The promised field trip since October 2012, it was finally happened on April 11th.
My farmers were so grateful to have this trip to Mwese, for some of them might not even been to Mansa often times, or none.
Mwese is at northeast about 120 kilometer from Mansa. Plus we were from close of Samfya area, which is about 80 kilometer east from Mansa, that made this trip a good 200 kilometer one way long trip.
This little creek was only a little stream last October at my first time here......
Now water was fuller but milky, still good enough to wash dishes and pots happily.....
Water was way fuller in the fish ponds than in October, same issues as where we are in Makasa area......
These farms were actually has the furrows to have water zigzaging throught fields of vege garden, banana and pineapple farms and to the fish ponds......Very good planning.
vege nursary got it own mosqueto net.....
more farmers and ponds we had visited.....and all were in good planning for the water running to all areas not to depend on pumps.......
This hosting farmer has on his shirt printed "Obama"........In general, all Zambians are so proud of themselves for US President, Mr. Obama's father was from Kenya, "It is just next door from Zambia." they said....
DOF officers one from Samfya and one from Mwese, I knew them both since I was in Yasakwa....
My farmers were doing what they were told to do, "bring your own pencil and note book to take notes......" Good job done from all........I am so proud of them all.....
yet, another pond.....and another.....
At the end we passed this spot that there were a bunch of butterflies......I remembered in October there were a bunch in larger sizes butterflies than these ones, at this same spot too.....
On the way out of those villages, the bus went off the road and into the soft spot of mud.
Hmm......digging and shaveling....and adding twigs under the wheels......
and pushed frontward and backward.....
More than an hour after, we finally got out of it.......
Reason of been off the road??? "The driver was trying to avoiding run over a large snake and kill it......"
We were at this small country trail road, no other traffic, could we just stop to let the snake pass the road first??? Or the info I've got was not a real one......
Dr. Abila jokingly said, "Cheng, this is the second time running for your project and the vehicle got stocked." Not my fault, was it.....
We were still in the good time to have a stop at Yasakwa on our way back to Samfya......
But we stopped at Mwese for quite sometimes......and in Mansa, the bus had to refuel.......waited for more officers who I don't know that they wanted to see Yasakwa's function too.......
We left Mansa at about 17:00......
Picked up my old counterpart - Ba Martin Kasumpe at Mabumba.......he was still wearing the SJJ's hat that I gave to him way back......
My old counterpart - Ba Martin and current counterpart - Ba Maxim....
The pig pan's building material was provided by PLARD after my taxi accident.....
The piggy papa and mama......
The piglets.....
When we went through the gardens to the ponds, it was starting to get dark......
Plus somewhere near by there was grass burning already.....it is too early to burn those wet grasses....the smoke made the sky even darker........
The hosting farmer - Ba Bardnar was happy to show how he feed the fish and he was happy to see me again too......
Only time is getting late and sky is getting darker and darker........
We need to go.....for the driver had to take us another 70 kilometer to Makasa and Samfya than he has to take Mansa officers back to Mansa after........
At least, my Makasa farmers got to see how and what was the differences on the integration fish pond farming in Mwese, in Yasakwa and in our own Makasa area...
And all those fishes were way moe active than ours in Makasa, for sure...
A huge thanks to PLARD, to DOF Samfya, to Dr. Abila, to the driver, for making this trip happened. Truly appreciated, deeply and totally.
We all know that there will be a five day workshop for Makasa fish pond farmers plus fish pond farmers around Samfya is all ready to happen, but it just couldn't be happened in the month of April before I leave Makasa............
Well, the new PCV will enjoying it, the same as fruit trees around my post home.
My best wishes to all.
Cheng 4/15/2013
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