Introduction

After Frank’s return to Rwanda from consultations with the Tools For Hope, Inc. (TFH) Board of Directors, there were goals to be achieved. Frank started working on them immediately upon his return. He was pleased that the farmers are also willing to do their part. Frank discussed with the farmers the issues and related to TFH goals for food preservation, no-till agricultural farming techniques, off-farm income from small business activities e.g., their motorbike transportation business.

Frank managed to visit additional farms and provide them with some technical advice. He also solved issues related to the motorbike with the transportation authority in the country and now the farmers are back in the motorbike transportation business.

 

Food Preservation Techniques Used by Our Farmers

Preserving food is not new to Rwandan farmers but many of them do not practice food preservation for several reasons. They only consume the food they grow for a few weeks after the harvest. After that they are left with no preserved crops.

All our farmers are smallholder farmers, so they do not harvest much food that needs to be preserved. Of the food that they cultivate, they either sell all or, they sell half and preserve a little for home consumption. They cannot buy an adequate amount of food because their food will rot as they do not have enough skills regarding food preservation. They live by buying their food almost every day.

The crops they usually preserve are maize/corn, beans, cassava, Irish potato, sweet potato, and onion. The most common method used is drying, after soaking in water sometimes they dry the crops on the ground. We are now looking at the possible food preservation methods that farmers can start using.

Our farmers encounter economic and nutritional difficulties when food prices go up in the market. For example, the price of beans is extremely high in December, because beans are very scarce and difficult to get, especially in the rural areas. Resolving this issue of food/crop preservation will be another step in helping our farmers.

By having proper food preservation, they can store enough and use them during those periods when the price is high, especially during drought season. They can also preserve their harvested crop and sell the product when the price is good at the market.

 

 

 

 

Above are some of the old crop preservation methods. At top left is the local and normal way of preserving cassava by making cassava flour and keeping it for a long time. The photo at top right shows how to preserve sweet potato in a pit for use during drought periods when they are scarce. Bottom left – they store beans in sacks and usually dry them during the day and keep them in sack. Bottom right – they store maize/corn normally in their homes on the floor but during the day they dry them by hanging them outside their house roofs or in a hangar. The above methods are used by some of our farmers.

 

No-Till Farming

The no till agriculture practice is a process of planting crops without disturbing the soil or with minimum soil disturbance, maintenance of soil cover and diversification of plant species. This is one of the best ways of recovering soil fertility. Because our farmers have small pieces of land, their land is being overworked and this has resulted in the decrease of soil fertility and hence poor production which produces hunger.

From a soil perspective, the benefits of no-till farming far outnumber those of tillage-based systems. No-till practices allow the soil structure to stay intact and protect the soil by leaving crop residue on the soil surface. Improved soil structure and soil cover increase the soil’s ability to absorb and infiltrate water, which in turn reduces soil erosion and runoff and prevents pollution from entering nearby water sources.

No-till practices also slow evaporation, which not only means better absorption of rainwater, but it also increases irrigation efficiency, leading to higher yields, especially during hot and dry weather.

Soil microorganisms, fungi, and bacteria, critical to soil health, also benefit from no-till practices. When soil is undisturbed, beneficial soil organisms can establish their communities and feed off the soil’s organic matter. A healthy soil biome (naturally occurring community of flora and fauna) is important for nutrient cycling and suppressing plant diseases. As soil organic matter improves, so does the soil’s internal structure—increasing the soil’s capacity to grow more nutrient-dense crops.

After productive discussions with professors from the University of Tennessee, TFH has decided to start a no-till farming campaign with our farmers. At first, we will do research trials, where we will have plots of land with no-till treatment and regular tilling by hand and we will monitor the growth and yield parameters. Based on the results we will help the farmers make determinations about future sustainable agriculture production techniques.

Frank talked with different farmers and they have agreed to that plan, and we will start with the 2020, February season.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These are fields that we have found so far that have been abandoned for one season, so we will use these and other lands that farmers can provide for our no-till program.

 

Issues with Motorbike Transportation Authority

For a long time, the motorbike transportation / taxi business has been a flourishing business for many people in Rwanda. This was due in part to Rwandan topography and its lack of proper roadway infrastructure. Many people to use motorbikes as their way of transporting people and goods. With high use comes increased legal and insurance issues. Consequently, there are many regulations and laws to follow.

While Frank was in the USA, officials in charge of transportation wanted to verify the owner of the motorbike and to register the motorbike with the names of those responsible for the motorbike i.e., TFH. The farmers had to wait for Frank’s return, because the Twisungane farmers are not the owner. Frank, as the Rwandan representative of TFH, was required to provide the government officials his identity to be kept on file in case they might need to contact him for more information regarding the motorbike.

