Kilimanjaro, TZ – Family uses best effort techniques – 30 July 2014

The MGA family garden has been one of the best exemplar gardens for Lishe Bora since the program started. The family was the first to start a garden and many other families have joined the program since seeing the success and benefits the MGA family has achieved.

The family has achieved success by being attentive when learning from Lishe Bora and proactive in implementing the best-effort techniques they learn. During the family’s most recent mentoring visit with Lishe Bora, Mary asked if the family was having any garden challenges they needed advice with. Mama MGA answered, “No, we know how to do organic gardening now.” While there is always more to learn and ways to improve, the family has achieved a higher degree of sustainability than other program members.

The Msaranga family garden.

Since starting the garden the MGA family has used the vegetables to feed the 8 children they care for and they have also sold the vegetables to earn extra money for school fees and other necessities. The family is now able to sell around 300-1000 TZS (USD $0.19-$0.62) per day of vegetables. Some of this money gets reinvested to grow the small kiosk the family runs.

The Msaranga family garden, with excellent relay planting.

Between saving money by not going to the market for vegetables, selling vegetables, expanding their kiosk, and getting assistance from their grown children, the MGA family has made the exciting progress of beginning to build a block house to replace the stick and mud house they currently live in. Often, building projects like this will take years to complete for families in Tanzania because everything is built with cash and cash flows are often unpredictable. The MGA family isn’t sure how long it will be until their house is finished, but they are praying that they will be able to finish quickly.

Garden shop manager Mary, left, during a mentor visit with Mama MGA. The blocks will be used to continue building the MGA family’s new house.

The MGA family is also in a group of families in Mkyashi who are organizing themselves to maintain a community-run water distribution system. It would be an amazing achievement and increase in standard of living for the family if they could finish building their house and get a water connection.