Key People: David Power, Alan, Edwin Chama
I visited GLO and met with the staff to discuss what is happening at the centre. In addition to the normal theological courses that are being run at GLO, the team has embarked on a new vision. This vision includes the use of agricultural training to empower the students and surrounding communities.
This has been restarted with the first intake arriving in late June for a three-month course. All of the students, or volunteers as they call them, are from a local orphanage called Seeds of Hope. Seeds of Hope have three sites around the Copperbelt area where they take children who cannot stay with their families, or whose families have passed away. They are partnering with GLO in the GAP year to give those who have finished school some extra life skills.
GLO intends to spend a lot of time training in practical skills of agriculture, maintenance and administration, which are the skills that the current teachers have. They will mentor the young people spiritually as well, which they say is what makes this course unique.
For the first course there are six students, all from Seeds of Hope. They pay 6,000zmk (US$260) for the three-month course, of which 1,000 per month goes into their food fund that the students have to self-manage.
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The Alpha group that was started by GLO and Edwin continues to learn together. Last year the 13 participants received funds of 2,000zmk (US$87) each to grow vegetables in the dry season with the aim to increase the capital to fund inputs for the rainy season crops.
They did “ok” despite some challenges of drought, but they made Bokashi fertilizer with Edwin's help. The maize plots are currently being harvested, and the yield information will be provided.
Two members of the Alpha group got to go with Edwin to the Foundations for Farming centre in Mukishi where they attended a conference. When they returned, Mellon was excited and has made up another group of 20 people that they are training with Edwin's help.
(Photo shows Edwin in the demonstration garden at GLO with Chinese cabbage that they sell)
This programme, where GLO facilitates groups of churches to be trained once per month for two years, has been asking for there to be an agricultural course run. Some of the churches have land that could be used to grow crops and set up training centres.
GLO is going to start with some training courses in the programme this year and see how it might develop. There is a large network of people that could potentially be reached with this training.
Allan Mufwana
I am a Christian who is a project development professional with a passion for positive change in human development and I have worked on multiple projects funded by the European Union, Belgian Development Cooperation, the British Council, Embassy of Ireland, Educate A Child, Roger Federer foundation, Human Education International, Kondanani Zambia and the Government of Zambia and local donors.
My role at GLO Zambia is Outreach and Resource Coordinator - to contribute to GLO Zambia’s outreach and resource mobilization goal, and achieve significant, predictable, sustainable multi-year funding to facilitate the achievement of GLO’s vision and mission through development, implementation and review of strategies, policies, procedures and practices aimed at achieving sustainable resource mobilization. As well as further undertaking to ensure effective utilization of GLO Zambia resources and facilities as an internal and sustainable resource mobilization strategy and oversee the development and submission of all external donor reports in compliance with donor requirements and deadlines.
I married Judy Kunda Mufwana on 24 December 2005 and have one girl and 3 boys. Kukeng’a (girl) is 17 years old and doing grade 12, Kuwunda - 15 years old and doing grade 9, Mwewa - 12 years old and doing grade 7 and Joseph - 9 years old and doing grade 3.
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Mellon has been part of the Alpha community farmers group that Edwin has been teaching Foundations for Farming to over the last two years. He is very excited by the new methods. Edwin took Mellon and one other Alpha group member to Mukishi Foundations for Farming Centre to show them the farm there and to attend a conference. When Mellon returned home, he got together another group of 20 people in his area and ran a training programme for them himself. Edwin came for one day of this training.
At his family’s field, along with his mother and father they planted 6 lima (1.5ha) of maize. They made a pile of Bokashi using waste mangos, soil, manure, grasses and left the pile for 12 days. In the planting holes they used the Bokashi, chicken manure, and some D compound fertilizer. They top-dressed with some Urea once.
The result has been very good, with around 110 x 50kg bags of maize grain, giving a yield of around 4 ton per hectare. This compares to other years where they only got around 20 bags from the same area. 20 bags will be used for consumption and the rest will be sold to the FRA (Food Reserve Agency) for 340zmk per bag so they will get 30,600zmk (US$1,330) to have for family expenses.
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Part of the maize they grew was local maize OVP variety that they will be able to keep for seed next season. They have six bags of this seed.
Bright Hope World committed to funding Edwin for three years, which has now completed. I have recommended that we continue to provide some financial support for him, but at a lower rate than previously (US$125/month).
There is a massive opportunity to undertake Foundations for Farming training in the church-based groups, and they will present budgets for any farming demonstrations as required which we will consider on a one-off basis.