June 24th- Freedom Gardens

I woke up around 7am and hopped in the shower- the pressure was great and it was warm! I was prepared for the opposite, so I’m pleasantly surprised so far!

Also- the electrical adapters have worked just fine. Nothing blew up!

Korea Garden Lodge (We still can’t figure out why its called that) had a great breakfast! I had some bananas and toast. Krista and the other girls tried some eggs but I was just fine with my toast. We left a little before 9am for Freedom Gardens. Our bus driver is from Malawi Institute of Education in Zomba which is an upper level college that our program works closely with and we will spend a lot of our time. He drove to Lilongwe to escort us around town and will take us back to Zomba tomorrow.

We stopped at a gas station to pick up Absolon, who is from Lilongwe but recently graduated from Virginia Tech. I actually started up a conversation with him later in the day because I knew Mr. M had contacted him or his roommate. At first he didn’t remember, but the more I explained he remembered talking to Mr. M. Apparently he was on a listserv of international students and somehow Mr. M got his name and contacted him. They exchanged quite a few emails and even talked on the phone. I told him I was friends with Mr. M and he had told me all about him! He was adorable! I enjoyed talking to him. He asked for my email address, yet another African friend I have made. I’m hoping he will come meet us again when we are in Lilongwe on our way back home. Absolon knew the man who started Freedom Gardens and introduced Dr. Kelly to the family. Absolon knew the gardens very well and wanted to join us for the day.

It was about a 45 minute drive outside of Lilongwe but I loved every minute of the drive. There is so much to look at and observe. My favorite part is waving to the people walking on the streets. They usually look at the van but don’t wave or smile unless you wave first. Then their faces always light up and they wave back. I hope they think of white people as friendly people. The kids usually get really excited and jump up and down, dance, give thumbs up and enjoy the attention.

I feel so free here! The land goes on for miles and miles all around you and you can see the open sky and clouds. I have never been somewhere where I could see so much open land. You can look in the distance and enjoy the scenery for a moment and it feels as if all your worries are gone for that moment as you take it all in.

As we drove I also noticed that a lot of people seemed like they had nothing to do. In town and outside of town there are lots of locals just chilling. Many are walking or riding bikes but you will find people doing nothing. I think it’s the relaxed lifestyle, but I have to wonder if they have jobs?

I noticed a lot of “Malawi is Gun Free” “Stop Child Abuse” and “Arrive Alive” posters. America has a lot of the same issues. Even though it is the dry season, there was still a lot of vegetation. A variety of green plants along the roads and throughout the land. There was only open space if something was built there. We drove by many villages that were just off the road. We saw goats, chicken, dogs, donkeys, and some cattle. They were all village pets. I’m sure they eventually eat them. The soil was very red and at most of the villages there was a hole where they were digging to make bricks. I saw a couple fires and most of the shelters were the same. Either made from bricks, mud or sticks/straw. Some had straw roofs, some didn’t. Believe it or not, the huts and villages look just like in the books/movies.

There was no sign or anything we just pulled up and we were there. Very few village people know about this garden. They don’t advertise it because many people try and steal the crops. Mrs. Chinkhutha greeted each one of us as we got off the van. They had chairs for us and we sat down to listen. Absolon introduced Mrs. Chinkhutha and her son, Daniel who own the garden. Absolon knew Mr. Chinkhutha who started the garden. Mr. Chinkhutha wanted to make money so he left his family for this particular location because of the water. He wanted to grow food. This garden is 100% organic and doesn’t use any chemicals. Today people from Kenya, Sweden and all around the world come to see what a magnificent place it has become. They come to learn about the garden and hope to take the idea to their village so hopefully they can start their own sustainable garden. Unfortunately, Mr. Chinkhutha passed away last summer just a couple weeks after the group from last year visited. The advisors and everyone that knew him was still grieving and took a moment to pay their respects. Our advisor Jennifer said she had never been in the presence of a man as smart and wise as him. I could tell what an amazing person he was and I’m so glad to see his legacy living on. His son, Daniel was away at school but has come back to take over the farm. While the father didn’t have a degree, he was still called a Dr. because they believed he earned an honorary degree.

Mrs. Chinkhutha and her husband came in 1982 and when they got to the land, there was hyenas and all type of animals. No one had ever planted in swamp land. They spent the 1st 3 years draining and cutting down the swamps. Their first garden was 10 meters by 10 meters. Today the garden is 26 acres. The garden is primarily food and vegetables. They do not have any animals besides chickens and fish, so they do have to purchase manure for the soil. The great thing about the fish is they eat the Mosquito larva so that minimizes the risk of Mosquito diseases. They do not use pumps- the water comes from the river. The land already had reservoirs so they didn’t have to dig them. For compost they use leaves and flowers. Nothing is wasted. Everyone is planned out and used wisely.

