Field Work: Rainy Season and Growth

The week that I left Niger to return to Canada was the start to rainy season in Niger.  In fact, one of the villagers of Kongu called my director’s cell phone at midnight to report that the rain was falling and he was going to start planting his fields the next day!  Apparently he was so excited that he kept repeating “the rain is falling, the rain is falling, the rain is falling!!!”.  I’ve had a few midnight calls from various villagers – and though it disrupts my sleep, their news always “makes my midnight”!  (My apologies to Brenda who had to intercept this phone call . . . but I think the news “made her midnight” too.)

In Niger, we look forward to rainy seasons for many reasons:

1. it is the first moisture in 8-9 months (aside from the occasional mango rain)
2. it breaks the heat of hot season – though I personally prefer the dry heat of 48+ degrees to the humid heat of 35+ degrees
3. it brings new life and the hope of food for the next year

The villagers of Kongu have much to be excited about this rainy season – following the teaching of new planting techniques and the distribution of a new millet seed that we did in May. 

My teammates and I are also excited for this rainy season to see the fruit of labour that the villagers will put in to plant the new seed . . . to see their granaries fuller than ever before.  We have spent much time in prayer for the rains to come to the land of Kongu.  Traditionally, the rains arrive in Kongu two weeks later than in the capital city – the 10-25 km distance making a vast difference in their rainfall and growing capacity.

I would have loved to have been there this summer – to see the seed being planted and growing, but my teammates have sent me some wonderful pictures:

July
The new millet growing:                    Comparison – old to new millet seed:
 

In the picture on the right, you can see the comparison of the two millet seed varieties.  The new millet seed in the background, and the old/traditional millet seed in the foreground – barely growing and sparse.

August
My teammates visited three of the village areas in Kongu to survey the fields, the villagers are very excited for the harvest to come!
Kongu Gonga:


This is Abedi – he lives in Kongu Gonga (gonga = truth).  He is a Tuareg man, and the midnight caller . . . he was so excited about the new seed grain, he bought enough seed to plant all his fields with the improved millet seed!

He reports that a normal yield for his fields in an average year is 300-400 bundles of millet.  Last year, he harvested 30.  This year, if the rains continue, he estimates that he will harvest 1000!!!

Kongu Faldjam:
The new millet growing:                    Comparison – old to new millet seed:
 

This is Amadou standing in two of his fields – again comparing the new millet seed to the traditional millet seed growth.  It is amazing to see the difference and the hope that the new millet seed brings for a better harvest.

Kongu Golfumba:


This is Midou Boureima, one of the village committee members standing in his field of the new millet seed.  I love that he is smiling – the Fulani rarely smile for photos (it is a serious event!) – but here he is smiling in his happiness over his field growth!!

September
Kongu Golfumba:
Again, back in Kongu Golfumba which is the centre of the radius that encompasses all 10 of the Kongu village areas.  This is the land where the chief lives – here is his son Abdoulaye in his father’s field.



The new millet is looking good and almost ready to harvest!  However, it needs another 1-2 rains to finish the maturing process - there is a white powder on the heads of grain yet that needs to come off before they can harvest.  By all appearances, this new millet will be a bumper crop for this village who have not had a good harvest in 3 years!

Please pray that rain will continue in this village area.  This millet needs to come off the field!  As well, the traditional millet seed that most planted also still needs rain in order to grow and mature – it will not be ready for harvest until closer to October.
Finally, pray that both fields will harvest before locusts arrive.  Locusts in Africa are still a problem – moving from country to country.  In a normal year, the locusts will hatch in one country and fly to the neighbouring country – eating the fields on their flight – and then lay eggs there.  The next year, the locusts will hatch and then move on to the next country.

This year, however, there will be a second hatching of locusts as the rains came early in Mali – the country directly to our west.  This means, that the locusts will hatch around October and fly to Niger – just in time to eat the millet at harvest time. 

Due to the political instability in Mali, we first heard that no measures would be taken to control the locust nesting ground in Northern Mali.  However, recently we have heard that something is being done (will be done?). 

Our prayers now are two-fold:

1. that the efforts to eradicate the locust eggs in Mali will be effective
2. that the fields all across Niger will be harvested before any locusts which may hatch and arrive to eat the crops

For a history on the food crises in Niger, and the reason for our prayers and excitement that this new millet seed will harvest well, read this news article:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-17506421

Field Work: Training–Distribution

Following the field work training of two days – my teammates and I distributed, to all those who attended the training, enough supplies to plant one hectare (2.14 acres) of their fields.

