Peter Kawinga Family Farm Livelihood Development Project
Blantyre, Malawi

Posted July 28, 2007

On October 4, 2006 my wife Bev and I visited Peter Kawinga and had a tour of his hillside garden/farm on the edge of Blantyre Malawi. On my Travel blog I wrote this:

The hours are moving quickly towards sunset and we have two more stops to see a four acre vegetable farming project at Peter Kawinga’s that LifeNets is interested in helping become self-sufficient by providing treadmill pumps and fertilizer for the first round. We got there as the sun was beginning to set and saw the work that he done in preparation for November which is planting time. Being on the side of a mountain he was able to build a reservoir for collecting water that he can then pump up to the garden.

Since that time we have been able to finance the cost of treddle pumps that are shown below to bring water up from a reservoir that he has made.  We also helped with inputs of seed, fertilizer and pesticides.  Also a wheelbarrow, sprayer, shovel, pick, hammer etc.  We will be providing cement to strengthen the dam. The dam washes out from time to time because of the rain. It happened again this past spring.

This project makes it possible to plant twice this year.  The aid we have provided will make it possible for him to be completely self-sufficient by providing for the family's food needs and selling excess on the market for cash.

- Victor Kubik

Treddle pump brings water from dam up to garden farm The dam as Vic and Bev Kubik saw it on October 4, 2007 During the 2007 rainy season the rains washed out the dam. We are going to provide cement to shore up the dam walls to prevent this from happening again. When the dam washed out, the treddle pump was brought back to the house. Bev examining the potential farm project which now a reality

The first crop of 2007 was excellent! Before the treddle pump water had to be brought up by buckets to irrigate the garden Bountiful produce The Peter Kawinga family Mr. and Mrs. Kawinga and Victor Kubik