2009 Monitoring Visit

On 11/11/2009 and for the following eight days a SGG field visit was made at Chawama. Part of that visit entailed monitoring progress of the planting undertaken in 2007. However, I was aware on arrival that some supporters had expressed interest in other aspects of Chawama undertaken by the Holy Family community. These additional aspects of interest include:

• the development of the Community School,
• the continued improvement of the Divine Providence Home where the aged, the disabled and young orphans receive special care
• the expansion of the Homecraft Centre
• the conversion to organic methods of gardening.

Thus, a major part of this visit is to prepare proposals plans for each of these activities, so that documents with the present state of progress & initial plans for the future are readily available to anyone wishing to support the work of the Holy Family sisters.

By 13/11/2009 my intention was to invest SGG funds in the continued development of the original Project 9 as stated earlier in this report. In 2009 it is unlikely that any SGG funds will be invested in the social welfare programmes of the Holy Family Sisters, because all available SGG funding is already allocated to other projects. Instead the Holy Family Sisters work & plans will be produced as an appendix to this document, and future SGG funding will be based on new investors & volunteers being found for 2010.

On 13/11/2009 and the following day a tree count was undertaken to establish the effectivenesss of the 2007 & 2008 planting. Such counting was not a long task, but the interpretation of tree census was a little tricky. A major reason for this was that the head groundsman, who in November 2007 had accepted responsibility for the tree-planting work, was subsequently dismissed from his post for theft. Furthermore, the Holy Family sisters have no clear record of what trees were planted where. Thus, it was easy to count the trees, but impossible to know whether or not they had been paid for out of SGG’s November 2007 investment.

Nevertheless, it is possible to draw some tentative conclusions. The main finding is that there are some 271 trees now growing out of the 445 trees purchased on 14th November 2007. At least 50 of those which are still surviving were purchased by Sr Judith after SGG’s 2007 visit. If it is assumed that some 500 trees were purchased then the overall survival rate for trees over a two year period is 54%. Such a survival rate is disappointing, but not so bad as to justify a halt in the planting programme. It is a survival rate which suggests that there should be significant adjustments in the planting and particularly post-planting care of the trees.

Poplar & whispering pine growing in the School garden close to the dividing fence.

This middle section of the planted trees has received insufficient attention & watering.

Any new strategy needs to take note of some other observations made during the tree count, such as:

