Second letter from Africa.
It's two weeks today since we arrived in Karonga and we've had so many new and interesting experiences it feels like months!
Saturday 22nd Sept. was a big day for us. We were handed the keys of the new vehicle which was purchased for us - its a white Toyota Hilux dualcab with a fibreglass canopy and a very effective air conditioner - a must out here! Later in the afternoon we moved out of the hot little donga into a spacious new home we will be sharing with another couple until the end of the year. C and K invited us to share it with them weeks before we left Australia. They are a nice, young, laid back couple and we all get on fine together. We have a big bedroom and our own bathroom and there are still two extra rooms and another bathroom for visitors. C and K spend most week days up at the exploration camp and just come down for weekends. They are presently in WA for break so there hasn't been a lot of overlapping yet!.
Last week we were invited to a meeting at the Karonga District Office to meet with Chief Karonga and about 30 village headmen and chiefs, all dressed in suits and ties (Yes, Chris packed a tie for such occasions!). We were given an opportunity to talk about what we will be doing and then a number of the leaders responded by welcoming us and offering what ever assistance we might need. They said they would work out a schedule for us to visit all of their villages - this will really help us to get a good overview of what is currently happening in the area.
The next day we went with a young man from the Agricultural Department to look at three irrigation projects. The first one is a lake canal system which has not been sucessful because the water level in the lake fluctuates and the waves have silted up the entrance. The government is looking at installing a pump and tank for gravity irrigation using water from the dam that has formed behind the silt bank. The second project is an amazing success - 365 hectares of rice padis being gravity irrigated through canals from a river. The beautifully productive green land stands in stark contrast to the surrounding parched and dusty countryside. The third project we saw was also well set up but not running to its' full potential because farmers using the ten hectare area are not working together. Our day ended with a visit to a farmer who is trying all sorts of innovative ideas and sucessfully running his land organically. He propagates fruit trees and we're interested in buying his grafted citrus trees for wet season planting in the villages.
This last weekend was a lazy one for us - as Chris pointed out, the first time we've really been able to stop for many months. I baked bread and a chocolate cake - my way of relaxing and feeling more at home in our new location!!
This week we had the first two days back up at the construction camp. We helped the environmentalists by collecting and potting small plants from the area where one of the tailings dam will be situated. Later on these plants (if they survive!) will be used to rehabilitate the area. It was fun though I kept an eye out for snakes!
If you get a chance to write a few lines we'd love to hear from you.
Chris and Anne
It's two weeks today since we arrived in Karonga and we've had so many new and interesting experiences it feels like months!
Saturday 22nd Sept. was a big day for us. We were handed the keys of the new vehicle which was purchased for us - its a white Toyota Hilux dualcab with a fibreglass canopy and a very effective air conditioner - a must out here! Later in the afternoon we moved out of the hot little donga into a spacious new home we will be sharing with another couple until the end of the year. C and K invited us to share it with them weeks before we left Australia. They are a nice, young, laid back couple and we all get on fine together. We have a big bedroom and our own bathroom and there are still two extra rooms and another bathroom for visitors. C and K spend most week days up at the exploration camp and just come down for weekends. They are presently in WA for break so there hasn't been a lot of overlapping yet!.
Last week we were invited to a meeting at the Karonga District Office to meet with Chief Karonga and about 30 village headmen and chiefs, all dressed in suits and ties (Yes, Chris packed a tie for such occasions!). We were given an opportunity to talk about what we will be doing and then a number of the leaders responded by welcoming us and offering what ever assistance we might need. They said they would work out a schedule for us to visit all of their villages - this will really help us to get a good overview of what is currently happening in the area.
The next day we went with a young man from the Agricultural Department to look at three irrigation projects. The first one is a lake canal system which has not been sucessful because the water level in the lake fluctuates and the waves have silted up the entrance. The government is looking at installing a pump and tank for gravity irrigation using water from the dam that has formed behind the silt bank. The second project is an amazing success - 365 hectares of rice padis being gravity irrigated through canals from a river. The beautifully productive green land stands in stark contrast to the surrounding parched and dusty countryside. The third project we saw was also well set up but not running to its' full potential because farmers using the ten hectare area are not working together. Our day ended with a visit to a farmer who is trying all sorts of innovative ideas and sucessfully running his land organically. He propagates fruit trees and we're interested in buying his grafted citrus trees for wet season planting in the villages.
This last weekend was a lazy one for us - as Chris pointed out, the first time we've really been able to stop for many months. I baked bread and a chocolate cake - my way of relaxing and feeling more at home in our new location!!
This week we had the first two days back up at the construction camp. We helped the environmentalists by collecting and potting small plants from the area where one of the tailings dam will be situated. Later on these plants (if they survive!) will be used to rehabilitate the area. It was fun though I kept an eye out for snakes!
If you get a chance to write a few lines we'd love to hear from you.
Chris and Anne
Labels: News fm Africa
posted by Chris & Anne Mattinson @ 3:44 AM
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