We are always working towards developing our campus so that one day it will be self-sustaining. We are constantly brain-storming ideas for how to do this! From agricultural projects and green energy, to micro-businesses and income generating projects – we have many ideas about how to achieve this goal.
Each of our programs gives us an opportunity to provide employment and economic incentives to members of our village community as well a means to educate our neighbors. We realize that our organization is a small part of our village and we take into consideration how each of our sustainability programs and projects might impact others in our area. We want to be good neighbors and stewards of our community.
Clean Water
In 2013 Kwetu Faraja was given a special donation for the purpose of digging a state-of-the-art well to provide for the water needs of our campus. Our well provides potable water, and is operated by a solar pump. In rural Tanzania, flushing toilets and running showers are nearly unheard of. We are so fortunate to be able to provide these services to our kids, staff, and neighbors. Clean water also makes a huge difference in the health of our children. In Africa, life without clean water means a constant battle with parasitic infections, schistosomiasis, and amoebic dysentery. Our well has eliminated these diseases from our community.
Agriculture Program
Our 35-acre campus is located on the shores of Lake Victoria. We currently have 10 acres of property dedicated to farming and a 2 acre vegetable garden. This agriculture program is part of our sustainability project – growing our own food so that we can rely less on purchasing from other sources. This way our funding can be used for needs that we are not currently able to provide for without assistance. Our agriculture program currently provides for 30% of our campus food requirements.
As we are able to expand our property and improve our farming efficiency we hope to one day provide 100% of our food needs.
The crops we grow in our fields are maize, potatoes, and beans. Our garden has dozens of types of fruits and vegetables, and dozens of fruit tree varieties have been planted so that one day soon we will be able to have an even more diverse diet for our kids.
Our children participate in all of the farming activities, learning about agriculture and the importance of growing our own food. Each activity on our campus is used as an educational opportunity so that our children have the tools needed to build a life for themselves and think outside of the box!
Tree Planting
We have a firm commitment to protecting our environment and being good stewards of the land we own. Kwetu Faraja started a tree farming program in 2013 to provide for future timber needs. The tree planting is arranged so that new trees are continually being put into the earth so that there will always be trees for the future. In addition to the 1,000 timber trees we have planted several dozen fruit trees and medicinal trees.
Milling Operation
In our village it is often challenging to find a place to efficiently grind grains. In 2015 Kwetu opened “Helen’s Posho” – our first micro-business, dedicated to grinding grains and teaching our kids new skills for life. Our mill provides fine grinding for flour, and rough grinding for removing the hull from rice. We are the only mill to provide the rough grind and the village is so happy to have this new service available. We continue to investigate how the rice hulls may be used for another important service – fuel for cooking!
Electricity
Kwetu Faraja is finally out of the dark! With the help of our generous donors we acquired the solar equipment we needed, and our friends at SonLightPower.org recently came out to our campus for the installation of the plant. Having electricity brings a new lifestyle to our campus: kids can study and night, we can introduce them to computers, we can show movies and listen to music, we can have better security at night, we can have communication with the outside world!
Future Projects
Milk Cow Project
Status: FUNDED
We need to have milk for our growing children. We located an agricultural college, and after a wait of one year, we received two pregnant cows, thanks to the generous donation of a Vermont couple and a church in Manhasset, NY. Our cows are named “Holy Cow” and “Congo.” Holy Cow gave birth to “Shirley Goodness,” in November 2015! Congo is due to deliver in March 2016.
Fishing Project
Status: FUNDED
One of the staple foods in East Africa is a small fish called dagaa, eaten with stiff porridge daily in homes throughout the region. These fish are caught at night using lanterns to attract bugs, which then attract the fish, which in turn are scooped up with huge nets. The fish are dried along the beaches and can then be stored long term. We are thankful to have our boat and fishing supplies funded. Our boat is being built and we will be ready for business soon!
Tractor Project
Status: Not funded
As we continue to increase our farm acreage, it is becoming more and more difficult to plow and plant our fields by hand. We currently are able to manage one or two crops a year, but with a tractor we could plant and harvest 3 times a year. Not only is a tractor a useful tool for farming, but also for maintenance of our campus – road repairs, control of our ditches, shelling maize… a tractor will bring us into a new way of farming!
Computer Project
Status: Not funded
Even in the most rural parts of the globe, technology is creeping in and it is so important to provide education about tools like computers and internet so that our kids are better prepared for their futures. With our coming electricity, we hope to install several computers to be used as an educational resource.
Hauling Vehicle
Status: Not funded
It seems that people always need to haul things in our part of the world – whether it be construction supplies, livestock, tons of grains to be taken to the market, or loads of people for transportation to funerals and weddings… A Hauling vehicle would provide us with another important micro-business opportunity, and would also be a great asset during our development projects.
Fish Farm
Status: Not funded
We hope to develop a tilapia farm on our campus so that we can have constant access to fish and to provide a more consistent diet to our kids. A tilapia farm would be a wonderful micro-business for our organization as we would be able to provide fish for our campus, and for sale in our village.
Library Project
Status: Not funded
Books are a rarity in our part of the world, and libraries are even harder to find. Our goal is to build a library on our campus that can serve our entire village so that we can provide educational tools to everyone who is interested. We are collecting books to have shipped in a container at some point in the future, and we look for funding to build the structure. Books can change lives, and we hope to make a difference in the lives of both children and adults in our community.
Secretary Shop
Status: Not funded
Our goal is to build a secretary/stationary shop where we can sell office supplies and provide typing and printing services in our village. Currently people have to travel for hours to get these services. This micro-business would make a big difference for Kwetu and for our village.
Tailoring Shop
Status: Not funded
Busy, active children are always in need of new clothes or repairs to torn clothing. And each January there is a mad dash to get new school uniforms for the hundreds of pupils in our village. Setting up our own tailoring shop would provide services for our community, and would also be an excellent teaching tool for our kids. A person who knows how to sew can find meaningful work, and can make their own clothes! We have a graduate of Kwetu Faraja who is an excellent tailor and is ready to take on students. He just needs a shop, supplies, and he is ready to go!
Palm Oil Press
Status: Partially funded
We have a palm-oil tree grove on our property and are looking at ways to utilize the fruit to its greatest potential. Currently we are able to make our own cooking oil by hand but it is highly inefficient. A palm fruit press would help us speed up production and would also provide a learning opportunity for our boys.
Rabbits Project
Status: Pending
Our boys need more protein in their diet. A donor has suggested we raise rabbits for meat. A pair of breeding rabbits can produce 150 pounds of meat a year. We need three pairs of breeding rabbits, hutches and supplies for all the rabbits. A rabbit breeding program would enable our boys to learn responsibility, animal husbandry, and would allow hands-on learning of biology to supplement their education.