My Project List

Peace Corps takes a really hands-off approach as far as telling each volunteer what they should work on and in what manner they should work on their projects.  I love this.  Every site and every volunteer is different, so why try to think of a way to make them all uniform – with the same projects.   I like that I’m able to assess my community’s needs, consider what projects are possible, and go about them as I see best fit.

So what kinds of things am I working on here in Mufumbwe District in my first 6 months?  Here’s a list:

• Demonstration Garden – Gardeners here work really hard everyday.  In order to water their garden beds they use 20 liter buckets, which weigh about 40 lbs.  That’s a lot of labor and a lot of time spent on one activity, so my garden was created to show techniques for improving the water holding capacity of the soil.  By using these specially dug beds I water my garden once, maybe twice per week, instead of 3 or 4 times like other gardeners. 

• Demonstration Field – I’m cultivating a small field to show agroforestry techniques, which can help to improve yields for local farmers in different crops like maize, beans, and sweet potatoes.  These techniques can also improve soil fertility and maintain soil nutrients for years and years, while replacing some of the trees that are lost to deforestation.

This picture, taken during training, is of some fellow volunteers practicing crop yield improving techniques.  These are the same methods I'm currently using in my demonstration field.

• A Forestry Manual – Peace Corps gives each Volunteer in my program (Linking Income, Food, and the Environment – LIFE) a forestry manual with a part to aid in species identification, but the names are always in English or Bemba, a Zambian language not spoken in my area.  Due to this it is difficult for me to work with villagers and discuss the forest, because we’re literally both speaking different languages.  The manual will hopefully resolve this issue for myself and for future volunteers of this area.

• Teaching At A Local College – Starting in mid-September I’ll begin teaching a course about agriculture, forestry, and gardening at a local mission college about 12 miles from me.  It’ll be twice per week, and for four hours each class.  I’m really excited for it.  It gives me a chance to work in a more formal setting and I’ll have students that have to be attentive.  I’ll have 8 to 10 students and after they complete their three-year programs (I will only teach the first year students) they’ll go off, all over Zambia and (I’m hoping) spread the knowledge that I’ve imparted on them.

• Writing For The Enquirer – This is by far and away my favorite project so far.  It’s just fun to do.  I like living here and trying to explain what I see, hear, and how life is on a daily basis. 

• Workshops – Lastly, I’m doing a bit of traveling to other volunteers’ sites to help lead gardening workshops.  As of late I’ve been averaging one per week.  The workshops are usually with women’s of girl’s clubs, and the women are very hard workers, so I get to teach them and they get to impress me.  A win for me, a win for them.

Teaching a fellow volunteer's girls club some improved gardening techniques.

I’m trying to do a lot and as of now I’m enjoying it.  I’m staying busy and as things progress I’m sure I’ll add and subtract projects from the list.