The government is extremely strict about such regulations and did not allow the farmers to use the motorbike, until Frank’s return. After getting back in the country Frank resolved this issue and they are now back in business as usual.

 

Other Potential Projects

Previously proposed projects i.e., 2 goats per family, sewing machines for the women and men who are willing to use them, and buying more motorcycles will be funded as TFH is able.

Recently TFH asked about the issue of clean water. Frank showed us the picture he took of Rwandans using dirty water to wash themselves and wash their clothes (see picture below).

This is one of the many challenges that the country suffers.

Clean water is a critical issue and, 70% of the rural population have no access to clean water. TFH is investigating clean water technology utilizing locally (African) made ceramic filters in conjunction with ceramic tablets embedded with anti-bacterial, anti-microbial and germicidal materials. The combination appears viable, economical, and suitable to the Rwandan farmers way of life. TFH will update you on our progress in implementing the processes.

Frank took this picture while working in the field. He was very much concerned because these people were coming from work, found something like a pond because it was raining, and started cleaning themselves with that water. Frank asked them ‘why are you doing this, don’t you know that this water is dirty’? They responded that, they do not have any choice. They know it is not good for their health but that’s the life they live, and they can’t go home with mud all over their bodies, so they prefer using that water to reduce the mud.

Water scarcity can lead to a variety of water-borne tropical diseases, such as typhoid fever, cholera, dysentery, and diarrheal illnesses. Other conditions, such as plague, typhus, and trachoma (eye infection that can result in blindness), are also common. throughout the continent, water scarcity and pollution continue to get worse.

A lack of clean water also affects the Rwandan people in other ways. Many families must travel significant distances to gain access to clean drinking water. The women and girls in the family often take on this responsibility of having to carry heavy containers of water back to their homes. Younger girls often must drop out of school and miss getting an education to help their families. These journeys to collect water are also dangerous and sometimes result in physical or sexual abuse of girls and women.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Introduction

As a result of extensive meetings between the Tools for Hope, Inc. (TFH) Board of Directors and our Rwandan employee, Frank Mutesa, we developed three primary goals for 2020. The Rwandan subsistence farmers will benefit from improved food preservation techniques, implementing no-till farming techniques to improve agricultural efficacy, and generating more off-farm incomes.

 

Frank worked with TFH from the 4^th through the 14^th of November 2019. In the months leading up to his arrival, TFH Directors and Frank planned extensively for his visit. Both Frank and the Board needed first-hand information and, face-to-face communications about how best to guide the Rwandan subsistence farmers. Together, we had almost two weeks of intensive work, meetings, presentations, and dinners, as well as training on food preservation techniques, and farming techniques by University of Tennessee Agricultural school faculty.

 

 

Meetings with TFH Directors

Frank met with the TFH Board of Directors (Clare Roop, Rick Shipley, Father Laird Bryson, Father Doug Floyd, and Richard Trevillian) almost daily for several hours each day during his time in Knoxville. He concentrated on explaining the farmers progress, discussing where we are, where we are going, and our and their challenges. From there we started working on practical solutions. The Board of Directors helped Frank with solving some of the issues with farmers such as their organizational structures to help them recognize and improve on their strengths.

 

TFH Directors and Frank determined that the farmers are facing three primary problems i.e., food security, agricultural efficiency, and off-farm incomes. While their incomes, health, and overall welfare have radically improved over the past few years with help from TFH they still have intractable problems in climbing out of poverty.

 

Subsistence farmers in Rwanda discard more food than they consume because they lack proper methods of food preservation. Because of a nation-wide, general lack of food preservation in Rwanda, food is expensive once harvested crops have been consumed. This situation must be resolved because subsistence farmers often spend up 80% of their incomes buying food once the harvested crops are gone.

 

Land available to them for farming is limited because of governmental policies. They are not able, and will never be able, to generate a living wage only from farming. No-till farming technology will help them reduce the manual labor and costs that they now spend on farming activities and significantly improve yields. Consequently, Frank and the Board determined that the farmers will need TFH help in developing off-farm incomes e.g., raising livestock, running small businesses, etc. as well as developing food preservation and no-till farming methods.

 

 

University of Tennessee Faculty

We had several hours of productive discussions at the University of Tennessee (UT) on issues related to agriculture, natural resources, project management, no-till farming innovations, irrigation, and forage management. While at UT we had time to present our work in Rwanda.