Daniel stood up and told us he wanted us to make Freedom Gardens our first home before our first home. He knew we weren’t really getting to our final destination until tomorrow, but he wanted us to feel welcome here. We sure did! They also talked about how important it was that the family had complete agreement with nature. They worked with nature instead of trying to fight something that didn’t work. Another belief they pointed out was that this garden is life based not money based. Meaning that the purpose of the garden is to provide food for yourself and family to survive and it isn’t to make money and have a business. If you have this garden and all the food it provides there isn’t anything else you need. It’s also important to consider the coming generation. He is always thinking about the future. Over the years it has turned into a training center domestically and internationally. Daniel said to think of the garden as a farm but also a living thing and the garden must be fed and get water to survive.

Today the gardens sells their products to local hotels and markets. Mrs. Chinkhutha said she goes into town about once a week to bring products. In the very beginning the garden employeed more than 100 people. Today it takes about 15 workers and including themselves about 19 people total to run the farm. The workers can get paid in cash or food. School children often come and work for food. Since Mrs. Chinkhutha is a retired school teacher she said they do not let the children come during school. If they try to work during school they will make them leave. They can only work in the afternoon. Adults get 100 Kwacha a day and children make 10 Kwacha a day. 100 Kwacha is less than a dollar a day but is still considered a good job. They have a huge problem with people stealing crops. Sometimes workers steal it and sometimes people come in at night and steal bananas. Daniel said his dad was much nicer then he is about people stealing. His dad would just make them come work for the food they stole. Sometimes they did turn people in and they would go to jail but only for a couple days. David kind of laughed when we asked him what he did and said he would tell us later. I don’t know if he ever told anyone but I’m guessing they probably don’t steal from him again!

A man from Kenya was actually visiting the gardens for 12 days to learn about the system and he asked about how they felt about others copying their idea. They encouraged everyone and would be happy if people learned from them. Daniel pointed out that the majority of the people who are trained in agriculture usually work in offices. They don’t go to farms and use their knowledge to work. Daniel is a big believer in getting out in the farms and learning by trial and error. They are not trained in agriculture but I guarantee you they know more than any Agriculture professor in the US.

Someone asked if they produce as much as someone that uses fertilizer and the answer is yes. Once you see the pictures, you will understand. It’s unbelievable and sets an example for the entire world to follow. It would help feed so many starving people around the world. The garden is constantly changing throughout the year and they continue to learn what works and what doesn’t. Absolon suggested keeping pictures and records of the garden. It would be a great way to document the information and use it as a resource for others and possibly create a museum in the future. While this family is very wealthy and the farm has been great for them, they do not have a camera or any was to download or even develop film. This is something I feel we should make our job to be sure they find a way to get a record started. Daniel said he’s hoping to have Internet soon so that he can update their website. I’d love to find a way to get a camera to them and make sure they are able to use it. (Batteries, cords etc) Right now they use solar panels for their electricity and its working great. They have phones and even email addresses. So David and Mrs. Chinkhutha are considered very well off.

After listening to their story I understood some of it (they both spoke very good English) but I couldn’t picture the garden and didn’t know what made it so special. At dinner we were talking about how we were going to explain the garden and we know it’s impossible to be able to explain what we saw today but its such a great thing and I want others to learn about it! When I took their picture I told them they would be famous because we would go home and tell our family and friends about their garden and so many people would be learning from them. He loved the idea of being famous and seeing himself on the camera- he was very proud!

So finally we got to go on a tour and see the garden. We spent at least 3 hours walking through the garden learning about everything. I took some video of him explaining some concepts so hopefully those will turn out well. The farm has no pumps or generators, just trenches and gullies and it is able to irrigate the entire farm. The garden has everything; bananas, oranges, sugarcane, maize, cabbage, lettuce, cucumbers, curry plants, papaya, lemons, limes, strawberries, chamomile, onions, and many many more fruits and vegetables. They are even able to grow a significant amount of crops during the dry season when most villages don’t have barely anything. There is so much thought and planning put into every crop and location. They always have something to eat while they are waiting for another food. I asked Daniel what his favorite food was and he told me he enjoyed bananas, strawberries and cucumbers. As we walked by the cucumbers, we were able to taste some! Since it’s all organic it’s safe for us to eat. Nothing beats a home grown cucumber although some Ranch dressing would have been real good to go with it! Haha It’s hard to explain what the garden looked like ( I’ll let the pictures do that) and I honestly don’t understand how the garden system worked. It was beyond anything I could ever imagine. There were little trenches of water running throughout the entire garden and when they didn’t want water to go a certain path, they put clay/mud to block it and make the water to another direction. Without a doubt, the cleverest thing I have ever seen. I can’t believe that they came up with this on their own. They have it down to a science and they work with the dry and wet seasons rather then fight against it.

The father is the brains behind this project but they have 5 children. They have 3 daughters and 2 sons. Daniel’s is the 2nd youngest (He will be 25 on Nov 19th- I just might have to send him a birthday card!) and he has a little sister who is away at school along with an older sister. Two of the siblings are married and Daniel’s nephew, “Gift” stays on the farm with his uncle and grandmother. All of the children live close to the farm in Malawi.

