Latest developments - VERY EXCITING

Agriculture College

Terry is particularly excited by this new development. In July this year he said good-bye to his colleagues and the pupils at Stratford High School to step into a new role in Hope and Kindness. This is a step of faith for Terry and Judi as well as Hope and Kindness. Terry will be giving up his salary and will be working as a volunteer for Hope and Kindness based in Kosele. Farming God's Way will play an important part in Hope and Kindness's plans to start an Agriculture College for pupils who finish primary school in November. Hope and Kindness will support pupils who achieve at least a B+ in their Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) by sending them onto High School for their secondary education. This is a very tough target, and a number of pupils will not reach it. The Agriculture College that will start in January 2012 will provide high quality vocational training in agriculture and business for the primary school leavers who don't make it to High School. Kosele is a rural community and desperately needs well educated and well motivated young people to increase agricultural productivity and food security. Terry will be in Kosele during October and November this year setting up this new course. He will spend most of 2012 in Kosele making sure the new Agriculture College gets off to a good start.

Ending Hunger - Farming God's Way

For Hope and Kindness, being able to take practical steps to end poverty and hunger is one of the most satisfying things about working in Kosele. Everyday many families in Kosele will go hungry because they have not been able to grow enough food. Poor families cannot afford to buy the good quality seeds and fertiliser that would reduce the number of days that they go hungry. Climate change adds to the problems that farmers face in Kosele. The long and short rains used to be predictable enough to guarantee a good harvest twice a year. Now the rains are frequently unpredictable and end before the crops have matured.

This year Hope and Kindness has been able to start an important new farming project – Farming God's Way. Since January approximately three and a half acres of good farming land have been bought by Hope and Kindness. Farming God's Way is an 'environmentally friendly' method of farming, first developed in Zimbabwe. Unlike the traditional methods of farming used around Kosele Farming God's way does not involve ploughing the land. Instead holes are carefully dug in evenly spaced rows. Once the field has been prepared in this way fertiliser and seeds are then placed directly into each hole. Once the holes have been covered over the whole field is covered with the dead stalks and leaves from the previous season's harvest. This mulch acts as a protective covering against the torrential rain that strips top soil from the fields and holds moisture from the rain so that it is released slowly to the emerging crop. Results from Zimbabwe have shown up to a ten fold increase in the yield from fields farmed God' Way.

You can read more about develpments with Farming God's Way by clicking here.

Land purchased ....... We have just bought some more land which will help us to realise our dream of becoming self sufficient in food and encouraging our youngsters to view farming as a realistic (and extremely valuable) occupation for their futures.

Planned visits to Kosele ....... Terry will be in Kosele until December 2nd

Read Terry's blog

Ian and Hilda are in Kosele NOW!

(Read Ian and Hilda's blog)

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