• the survival rate of seedlings along the fence dividing the communal football pitch from the rest of the compound was most unsatisfactory. Of the 211 trees & shrubs planted on 16/11/2007 only 60 were still alive on 14th November this year.
• the trees & bushes still growing close to this fence have a distinct distribution pattern. At the western end this fence is next to the Community School garden, and here there has been some watering & care of the ground. Of the 20 seedlings originally planted here, 11 are still flourishing. In the middle section of the fence survival rates are very low – perhaps 10%. It is impossible to be certain why planting was so unsuccessful here because there are several factors at work (e.g. the soil too thin, the initial planting holes too shallow, termite attack, inadequate watering after transplanting the seedlings). However, human factors are probably the main cause of the excessive failure rate. There is a gate in the fence nearby and paths converge here. Passers by have been seen casually but deliberately damaging the young trees. Inadequate watering is also a major factor.
• It was agreed in November 2007 that such watering & care would be the responsibility of the Community School, but the evidence available now suggests that the teaching staff have been far too casual in their supervision of children undertaking this task of watering. Certainly, SGG field monitoring elsewhere often shows that trees planted on private property have much higher survival rates than those planted on school grounds. Good care of trees is largely confined to places where there is some private gain by those who actually carry out the necessary work.
• Most of this dividing fence was planted with cassuarina/whispering pine and poplar. The exact figure planted for each species is not known, but it is estimated that of the 211 seedlings planted in 2007 100 were poplar, 61were whispering pine, and 50 were Mexican thorn. The painful thorns on this last , species and the consequent limited handling of such plants probably accounts for the much higher survival rates with Mexican thorn.
• towards the eastern end of the dividing fence, the poplar is mixed with Mexican thorn to discourage people from jumping over the wall. The Mexican thorn was not as successful as had been hoped, because much of that area suffered from an ‘accidental’ fire when workers were cutting dried grass.
• around the Homecraft Centre tree survival rates have been excellent. Sr Maria Kupinska, the Director of the Centre, made sure that the trees were regularly and adequately watered (“one bucket per tree per week”) and now these trees stand head-high and look very healthy. Here the survival rate is close to 100%. This complete contrast with the dividing fence considered above shows how vital consistent care & watering are during the first two years.
• other locations around the compound demonstrated again the importance of post-planting care. As stated above, only 6 out of an estimated 70 whispering pine have survived along the dividing fence where care has been unsatisfactory. In contrast some 40 were planted along the Convent garden fence, and here some 31continue to grow.
• it is almost impossible to banish the suspicion of theft. The main reason for this thinking is that the initial purchase on 14/11/2007 included 50 jacaranda & 45 flamboyant seedlings, which were the most costly of the trees purchased. Yet only 12 of these were found during the 2009 tree count. It can also be said that the removal & resale of newly planted trees is a common problem with many tree-planting projects. From an ecological point of view it may advantageous that trees are distributed throughout Chawama & Lusaka rather than concentrated in one compound, but SGG views integral development (i.e. moral & social development should accompany economic improvement if ‘true’ development is to take place) as important. We do not believe that the habit of theft can bring sustainable progress.
• the initial purchase of plants on 14/11/2007 included 200 vitex bushes. These have been used in the compound to make excellent low hedges, which help divide a large compound of some 15 hectares into smaller areas. In 2009 I counted over 900 such bushes along lines where I do not recall them being present two years earlier. I have certainly made an overestimate of those planted with SGG funds, but Sr Judith and I both agree that the survival rate of such bushes is probably 90%. However, these excellent hedging bushes provide few of the advantages of trees, such as fruit, shade, reduced dust, so planting in the 2009 wet season will focus on trees rather than plants less demanding of care.

New trees around the Homecraft Centre. This is exactly the same location as the following photograph taken in October 2007. This shows what is possible with care & watering.

This photograph was taken in 2007 when most of the Chawama compound was a dusty, desolate place. Compare with the previous photo taken in 2009 from the same place: the tree in the left foreground is in both pictures. You can see the progress made in two years.

There is one other observation pertinent to the progress of this project. This concerns the transformation of the compound by a gradual increase in organic gardening methods. This transformation began with a visit by SGG, Sr Angela and Sr Judith to Kasisi Organic Farming Centre in November 2007 when it was agreed to try and follow organic gardening principles. This was followed in 2008 by two representatives from Chawama completing a first course on organic farming at Kasisi. Unfortunately, one such person was transferred back to the Holy Family community in Kenya by her congregation, while the other was subsequently dismissed for theft. Thus, Chawama now lacks anybody with sufficient knowledge of such organic methods, having effectively made a ‘false start’ in this matter.

New trees around the Homecraft Centre. This is the same location as the second photograph, which was taken in October 2007. This shows what is possible with care & watering.

In view of the above comments SGG would like to propose the following:

