Socio-Economic And Environmental Development Solutions (SEEDS)

Jul 05, 2018

Comments are off

Africa, Charity in Zambia, Donate to, Eastern Province Zambia, Elephants, environment, Non Gmo's, organic, Socio-Economic

Have you ever imagined having to sleep on a raised platform with a mosquito net so you could scare elephants away from your crops during the night?

It is quite a common practice that farmers in Africa will have plots of land quite far from where they live with their families. In Africa you may plant your crops anywhere to grow food, but if the government wants that land, then you have to move. Often people have to walk long distances to plant their crops and vegetable gardens near a water source.

Here is a post sent to me from our manager, Paul from Chipata, Eastern Province, Zambia.

Hey Joanne, As I said before that this week I had the opportunity to visit my family in Mfuwe. Have you been to Mfuwe before? ‘Mfuwe is the main settlement of South Luangwa National Park in the Eastern Province of Zambia, serving the tourism industry and wildlife conservation in the Luangwa Valley. It is located about 100 km west-north-west of Chipata (Chipata is where I live) Mfuwe has an airport with a 2.15 km surfaced runway capable of taking regional international flights. This village holds the record of the highest temperature ever recorded in Zambia with

42.8 °C (109.0 °F) set on 26 October 2011.’ [The above information is just for you know something about the place I’m talking about]

I was very happy to see some of my relatives after some good years. Our ‘ambuya’ (grandmother) among others was very excited to see me! My uncle, who’s a ‘Nduna’ (chief’s adviser) took me to his garden showing me what he has planted (sugar cane, vegetables, cassava, okra, ‘kalembula’ (sweet potatoes’ leaves for relish) and where he sleeps ( him doesn’t sleep home, he sleeps from his garden far away from home protecting his plants from being raid by the elephants). So every day after supper, he leaves going there with his touch. (Torch-Flashlight).

I remember him telling me that at one point when he delayed to go there, he met elephants on his way to the garden and he scared them with his touch and shouting making crazy soundings for animals to ran away! Lol. Everything I heard, saw & the chilled atmosphere at night made my stay enjoyable!! Here are some of the photos I’d like to show you.

This is the bed for him when he’s camping at the garden. He’s showing me how he sleeps.

35224873_1695039430587688_1447717021738336256_n

This is ambuya, (grandmother) she’s not very much well. She has diabetes, and therefore she’s a problem of eyes, she’s almost blind ( and that’s the main reason of me visiting them, because from the time I heard that she’s not feeling well, I couldn’t manage to go there). On the photo, those a little bit behind her are my uncle and my aunt but we address them as mummy and daddy.

This day I was being escorted. Those are my cousins apart from that young lady with a baby. She’s my sister in-law. It’s unfortunate that I wasn’t able to see any wild animal. I believe if I was there for some more days, I was going to. What of you, Have you ever seen them before?

Oh, yeah, I remember that you’ve seeing a lot of wild animals every time you come to Zambia, but I believe it’s not from here, Mfuwe!

Also there are a lot of wildlife Conservation Officers protecting the animals, especially the Elephants in that area.

Thank you Paul for sharing your life with us! God Bless!

This is Paul with his wife, son and two brothers.

There has been some success with planting or hanging chili peppers around your garden to keep elephants away as they don’t like the “hot” of the chili pepper.

Another option is to hang bee hives on a fence around your gardens as the elephants don’t like bees. That can be costly and you have to want to raise bees and to be able to care for the hives.