recent drought, they covered the keyhole gardens with plastic bags and the compost held enough moisture for the vegetables to survive.
They are no longer interested in the old ways of farming and of her training Marethabile says, "if only this knowledge had come to us when we were still young," says Moitheri. They are keen to share their knowledge with their two young daughters so that their life will be easier than their parent's hardships.
www.sendacow.org.uk