• tree-planting continues, but at a slower rate than in November 2007. The limitations of the Community School staff and pupils, the attitudes of workers & the local population to ‘greenery’, and the time constraints on the Holy Family sisters all need to be recognized and accepted. Thus, an investment of £300 in new trees to be planted in a relatively small portion of the space available seems to be the best way to move forward.
• greater care after planting is the key to better survival rates. We propose that individual workers, to be chosen by Sr Judith, are given responsibility for the care and watering of a particular area of the compound where trees are newly planted. The obvious three locations are: 1. in the new orchard & within the Convent plot, 2. along walls & fences where bougainvillea is planted, and 3. the area by the outside stage & along the dividing fence. Provided the location of each new tree can be mapped and an agreement with each of the three workers concerned can be reached before the end of the field visit on 6th December, SGG is prepared to pay up to one month’s salary depending upon how well the trees are maintained until the next SGG field visit. It is hoped that an additional financial reward will encourage those three workers to take greater care of the seedlings in the critical first year.
• the eucalyptus along the wall next to the new orchard need to be pollarded, coppiced or removed before the new fruit trees are planted. This is an urgent task which should be completed before December. Also there should be similar treatment for those within the Convent garden, but this can be done at a later date.
• continued effort is needed to discourage burning. The burning of dried grass during the seasonal drought seems to be such an efficient way to clear the ground, but this is a damaging practice. Several of the Mexican thorn were flourishing during the drought but have been badly damaged by burning. Dry grass & leaves need to be collected for compost, and compost is vital if the soils of the compound are to be improved.
•  take advantage of self-seeded trees. Many of the trees planted have been exotics. These may have the advantage of rapid growth, but they have also had low survival rates. Especially as the Holy Family sisters are permanently busy, it makes sense to encourage self-planted trees. In the area between the entry road and the dividing fence there are over 20 self-seeded trees and bushes, and these provide greenery in an otherwise desolate and neglected part of the compound.
• now that the dividing fence has been erected, bougainvillea may provide a better plant than cassuarina to strengthen the fence.
• continue with a policy of reduced maize cultivation, and try to focus on higher value horticultural crops as are now found in the Home garden.
• make further efforts to adopt organic gardening practices. This is likely to require some training of some of the workers, but it is important to find suitable trainees and that may take some time. The conversion to organic gardening methods will be slow if it is to be sure. SGG will produce some literature on organic methods to assist Sr Judith in this matter.
• more attention needs to be paid to composting. Soils are generally poor and overworked in this compound. Chemical fertiliser is an undue expense. Workers need to be trained in the techniques of compost making, and there should be several compost mounds distributed throughout the cultivated plots.

Trees to the left of the water tower are self-seeded, but greatly improve the appearance of a large area of waste space between the Homecraft Centre to the right and the boundary wall.

As there is nobody trained in organic gardening and now working in the compound, SGG will try to find other institutions and individuals in Zambia who are interested and knowledgeable about organic techniques. There has already been some success here with a small starting grant being given to Rachael Kavanagh, an English volunteer who is promoting the planting of moringa in Western Province.

By the end of the 2009 field visit on 6th December, some new progress has been made concerning the greening of the compound. On 16/11/2009 a visit was made to the University of Zambia Horticultural Nursery and the following 80 plants purchased:

• 30 oranges
• 10 bananas
• 10 jacaranda
• 8 flamboyant
• 6 plumeria
• 6 queen of the night
• 4 ficus, 2 of which variegated
• 3 elderberry
• 3 frangipani, for a total cost of K830,000 (about £110).

December 2009 - the beginnings of a new orchard.

Some of these purchases intended to beautify at least part of the compound may seem a little unnecessary in the context of a poor township. However, the Holy Family sisters have developed a small but beautiful garden, and they gain regular income from hiring out of the garden for wedding receptions, etc.

This is an oasis of beauty within one of the poorest localities in Lusaka. Unsurprisingly, it is a favourite place for wedding receptions. A small garden bringing hope for the future.

This is an oasis of beauty within one of the poorest localities in Lusaka. Unsurprisingly, it is a favourite place for wedding receptions. A small garden bringing hope for the future.
I passed through Chawama on 7/12/2009 just before my departure flight from Zambia. By that time many of the overlarge eucalyptus had been pollarded; a new orchard with more than 50 fruit trees had been established; and the drilling for a new borehole (which will make watering of new trees much easier) had been successful.

A new borehole for the Holy Family compound and many prayers seem answered. A better water supply is essential for the future development of the several projects here.