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Kamuzinda Farm School |
The farm school is located at The Pearl of Africa Children's Village at Kamuzinda. The purpose is to disseminate knowledge of sustainable organic farming and proper farm management techniques to the needy and disadvantaged children within and around the village. This will enable them to improve nutrition, generate income and improve the livelyhood status within their households. The school has 25 students studying a three year course which will prepare them for life after secondary school as they acquire vital skills and experience which can be shared with the the farmers in their home villages. On graduation, the students are given an agricultural kit consisting of tools and good quality seeds. The school grows organic vegetables eg squash,cucumber,radish,onions,tomatoes, watermelons,egg plants okra etc. The school also grows corn/maize which is ground to make flour for feeding the Kamuzinda school children. The farm is trying to increase food production to reduce the weighty burden of purchasing food. The farm school has 4 cross breed dairy cows and desparately require more to increase milk production for the children. Bees for honey production and chickens are also kept for learning purposes and to supply eggs/fertiliser and honey. Apollo came to the UK with the choir and is incredibly grateful for all the many donations received. The Head tutor: Saku Apollo |
Eggs for supper! |
November 2009 We are doing well here at the farm. It is wet and we are busy with weeding of maize, pineapples and clearing the new sweet potato farm land which is adjacent the forest monkey wooodland.We anticipate this will be very productive with sweet potatoes.We also plan to have a portion of this land planted with animal fodder (elephant grass) this is very palatable to our milking cows. The children here in the village are giving us a hand of help weeding maize. With pineapples, we are weeding the field and we have temporary hired one able bodied man who is helping in the pineapple field. We wish to have 2 boys who are finishing their agriculture,they are siting their final exams in National agriculture, they have studied here at the farm school for 3 years, so we believe they are very good and from their past conduct we are sure they will be good at the farm. Thanks very much for the support and help toward the farm project and we believe your financial and kind assistance will continue so that we achieve all our dreams and work plans. Blessings Apollo Farm April 2009 With thanks to all the generous donations, Apollo has been able to purchase new chicks to bring on to laying in order to reach his objective of providing one egg a week for each child in the school. February 2009 Apollo and the farm students have been very busy since Christmas. Apollo has purchased a new cow to replace the one that sadly died on the final weekend of the choir tour. This was possible due to the generosity of Heather, one of the choir hosts and the team at Lion TV. The pig population has increased with new litter. Much land has been cleared for crop production including maize and pineapples. There is also a tree planting programme underway thanks to a donation made by The International Tree Foundation. The children are now benefiting from one egg per week and a small glass of milk. Funds are still being raised for the maize mill which will enable maize to be ground locally and also provide an income from renting the mill to other local maize producers. The biproducts of the milling will provide animal feed. June 2008 We are now harvesting the maize/corn we planted in late february this year and and we are drying it so that it we can pack it and take it for grinding....this is a big blessing for us here towards food for the children and staff members here at the village.Thanks for all the funds towards buying seeds and tools,and special thanks goes to all our volunteers who contributed towards this project of food production.We are working hard to see that this problem of food shortage here becomes history - Apollo. March 2008 - So much has been happening on the farm! Three volunteers have been working exceedingly hard with Apollo and the farm students and there has been a considerable investment thanks to the generosity of the volunteers sponsors. Pig, chicken and goat pens and store room have been erected. Four goats have been purchased, There are now enough units for 22 pigs, 300 chickens and the 4 goats (named Jill, John, Caroline and Laura!) Another acquisition is a dog named Kate Benito who is being trained to keep the monkeys off the crops! With the help of hired prisoners and a tractor, land has been cleared and maize and sweet potatoes planted. Glazing windows and putting doors on the classrooms was essential for security. The Farm school urgently needs to be registered (which costs money) in order the students can take their exams in situ rather than being transported elsewhere. Prices have rocketed as a result of the Kenyan conflict, which means careful decisions must be made on how to use the available donations to best effect. |
The Hen House |
The Pearl of Africa Children's Choir supporting the Molly and Paul Childcare Foundation of Uganda |
The new chicks arrive! |
LATEST NEWS |
PROJECTS |
Pineapples Growing pineapples as a cash crop and to feed the children |
Maize The yield last season (March-July season) has so far been the best season as far as food production is concerned here at Kamuzinda.The maize/corn was planted in more than 10 acres and we had all the inputs in time and labour was of course there (the school children and other hired labour such as prisoners).Once we get funds in time for the next maize production/growing season we can plan land clearance between late December and early January 2010. We shall even go beyond 10 acres if resources permit us.We have also cleared land below the monkey woodland and we are planning to grow sweet potatoes. |
Hen House This will be magnificient for the orphange and it will yield enough eggs to feed the children and make a money through egg production and sale. The roof is now complete and the next stage is to finish off doors, floors and windows before 2000 hens move in! |
Fruit trees We had to use this land for maize production first as a way to soften the soil. We did the primary tillage and the secondary tillage using hired able bodied men,they planted the maize and after being harvested we have then put the trees. So far now we have planted grafted Mangoes and Avocadoes and all these are bought from VI (National Agriculutre center). In this same fruit tree land we have also intercroped it with cassava (this is a root tuber which grows under the earth) but its a source of food here in the orphanage. |
The funds to support the Farm School are donated from our UK supporters and from UGAIRISH, a group of wonderful Irish folk. Visit their website to find out more about how they help Kamuzinda Farm school. If you would like to contribute to the ongoing success of the work at Kamuzinda in providing a sustainable way of life for some of these disadvantaged children, please DONATE NOW |