Update JAnuary 2022

Summary of 2021 and plans for 2022

2021
The year was marked by COVID-19 but we managed to keep all basic activities up and running. Arne Ivar from Trondheim was on a day visit to the farm in September. Otherwise, no visits from Norway. 

The main consequences of COVID-19 on our activities:

• The Twa have struggled to survive, the microsavings account is empty and there is still  no possibility to save.
• Emergency aid in the form of food was distributed to the Twa in October and December.
• We increased our efforts to motivate the Twa to grow their own food on FRED’s FARM, and to take part in farmer training on FRED’S FARM. 
• The school was closed for 2.5 months. 

We managed the following:

• 😀The most uplifting in 2021 was that the number of Twa families who grew their own food on FRED’S FARM increased, from 12 to 38, and 30 participated in farmer training about looking after moringa. 
• 😀200 moringa seedlings were distributed to local farmers, in collaboration with local leaders. The school received 50 moringa seedlings. Unfortunately these died due to poor follow-up in the period the school was closed down. 
• 😀We have worked systematically to include the most vulnerable in the local community in our workforce, in addition to them receiving food from the farm. Several babies and toddlers have improved their health considerably and are now not defined as suffering from serious malnutrition. This is a direct consequence  of milk from the farm. 
• 😀All 47 solar powered lamps at the school were used by final year students.  
• 😀Established a trainee programme for school pupils . 
• 😀Planted 500 bamboo plants to reduce erosion and protect farmland. 
• Established the first phase of the DEMO PLOT, demonstration plot. 
• The dairy goats are in good health, there are more and they provide milk for children with the poorest nutritional status. We have not managed to start the breeding programme to improve the local goats’ milk production. 

Some statistics 2021

Employment	Primary beneficiaries, individuals
Permanent staff	14
Seasonal workers	5-10
TWA, mulching and watering	211
Interns from school	6
Fieldworkers	480
Employment (external)
Beekeeper,​Tree nursery, Benjamin	4
Maintenance	6
Farmers Invited
Farmers cultivating	14
TWA cultivating	38
TWA farmer training moringa	38
Farmer training moringa	20
Farmer training compost	193
Milk/food
Children receiving food	8
TWA families receiving food grown on farm	10
School
Use of solar lamps	120
Twa pupils supported	6
Medical treatment	17
Emergency aid(food)	60 families
TOTAL PRIMARY BENEFICIARIES	1422

Twa's beans planted on the Farm                         Work on the Farm

Economy
​We managed to balance income and the cost of our activities well in 2021. Due to COVID-19 only a small quantity coffee was available for sale in Norway, so income was primarily from donations. We prioritized providing work for as many as possible to give some income, initiating  work like bamboo planting instead of giving more emergency food. 

See annual report and annual account under Organisation tab for more information.

2022 

Main goals:

• To implement the interbreeding programme, between one of our dairy goat bucks and local female goats to increase milk production in the local goats. The goal is to provide a service for 200 female goats.  
• To continue farmer training and distribution of moringa seedlings to local farmers. Goal, minimum 200 plants. 
• To increase the number of Twa children who attend school, from 6 to 12. 
• To further develop the “Internship programme” at the school. 
• To maintain the number of Twa who cultivate food on FRED’S FARM.  
• To restart the microsavings account for the Twa. 
• To explore the possibility of establishing a moringa nursery for the Twa.
• To plant 50 new moringa seedlings in the kitchen garden at the school, for use in school dinners.

MORE DETAILS for 2022
In 2022 we are prepared for the uncertainty and restrictions COVID-19 imposes in Rwanda.  

Sustainable farming
“Start-up package”: we have an overall idea to offer local farmers a “start-up package” with animals and plants which are optimal in relation to available land, resources and nutrition.  

• Improve local goats’ milk production:  by breeding our purebred buck with local goats, the offspring will be more robust and produce more milk than a "standard" local goat.
  To implement this, we collaborate with our local vet and local leaders. It demands considerable organisation. This interbreeding programme will be started in early 2022.  
• Moringa plants to farmers: this was started in 2020, followed up in 2021 and will continue in 2022. This initiative has been very well received by both farmers, the vet and local leaders. We now have a good system for local production of seedlings with a local farmer. Farmers receive training from Jacques about how to care for their plants. 

Further develop the “DEMO PLOT”, demonstration plot, on FREDS FARM: the first phase to establish a DEMO PLOT was achieved in 2021 with altogether 140 tree saplings planted around the perimeter of the plot. We will further develop this area by planting annual and perennial edible, nutritious plants. We plan to invite school classes and farmers to visit this area to gain knowledge.
      
 Support the school/more children to school

• Plant 50 moringa seedlings in the kitchen garden at the school, and ensure follow up during periods when the school is closed. Moringa leaves can be used as a vegetable in the school lunch. 
• “Internship programme” will continue and be further developed. 
• “Lamp library”: we will evaluate the loan system to see if it has functioned as intended. 
• Continue to support the 6 Twa children who attend school. We endeavour to increase the number of children from 6 to 12 after the summer holidays. Our project covers the cost of the school uniform, the sandals, exercise books and pens. 120 Norwegian kroner supports one child for one year. As soon as the microsavings programme is reestablished, FRED’S FARM will cover half the cost of one pupil, and the Twa villagers the other half. 
• Treat “jiggers” and assess the need for follow up in the Twa village. This condition is painful and looked upon as shameful. Children with “jiggers” cannot attend school. Treatment of one child costs approx. 200 Norwegian kroner. 

  
Sustainable farming

• Include vulnerable people in our “day field worker” workforce. To identify these people we collaborate with the local leaders. Participating in farming activities on FRED’S FARM also provides an opportunity for learning. 
• Continue to motivate Twa and follow up the positive development to grow food on FRED'S FARM land. 
• Re-establish the microsavings programme in the Twa village.​

Cash crops: coffee and macadamia
To look after coffee plants and macadamia trees is labour intensive, so FRED’S FARM provides work for many. In the future the income from these cash crops will give income to FRED’s FARM project and cover most of the running cost. We are continually looking for better methods to care for these crops. 

Bamboo planting
The bamboo planted last year to stop erosion of farming land in the river valley bordering to FRED'S FARM. These plants require follow-up over the coming year to establish a strong bamboo belt along the river. Once big enough, bamboo can be used as a building material for the farm and we will look into the feasibility of establishing a small bamboo workshop. 

Picture- The six Twa children supportet by the project in their new uniforms, January 2022.
​

Thank you again for all the support to the project 😀

You can read about the project in SKJETLEIN school paper from december 2021

skjetlein_skole_avis.pdf
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