There are 5 homes built on the property. The first 2 houses were the homes they grew up in and no one lives there. Daniel says it’s a part of history and no one can live there. One house was for the parents and the other was for the children. Daniel lives in his own little blue house and his mom has her own home and the last house is a guest house. They frequently have guests stay for days or even weeks at a time to learn/ study their garden. The workers mostly live in nearby villages but some stay in small shelters next to the houses.

After the tour we got to try some sugarcane. He taught us how to tear it and suck on it (you don’t eat it) and I asked him if they considered sugarcane a treat and he said to think of it as “juice in a tree.”
Next we got to have our first (and hopefully our last) authentic Malawian meal. The women picked the vegetables fresh this morning and it took the entire day to prepare our meal. First we learned the traditional way of cleaning your hands. The ladies held a bowl under your hands and poured warm water over your hands. Lunch was cooked cabbage, bananas, rice, chicken, cucumbers and a very traditional food enzima (a form of maize). Dr. Kelly said its not considered a meal unless they serve this. They covered the fruit salad because it was important that we eat that after we had lunch. I put everything on my plate and I tried everything. I’m glad I tried it all but I have no desire to try it again. Thankfully I brought some peanut butter crackers because Dr. Kelly warned us that most people would prefer something else.

We took some more pictures of Daniel and his mother and they were adorable. I loved Daniels little giggle. I hope I was able to get it on video. He really enjoyed seeing himself on the camera so I asked him if I could email him pictures. He said he would love that. He took about 20 minutes to write down all of his personal information on my note card. Name, address, phone numbers and email addresses. I guess I have no excuse not to get in contact with him! He brought out the guest book and the entire group signed it. We told him and his mother how impressed we were and that we would love him visit our country. I told him we didn’t have anything this impressive to show him. Someone laughed and said we could take him on a rollercoaster!

I talked with the man from Kenya who was visiting the gardens and he had actually been to Virginia Tech with a group of Kenya’s this past spring. He loved Virginia Tech and I enjoyed talking about some of the places we were both familiar with. I think he really wants to come back. In Kenya he is a lawyer and Dr. Kelly said it would be hard for him to come to Virginia Tech because we don’t have a law school. He said his passion right now is agriculture and he’s going to take ideas home from Freedom Gardens. He also asked for my email address, so now I just might have to go to Kenya to visit him! Just kidding mom!

We had some free time so I walked down with Daniel to the pond with some other kids because they wanted to try fishing. No such luck! Daniel said fishing takes patience and he claims he is still not very good at it. They have catfish and Tilapia in the ponds. He said he fishes about once a week on Sundays.

That reminded me to ask him about a typical day for him. He said on short days (least amount of sunlight) he wakes up at 5am and until 7am he spends checking the entire property and making sure nothing was stolen and finds out what jobs need to be done for the day. At 7am the workers arrive and he spends the day supervising. 6pm they close everything down for the day. From 7-8pm he spends the evening working inside and planning for the future of the garden. He said he is always thinking and planning for future projects.

I could have stayed there all day but it was time to go. I hugged Daniel and his mother goodbye! It was so great and hopeful to see something that can solve so many problems that was created by an African. Why do we think we are going there to teach, they have so much to teach us and the world! Agriculture has never been so interesting!

Very few locals know about this because they already have a big enough problem with stealing. I didn’t go to the bathroom at Freedom Gardens but I heard it was quite an experience. That means I probably need to be drinking more fluids (don’t worry mom, I’m on it!) but they got to go to the bathroom camping style!

After we left, Krista and I sat in the front of the van and got a front view of the villages on the way back. It was a little scary being in the very front going 100 KM on a bumpy road. But we survived! The mountains here are very different, they just pop up in random places out of no where. At home we are used to more rolling valleys but here you will see a mountain in the distance that is soo tall and pointy. As we drove by and waved at everyone I felt like a princess in parade because everyone was waving back! They would say something in Chichwa and Krista said they were saying “white people”.

We stopped in town for a little shopping. I saw my friends, James Bond and Chicken Legs again! We just looked around and then headed back to the lodge and were dying for some Internet time! Krista and I didn’t have electricity in our room so we meet everyone outside in the courtyard and worked on our computers. We look so silly because we can’t live without it. The Internet is free here so we are taking as much time as we can!

At dinner our server wouldn’t give us individual checks to we spent probably 30 minutes trying to figure out our bill. We decided we wished we had brought a mini calculator with us to help us with the conversions. Some girls didn’t bring alarm clocks and wished they had.

After I got back to the lodge (The power was back!) I realized how burned I am. My arms and chest are RED. I don’t have any sun from the summer yet so it’s a pretty bad burn. It’s kinda cool though, I got some African sun!!

I am having a great time! I’m loving every minute of it and each day I get more excited about the next day. Listening to the advisors talk about their experiences and people we will meet helps build the anticipation!

I’ve had really good and free Internet service in Lilongwe for the past two days. We are traveling to Zomba tomorrow and we stay there for the rest of our trip. The Internet cost money and we don’t think it will be as fast. Hopefully I’ll be able to post again soon….