Thus far in the rainy season I have raised almost 200 fruit trees and am giving them to villagers to plant in their homes and feilds. Hopefully this will become a food and shade source. Some of the trees will also be used in live fencing to keep the millions of goats and sheep out of my brothers and dads field. I hope other people see them and take initiative to do it themselves next year. Thats asking a lot, but a very smart woman told me once never to lose hope. I have my garden all planted. The eggplant and green pepper are fruiting and the okra is flowering. I just got my melon and suash seeds in the ground I don't actually want the fruits coming up till the rains are infrequent. They just rot otherwise. I have successfully transplanted papaya and some other trees I don't know how to say in English. I have also been busy distributing seed to farmers and giving them advice on planting, spacing, fertilizing, and good old bug killing! This has been keeping me really busy and it's probally better that I don't have a computer of my own to distract me or draw me into the city. I am also very very very happy to say that me and my master farmer have formed an alliance. She will do what I ask as long as it's actually her idea and she gets frequent compliments. She is like an old car. She needs to be sweet talked and babied. My normal attitude of brutal honesty does not mesh with the cultural norms here. I feel like we have a good working relationship now though. Last time we were woring in the field she found a hedgehog! It was so cool! I also saw a goat give birth to twins. Not that you can't see that in Indiana but it was cool anyway. I am also very happy to have made good relatioships with some farmers who I think will be very good at helping me and the next volunteer share our knowledge. The guy below is Samba Dieng I am recommending him to be the next volunteers counterpart. He is so openminded and that is really important in our work.
He is farming beans for me and we will probably do some pesticide application demonstrations. So overall the rainy season while busy has been full of work. I am currently doing a moringa tournee with the other Kaolack volunteers. Check back soon to see how our nutrition trainings go!
Thus far in the rainy season I have raised almost 200 fruit trees and am giving them to villagers to plant in their homes and feilds. Hopefully this will become a food and shade source. Some of the trees will also be used in live fencing to keep the millions of goats and sheep out of my brothers and dads field. I hope other people see them and take initiative to do it themselves next year. Thats asking a lot, but a very smart woman told me once never to lose hope. I have my garden all planted. The eggplant and green pepper are fruiting and the okra is flowering. I just got my melon and suash seeds in the ground I don't actually want the fruits coming up till the rains are infrequent. They just rot otherwise. I have successfully transplanted papaya and some other trees I don't know how to say in English. I have also been busy distributing seed to farmers and giving them advice on planting, spacing, fertilizing, and good old bug killing! This has been keeping me really busy and it's probally better that I don't have a computer of my own to distract me or draw me into the city. I am also very very very happy to say that me and my master farmer have formed an alliance. She will do what I ask as long as it's actually her idea and she gets frequent compliments. She is like an old car. She needs to be sweet talked and babied. My normal attitude of brutal honesty does not mesh with the cultural norms here. I feel like we have a good working relationship now though. Last time we were woring in the field she found a hedgehog! It was so cool! I also saw a goat give birth to twins. Not that you can't see that in Indiana but it was cool anyway. I am also very happy to have made good relatioships with some farmers who I think will be very good at helping me and the next volunteer share our knowledge. The guy below is Samba Dieng I am recommending him to be the next volunteers counterpart. He is so openminded and that is really important in our work.
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