A new look for Our Lady Queen of Peace School at Todonyang …
Pictures send powerful messages. At the school in Todonyang, we use wall murals to teach and catechize.
Lillian Omari
On 15th December 2017 we celebrated the 9th graduation of Furrows in the Desert Course to train future Turkana farmers to become experts in irrigated desert agriculture. The celebration was colourful and it was attended by those graduating, the Furrows in the Desert team, former trainees, representatives from the MCSPA and members of the local community. Bishop Benson from Outreach Ministries Church in Lodwar also attended with pastor Esikuku from Kerio, since they have contributed to Furrows by sending some trainees, who are going to join an agriculture project run by the same church in Lodwar.
Up to this 9th course there are more than 300 people who have studied at furrows. Those who are still active are organised into a Farmer’s association and they are grouped into different farms, of which more than 40 of them are doing very well. During the speeches Fr. Albert focused on the importance of agriculture in Turkana as a source of alternative livelihood, especially water and food production as the only real and sustainable future for Turkana.
We congratulate all the graduates and thank all the Furrow’s team, the benefactors and all the stakeholders who make this project a reality.
Fr. Angel Valdivia MCSPA
Hemos comenzado un comedor para 50 niños y para 3 mujeres embarazas registradas hasta el momento en el poblado de Gimbichu, a 13km de Muketurri. En 2008 algunos campesinos de Gimbichu vinieron a pedir semillas porque habían visto el huerto del Centro Materno Infantil de Muketuri. En 2009 se organizaron los primeros cursos de agricultura para hombres y mujeres fuera del centro y se construyó una presa con la cual se puede regar el huerto experimental y dar de beber al ganado. En estos años se han excavado 11 pozos lo que ha permitido a 50 familias de campesinos cultivar cebollas, zanahorias, remolachas, espinacas, col, para el consumo familiar y también para la venta.
Para completar este trabajo y asegurar la buena alimentación infantil, dado las graves consecuencias que tiene la desnutrición en edades tempranas, propusimos a la población hacer un comedor llevado por las madres. Ellas construyeron una cocina local y se comprometen a traer la leña, cocinar, servir y lavar. Por su parte, el Ministerio de Agricultura, nos facilita sus instalaciones y nosotros aportamos la comida. Hemos confeccionado un menu de legumbres y verduras que aseguren un aporte calórico y proteico suficiente para un buen desarrollo.
La comunidad local está muy contenta, al igual que nosotros, de poder alimentar mejor a sus hijos. Esperamos que esta iniciativa se pueda replicar en otros poblados, y así, entre todos, conseguir que la población infantil que crece, se desarrolle plenamente para afrontar con Fortaleza y dignidad su futuro.
Lourdes Larruy
MCSPA
On the 16th of July, in the town of Kaikor, we celebrated the graduation of the 5th batch of trainees of the Furrows in the Desert. A total of 35 new farmers have completed the course and are now working in their own plots back home.
The second workshop for the members of the new Saint Isidore’s Turkana Farmers Association began, with a total number of 82 attendants for three full days with the aim of improving their ability to organise themselves, to encourage self discipline, to foster a team spirit, and to develop their sales and marketing skills.
This program seeks to encourage more families in Turkana to put into practice the new farming techniques taught to provide for themselves and to sell the surplus to meet the needs of others and themselves.
We also bade farewell to Gil, our farm manager, and welcomed Roy, his successor, accompanied by his wife Tikki; while Abdullah, one of our volunteers from South Sudan will be returning home to start a farming project there.
We extend our sincere gratitude to everyone who helped made this programme possible.
Fr. Albert Salvans
16 July 2015
