Go and support the rest with the knowledge

We are glad to release another lot of computer literate group, that brings us to the number 122 of the computer students who have acquired knowledge from this center since the year 2009 when we embarked on serious training.

This lot has proved to be one of the most disciplined and responsible groups that we have had since last year, and as they are walking out, i would like to appreciate them for the cooperation they have given me during the three months period that we shared together.

May you be blessed and carry the same degree of discipline into all walks of life that you are going to come across. Merry Christmas and a happy new year, we love you all.

Seeing is believing

Ndhiwa Maarifa Centre has really appreciated the efforts made by the FORD foundation in terms of 8 bookshelves and a 21" TV set.
I would wish to stand in a witness in a court of law to defend the slogan of 'seeing is believing'.

Through the use of this television set, the center has found it much easier to impart permanent 'how-to-do'/practical know how into the minds of our people.
We would like appeal to all our friends, partners and donors who have any practical information in the form of videos or books to please share it with us through our contacts, as together we grow.

Thanks once more.

Group storage to earn more from maize

Maize farmers are often forced by poverty to sell their crop when prices are lowest. But in Rwanda, a group of 60 farmers are among the first to benefit from a system called warrentage which is enabling them to earn double the normal price paid by traders at harvest time.
Under the system, farmers deposit their maize in a group storage shed and can receive 60 per cent of the value of their stored crop as a low-interest loan.
The group, in partnership with a local bank, then sells the maize when prices are high, greatly increasing farmers' profits while also giving them access to credit at the point in the season when they most need it.
This is one of the best practices adopted by our neighboring country and they have been able to reduce the degree of poverty amongst their communities. Most communities in Kenya here are poverty dominated not because they are poor but its due to luck of knowledge and cooperation.
As farmers we can adopt this idea and soon we shall be reaping our long lost efforts.

Improving soils with green charcoal

Adding finely chopped charcoal to soil offers many benefits - improving nutrient uptake by plants, boosting water retention and enhancing soil structure.
The International Biochar Initiative is supporting the development and use of an environmentally friendly type of charcoal as a soil improver.
'Green charcoal' or Biochar is made from waste organic material, such as sawdust or crop residues, rather than from timber. Produced in a specially designed kiln, the charcoal is chopped into small pieces, which can then be incorporated in the soil.

Adopted from: http://www.agfax.net/

For more audio and text information on this, click here