Build-A-Garden

Finally - the apex of our training .... building a key-hole garden!!

There are many levels to the key-hole garden.  The first step is using those huge rocks the ladies carried in on their heads to build up the border of the garden.  The straw grass mat forms a circle in the middle - and this basket holds the compost in the middle of the garden - dirty water can be poured into here and the water and nutrients filter out through the straw mat and into the garden!!  In this way, the vegetables that need the most water are planted in the centre and those that need less water to the outside ... and the need to water the garden with a lot of water is reduced.  Which is key in the desert - as there is not a lot of water!!

The base of the garden is filled with sand.

Then, we lay down millet stalks into the base.

Following this is now another layer of sand.

                

Next a layer of ashes - and then manure.

Another layer of millet stalks and rushes or hay.

The village girls had a fun time jumping on the garden to tamp it all down!

... because really, if you're going to jump - why not make a dance out of it?  Any excuse to dance when you're a young girl!

This small garden now needs to sit and be watered .,.. soak up all the goodness and break down those layers for a good base before we can plant the seeds.

The women helped us build this one garden - to learn the process - and before we left, they made work party plans to help each group of huts build their own as well!  In two weeks, we will go back and teach them how to plant the vegetable seeds!