(please see photos below the report)
 

Introduction

I. Veggietunnel installation

  * Soil Preparation

  * Planting

II. Community Participation

III. Budget

Conclusion and Recommendations

Introduction

A community based training took place from the 18th of September to the 24th of September. The community members that took place in the "veggie-tunnel horticulture production and micro gardening" were 6 people from 'Okahandja Park Block D' and 4 agriculture teachers from the Dr. Frans Aupa Indongo Primary School. This community project was called the Faan Bergh Winckler Project with the falling aims:

  - To install a Veggie-tunnel at the school

  - To train 6 community members from Okahandja Park Block D and 4 agriculture teachers from the Dr. Frans Aupa Indongo Primary School to manage the tunnel

  - To commission the tunnel for the soup kitchen at the school for the benefit of the school learners who are part of the community

  - To monitor the tunnel efficiency (community members that were trained, on a monthly basis)

  - To train the agriculture teachers in managing the veggie-tunnel with the learners

  - To make this is a pilot project in this community

I. Veggie-tunnel installation

The 1 veggie-tunnel that was set up was done with the latest development in the concept of  'caging' to make the tunnel standing without stay wires.

  * Soil Preparation

The veggie-tunnel uses building sand which is without disease as this sand is sterilised. The sand was later put into the 8L planting bags. A total of 550 planting bags were placed in the tunnel. The learners got involved in the process of filling these bags as well.

  * Planting

After the soil preparation the tunnel was planted with summer seeds: Peas, Tomato, Carrots, Spinach, Spring Onions and Chinese Cabbage. This planting was a practical learning experience for the community students and the Frans Indogo learners. They filled the bags and planted the seeds under the guidance of the trainer.

The seeds were planted with a mixture of seedling mix and bounce back fertilizer. After the planting the planting bags were watered to the correct standard.

II. Community Involvement

The community will benefit from the veggie-tunnel training that in the following way:

The supervisors that were trained in the skills of veggie-tunnels will train a 100 families in getting a table garden going of their own. Each family will receive 20 planting bags.

The table gardens will benefit them in producing vegetables for their households as they are having challenges in securing enough food for the families. The table gardens will not address this problem in full, but will be a way to provide vegetables for their families.

The supervisors will also receive their own table gardens.

Each person receiving a table garden will collect his or her own sand for planting at a designated point and will also setup his or her own table structure with materials they can easily get.

Each community member receiving planting bags will also receive seeds, fertilizer and seedling mix. This will be enough for one planting cycle.

III. Budget

The total budget that was spent on the veggie-tunnel and table garden implementation was an amount of N$50 391.60. This was mainly for the purchasing of the materials to setup the tunnels, seeds, fertilizer, tools for gardening, soil and the table garden kits for 120 families which includes the supervisors.

The beneficiaries of the veggie-tunnel will be the community of the Okahandja Park Block D and their children at the soup kitchen program of the school. The project will be under the supervision of the 6 supervisors that were trained in the management (watering, planting and caring) of the table gardens and the school's veggie-tunnel.

Conclusion a Recommendations

The students will continue implementing the skills learnt as they will be receiving further mentoring and monitoring from the Course Trainer.

The training came to an end on Thursday the 24th with a small ceremony and the handing over of certificates. Two student made it as Trainers of Gardeners (TOG).

A special thanks to the Faan Bergh Winckler Group that sponsored the project so graciously.

Emmanuel Muyumba

Trainer of Trainers in Organic Horticulture

+264813899866

 PO Box 4774

 Windhoek

 Namibia