 

Food Preservation

On Saturday, November 9th we visited with Peggy Adam on her farm. There we learned more about food preservation and food canning. We had an enjoyable and wonderful session with Peggy. We learned a great deal about food canning. We were fortunate to train with someone who has done this for years. Frank will try canning with his family in Rwanda and eventually will teach farmers about food preservation methods that can be easily adapted by them.

Presentations at Fund-Raising Dinners

We prepared fund-raiser presentation materials for a dinner held at Apostles Anglican church on November 7th.  After the dinner we had a fundraising presentation, and Frank was happy to meet with the attendees and to describe to them the work of TFH in Rwanda. They were very pleasantly surprised by the work of TFH.

 

At the presentation, Richard described the TFH plans. He presented the goals and objectives of TFH for 2020, how we are giving farmers hope and helping them with some tools that can help them to do for themselves and prosper in the future without our help. He reiterated that the purpose of TFH is to help poor farmers learn how to prosper and to be successful in their lives without the need for outside help.

 

On Sunday 11/10/19, after church at Apostles Anglican in Knoxville we had a ‘Meet and Greet’ session. This was another opportunity to introduce the activities of TFH and for Frank to explain some the issues that people in attendance wanted to know about and to explain the agenda for the upcoming projects.

 

During the Meet and Greet Richard supplied explanations of our upcoming efforts to address those three primary issues. Those in attendance were enthusiastic and committed to support the activities of Tools for Hope.

 

We had a wonderful time at the Meet and Greet as people were very much interested in TFH activities.

 

We also an enjoyable time in Farther Doug Floyd’s home for a fund-raiser dinner on November 12th. There we met with another group of people who were very much interested in TFH work in Rwanda. They were particularly interested to know about the life of farmers and all that the farmers are doing. We were able to explain in depth about the farmers and to show them how our farmers are making progress in their journey towards prosperity. We connected with many people who would like to support the work of TFH. Richard also explained to them the goals and aims of TFH.

 

 

Our Way Forward

Before he left to return home to Rwanda, the Board of Directors gave Frank some important assignments i.e., get needed data for the food preservation initiative, work on starting the research on no-till farming practices for soil fertility enhancement and to decrease labor and other costs, to continue working with the farmers to honor their motorbike payments, to continue teaching farmers in agricultural activities, and to help develop strategies for off-farm income producing activities.

 

 

Tools for Hope, Inc.

1540 Robinson Road

Knoxville, TN 37923

http://www.toolsforhope.org/

 

Thank you for your continued support for Rwandan subsistence farmers.

Please send this newsletter along to anyone you feel may benefit from it.

Introduction

During October 2019 Frank Mutesa (Tools for Hope’s Rwandan employee) was busy finishing a formal interviewing process to gather information needed for his USA visit with the TFH Board of Directors and many of our supporters, checking the farmer’s fields, and training the farmers on some of the agricultural techniques needed during the upcoming agriculture season (2019-2020 Season A).

Most farmers near the river (for irrigation) planted corn/maize, beans, and other vegetables. Frank trained them on the techniques needed to get their fields in shape to have good yields at harvest time. During this part of the cultivation season, farmers do most of their work on the field and, this is the time when some of them, if not advised well, can make mistakes in certain activities that later can destroy and or hinder their yields and drive their production down.

Utilizing the questionnaire interview to gather data

Frank interviewed the farmers using a formal questionnaire because we needed information on the issues that we are trying to solve. We needed to assess our Tools for Hope, Inc. (TFH) activities to ensure we are linking our efforts to the most important needs of the farmers. Frank conducts these interviews by approaching farmers in their homes and talking to them in a way that encourages the farmers to freely talk about their problems. Frank assured the farmers that this information was going to help TFH improve its efforts. We want to get to the core of their issues and to find concrete and effective solutions which will help all Twisungane farmers to be stronger economically and socially, implement sustainable development, and reach food security.

Frank conducted half of the interviews indoors. His purpose was to talk about social issues and to help them to change their mindset about such issues as household cleanliness and hygiene.

These farmers are extremely poor and, in the past, have had no hope for a better future. We have found that for many of them everything they do centers on their struggle to eat, and this hampers other activities that would enable them to live in more dignified conditions. TFH is trying to eradicate this mindset of hopelessness by helping them to imagine a brighter future for themselves and for their children. When Frank is talking to them in their homes, he teaches them basic aspects of cleanness, and discusses making plans and goals for their future. This helps them to dream and work to make their dreams come true.

Frank interviewed 17 of the 20 families making up the Twisungane group. The 3 remaining families were not present this month and, we will interview them later. However, we now have enough data to start our analysis. The data will help us to develop statistical and qualitative analyses to reach sound conclusions about how best to continue to provide the farmers with the necessary mentoring to help them in their fight against poverty.

