Disappointment

Today Mariko and Dangana went to check-up on our dry-season vegetable farming. I usually go on these visits too, as this project was part mine as well. This week, the new National Service person was to take my seat on the back of Dangana’s moto, so I was axed from the trip. To be entirely honest though, I wasn’t heartbroken. Heading out to field at 630am is not exactly my favorite thing to be doing.

Last week when we went to visit many of the seedlings were wilting and facing imminent death. The rains have officially stopped in the north now, and it appears that the farmers were not remembering to water. We spoke with the farmers and once again explained the importance of watering early each morning, and then in the evening. Even if they were busy with their harvest, they needed to take time to tend to their nursery.

This week, everything was dead. Dry season farming project: over. At least in this community, at least for now. We invested a lot of time into supporting the farmers. We invested seeds. The farmers pooled GHC20 and purchased more seeds and started a second phase of their nursery. Now, everything is dead.

What could we have done differently? Why couldn’t they remember to water?

The farmers cleared land for the nursery, tended the seedlings, cleared land for the farm, built a wall, invested their own money, and yet they couldn’t remember to water once harvest got busy.

So frustrating. So disappointing.

Last week: seedlings starting to wilt …