80 of our IGA mums have been prevented from working their agricultural project by the Covid-19 travel restrictions – badly affecting their family income. But all is not lost…
Our IGA department currently manages farmland and rice fields that we acquired in nearby Himuntu two years ago. The rice fields were being used to grow rice to support the school.
Prior to the coronavirus lockdown, the farmland was being utilised by eight different groups of ten IGA mums (80 in all) who – under our IGA team’s supervision – were able to grow maize and beans to earn extra income for their families. But this year, coronavirus restrictions have meant they couldn’t travel to the farm.
Well, our IGA department wasn’t prepared to see the land sit idle – and alternative plans were put into practice.
So, in addition to continuing to grow three and a half acres of rice for the school, the IGA team has utilised a dozen or so local people in Himuntu to grow an acre of watermelons, four acres of green peppers and three acres of potatoes.
Some of the proceeds from these crops will be provided to the mothers to partially replace their lost earnings from the agriculture project.
According to IGA manager Moses, the restrictions have made it extremely challenging to access enough labour, meaning that IGA staff have needed to sleep at the farm to ensure the success of this alternative plan.
