Utete, TZ – Garden shop expands planting area to earn income and supply school breakfast – 15 Apr 2016

The KCM Success Group garden shop has started cultivating previously unused farmland in Kindwitwi for the purpose of selling vegetables for income and providing vegetables to a local kindergarten for school breakfast. Currently the shop is providing 2 days of breakfast per week for the sixty students.

At the edge of Kindwitwi a natural hot spring forms a pond. However, without a pump there is no way to irrigate large portions of land. Additionally, the water level of the pond changes with seasons so planting at the water’s edge is risky. Thus, the land has remained uncultivated for years.

The KCM Success Group decided to try cultivating the land with the help of a pedal-powered pump. Since starting the new project in October they have built 72 garden beds, each 8 meters by 1 meter. They are continuing to add 6 new beds each week. Their goals for the land are:

• Increase financial self-reliance by selling vegetables
• Provide daily vegetable breakfast for Kindwitwi Kindergarten
• Demonstrate to families how farming near the pond can be profitable
• Create market opportunities for families to “bundle” their vegetables with KCM sales

In addition to providing vegetables for school breakfast the KCM garden shop has also been selling vegetables. In the last 6 weeks they have sold 61 kg of vegetables for 36,700 TZS (US $17.48). This is far from their harvest and sales goals, but it is a promising start as they continue to expand the farm.