Monitoring the farmers field and conducting agriculture system    

October is the start of the agriculture season 2019-2020 Season A, and they need to start well so that they can increase their productivity. They have planted maize/corn, beans, cabbage, cassava, sweet potato, banana (already planted), and sorghum. The inputs must be prepared and the seed varieties to be planted need to be in good condition. Frank guides the farmers to plant good seeds and apply good, well prepared manure. In some cases Frank has advised them to use good inorganic fertilizers and to use the recommended quantities.

In addition, Frank mentors them on necessary activities such as weeding on time. Frank tells them that modern agriculture is not just using modern mechanization but also making sure they do their farming activities on time. The picture above shows a maize/corn plot with weeds. The weeds compete with the corn for the nutrients in the soil. Frank explains to the farmers why and how this is problematic. He encourages them to make sure they uproot the weeds which will make it easier for the corn/maize to yield a good crop with less nutrient competition. The picture above is of a typical farm. Too many farmers do not perform weeding on time, and this can reduce their yields up to 40%.

Other issues were a barn for livestock especially cattle/cows, and manure and compost making. Frank discussed those issues with them. He showed them how to re-build their barn using in-expensive materials and techniques. Frank explained that the most important thing is to make sure the livestock are well kept, in clean conditions in a proper barn and, that this will eventually increase milk production.

The above is the pile of manure and compost that Frank is checking. Although the farmer is trying to collect manure to compost, this pile is not well kept, which decreases the quality of the manure.

When manure is exposed to the air as in the photo above, it loses its nutrient content. Its nitrogen escapes to the atmosphere because of heating of the manure by the sun rays. Because nitrogen is volatile can escape, and the farmer is left with manure that is not of decent quality for the crops. Frank trained the farmers on how to make a good compost pile and encouraged them to find something with which to cover their compost to help improve the quality of their manure. In the past they did not cover their manure piles because they did not know the importance of doing so and now, they understand.

Conducting meetings, working together on issues related to the motorbike taxi business, and hearing the farmer’s ideas

Frank and the farmers conducted meetings to talk about issues related with their motorbike project such as the importance of making their payments on time and saving the gross profits to apply to future expenses e.g., insurance, maintenance, etc. Frank and the farmers also set up rules for expanding the business and for governing the group.

We have other families that need to join our group, or we may need to start another group; therefore, we need systems and strategies to allow more people to receive TFH mentoring. Frank and the farmers also discussed how to start to think of more (non-farm) projects and every member has the assignment of producing some ideas and especially ideas that generate money. Such non-farm projects which produce cash-flows from off-farm work are vital to the well-being of the farmers. Because of land restrictions our group of farmers cannot rely solely on farming for their livelihoods they need ‘off-farm’ employment. Viable, local small-businesses owned and operated by the farmers can help solve that problem.

Frank and the Tools for Hope (TFH) Board of Directors will discuss these ideas while Frank is in the USA in November 2019.

The above photo is of the farmers’ committee. We meet with them to share and to talk about ideas. This helps us create a bond of trust with the farmers. Frank told them about his upcoming visit to the USA for discussions with the TFH board and our supporters, and they all prayed for Frank to arrive safely in the United States and told him to pass their warmest thoughts to Tools for Hope.

The way forward

The group is now doing great they are learning a great deal from their motorbike (taxi) business. Significantly their attitudes are now changing, and they can see a better future and they are able to train their minds to think in a positive way. This is what TFH is doing, changing their mindset. Their agriculture activities also are conducted better than the way they used to be. Therefore, we believe this will be a successful way to eradicate poverty. Because when they feel better and think positively then it is easier for them to focus their efforts and have hope for a better future.

University of Dar es Salaam, MSc in Natural Resources Assessment and Management.

 

Kenyatta University, MSc in Integrated Soil Fertility Management (ISFM.

 

ISAE (Current known as University of Rwanda/ College of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Undergraduate Degree in Agriculture engineering.

 

 

 

 

Save the Dates

Tools for Hope, Inc. (TFH) Rwandan employee Frank Mutesa will be in Knoxville to discuss progress and challenges facing the Rwandan subsistence farmers who we mentor. We want to invite you to three events with Frank; RSVP for the dinners to tools4hope@gmail.com.

1. A fundraising dinner on November 7^th in the Apostles Anglican Church (AAC) parish hall, beginning at 6 PM.
2. A ‘meet and greet’ social on November 10^th beginning at 1 PM in the AAC parish hall.
3. A fundraising dinner on November 12^th at Father Doug Floyd’s home (4426 Pinehurst Road, Louisville, TN 37777) 6:00pm – 8:00pm.

