May 6, 2008

Getting Busy

Things are getting rather busy around here. After a lull in our program where we felt like we were sitting around a lot waiting for things to happen, the ball has begun to roll. Several things have happened in the past month. Jenny has picked up some responsibility working with future SALTer’s as well as with planning future learning tours to Mozambique. She continues to travel around talking about savings groups and has one that she hopes to visit in the next couple of months.

Banner Jenny made to help people understand how a savings group functions.

I am also getting busy. I am now taking a more administrative role when it comes to the Sand Dam projects in Mozambique. We have two more projects that are in the mix in two other provinces and I will be working some on oversight for these projects. This means more traveling, visiting sites and working with proposals. The food security project is also rolling now so I will be visiting that about one week a month to monitor and add whatever value I can to that project. In two weeks I will be heading up there to visit the three communities where it is taking place. They have already opened some vegetable fields and are demonstrating new techniques to the community. I have not yet arrived to those communities so I am anxious to go there. There are also a group of farmers here in Gondola that are starting a farmer’s association. They have a field together and want to start learning from each other. I have been visiting them from time to time to visit and support them in what ways that I can. We have given them some seeds for different vegetables for them to start going. My hope is that they can save the money from the vegetables to improve things for the group the second year and so on. If they get registered and are doing activities they can also receive support from the government in a loan.

"Associacao Kubatana Ngue Nyasha Dza Mwari"

Name of Farmer's Association in Mbia Bonque

Association Member and his Soybean Field

I also have been visiting the Anglican Preschools from time to time as I have time available. They have been receiving fruit trees and so we have helped do a little bit of teaching around tree planting.

On top of this we just had church meetings with the national leaders this past weekend. Things went really well and I think it has created new direction for the church but it was also emotionally exhausting. There is a lot of work to be done but I think the outlook is positive.

Keep us in your prayers.