The villagers of Kongu had indicated that they were reluctant to try the new millet seed – though they had heard the new seed was better, they considered it too great a risk to leave what they knew (even though they knew it was bad) for something unknown which could be better . . . or could be worse.  The seed grain that we provided allowed to plant with minimal risk and try the new seed, alongside the old millet type, to see for themselves the difference. 

Each of the villagers received:

• 5 kilo sac of the new millet seed grain
• 10 kilo sac of non-organic fertilizer
• 1 small packet of micro-dose pesticide

As we distributed this seed, we prayed that the rains would be good this year and the training we provided would prove to be a better harvest yield for Kongu.

We headed to the chief’s land for the distribution and the men of the village came in to retrieve their packages:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The sacks of non-organic fertilizer arrived in  

 

20 kilo sacs, so they needed to be divided

 

for the receipt of 10 kilos per villager.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photos Courtesy of Chantelle McIver

Unfortunately, as we unloaded the seed, we discovered that the supplier had buried into the load some sacks of old seed which was likely not even the new seed type.  As we were delivering close to town, we called the supplier and insisted on his replacing the sacks. 

The next morning, I headed out to the village with the millet sacks for grain delivery:



Then as I arrived back in town at noon, the new seed grain 5 kilo sacks were delivered to the office.  So, I loaded my truck back up, stopped in town for a lunch of rice and sauce and headed back to the village.  As they had all walked in that morning for their food delivery, I decided to head into the village myself this time to deliver the remaining sacks.

I dropped four sacks off at the first district out of town and headed to the toll booth to meet my guide for the trip out to the furthest village area, 25 km from the capital.  Thankfully, I had brought homework along with me – I waited at the toll booth for an hour, as he phoned me every 15 minutes to assure me that he and his bike were on the way!

He finally arrived and we were on our way.  We stopped at his hut first to drop off his sack and those of his neighbours.  Then it was off to Kongu Karibangu.  I was excited to be heading here, as I had not yet been to this village area! 

About half way there, my guide asked me if I wanted to drive the short-cut through the field or the longer route on the road.  As I could see the sun leaning towards sunset, I choose the short-cut.  Well, half way through the field, as we came down the lee-side of a dirt clod hill, I heard a loud POOOOOF!!  I pulled my truck over and sure enough – I blew my tire!

Now for those who have followed my blog from the beginning, you know that I
learned to change a tire for the first time in Niger.  Though I have changed a few flats in town since, as I stood in the desert far from town, 
and looked at this flat tire – I knew this was the reason that I persisted in learning this essential skill!  The last time I changed a tire, it took me 45 minutes . . . I was not looking forward to the task, but I knew I could do it. 


(It took my guide and I a record 15 minutes to change my tire that day . . . Praise the Lord!) 



The villager living in the huts for which we were aiming saw us stuck in his field and walked out.  By the time he arrived, we were ready to go and we drove slowly through his field to reach his hut.  His family warmly welcomed me with many smiles and the typical Fulani offer of warm milk.

He had not yet unloaded his sack of millet from the grain distribution and posed with the sack of grain for his family that month – along with the warm milk and millet mush drink that is a staple in the Fulani family.



I was then gifted with my first live gift . . . a pintade (wild guinea fowl) . . . which he tied down to the sand ladders in the back of my truck for the ride home!



As we were preparing to leave, the family wanted to know about the blown tire.  I explained that we chose to drive the short-cut through the field.  The were not happy with my guide and I explained again that I had been given a choice and that I had chosen to drive through the field.  My host then declared “Always the road Khadiza, you should always choose the road!”  He then climbed into my truck as well, to show us the road back as my guide was not 100% sure. 
 
We headed off down the “road” . . . more like a worn donkey cart trail in the dirt.  Until at one point my new guide indicated I should turn left – into another field which would connect us to the next road over.  As we drove through this field, my new guide declared to the first guide: “Now, you know the road”!!!  It was all I could do not to shake my head and laugh!  But, we made it through this field with no hazard and I headed back to the edge of town for my final delivery.

The next day, I inspected my tire and discovered that it was not even salvageable! 



I thank the Lord often for His safety and protection on the “roads” as I travel around the village!