These events will be an excellent time for you to learn firsthand about our work in Rwanda, ask questions, offer suggestions, and engage in our discussions about the future of TFH in East Central Africa.

INTRODUCTION

During September Tools for Hope, Inc. (TFH) focused on helping the Twisungane group adopt the skills they will need to successfully run their new motorbike transportation business. Frank held several discussions with individuals, group leaders, and the group to help them understand the basic principles of long-term value creation through effective use of their capital investment (i.e., their motorbike).

In addition to his mentoring for the motorbike business, Frank also began using an extensive questionnaire to help quantify the most important issues needing to be addressed in the lives of the subsistence farmers. The questionnaire will be used to collect information from farmers both with whom we have worked and with whom we may work in the future. It is part of our continuing efforts to learn from our experiences to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of our work.

FARMERS BECOMING ENTREPRENEURS

An initial task facing Frank was to help the farmers understand the nature and importance of contracts in routine business dealings. Previously the farmers had engaged in operating small-scale shops and or selling various non-agricultural related goods. The motorbike transportation business, with its loan agreement, licensing requirements, insurance policy, cash flow management issues, etc. is a completely new type of business reality for the cooperative.

The motorbike transportation (taxi service) business is one of the best businesses in Rwanda. Its strong point is that it brings in money daily. Because of the Rwandan topography, which is primarily mountainous terrain, motorbike taxis are the chief motorized transportation means used by rural area populations in their everyday life.

Among the challenges that Frank faced was the belief by some cooperative members that the motorbike was a free gift from TFH and that no repayment was necessary. Frank explained again that Tools for Hope does not give free tools or equipment. Tools for Hope requires repayment for tools such as the motorbike to enable the subsistence farmers to show themselves as a trustworthy business organization with a strong credit history. This will help ensure their long-term success without constant monetary inputs from TFH.

Another fundamental challenge facing Frank and the farmers was identifying and recording cash flows. Accounts needed to be set up and kept covering all short-term and long-term costs associated with the business. With costs fully identified, pricing aimed at ensuring a reasonable long-term profit can be developed. Other issues such as labor (e.g., drivers), and setting up a bank account were also addressed.

The final issue was for TFH and the Twisungane group to have a signed loan agreement. This cooperative is very well known to the local leaders in the government therefore, Frank discussed the loan agreement with the local leader of the Kanzenze Sector. Frank asked that the sector leader (e.g. county administrator) be a witness on our loan agreement which says that when Twisungane group have paid the amount used to buy the motorbike then the motorbike will become their property.

Signing of the loan agreement with farmer representatives and local leaders of Kanzenze Sector

farmer’s weekly payments

We agreed that the Twisungane group should be depositing 21,000frw ($23.00) each week, starting September 25th on the account, 000626709174827 that is in the Bank of Kigali (BK) in the name of Frank MUTESA.

At first, they didn’t honor their payment and Frank had to go and talk to them. He told them that if they want to go far and be taken seriously, they must honor what they have signed. As mentioned above, our farmers are not familiar with this kind of business and this is their first time to sign such an agreement and it is their first time as a group to operate a business like this that is generating money in a daily basis.

Above is the bank slip showing the amount of 42,000 frw deposited in our account for two weeks amount. That’s from 25^th September- 2^nd October (21,000) and 3^rd October -10^th October (21,000). And the total is 42,000 frw for two weeks.

Collecting Data about Rwandan Subsistence farmers

We believe that it is necessary to confirm important issues about the socio-economic status of our farmers. We need to know what we should be doing in the coming months to be able to address the needs of the group. We need to know how best to help them technically and to see how we may reach other groups to help them.

We have interviewed 6 people in September and the interviews are continuing into October. At the end of October, we will have the data analysis and graphs presenting the results. Currently, we are still gathering information from group members.

Summary

Save the dates in November – 11/7/19, 11/10/19, and or 11/12/19 to meet Frank and to get firsthand knowledge about helping Rwandan subsistence farmers. Plan to attend any or all. RSVP to tools4hope@gmail.com.

The farmers now have a practical opportunity to learn how to manage capital resources to create wealth for themselves. Frank and TFH will mentor them to help ensure their long-term success.

Tools For Hope, Inc.

1540 Robinson Road

Knoxville, TN 37923

http://www.toolsforhope.org/

Thank you for your continued support for Rwandan subsistence farmers.

Please send this newsletter along to anyone you feel may benefit from it.