Good Work of the Year

Greetings all.

I am currently in Maradi and enjoying a much needed rest. Since returning to Dan Saga everything has been on the go go go and all my efforts are focused on preparing my tree nursery for the upcoming year.

The hammock is hung, the dirt is being turned, materials are accumulating and my passion for agriculture is only intensifying with each new day of work in my peppenaire.

Yippee!!!!! I feel all giggly thinking about it

Last week my focus was on fencing, I repaired some spots in the old portion of the nursery, and then put up a 35 meter chain link fence to create an area reserved for animal management and manure accumulation. The work was fun and took much less time than I thought it would, there is an expression that many hands make less work so luckily with the help from my friends and about 50 kids just hanging the job was done and I hardly even had to work.

I have upper management written all over me.

Due to how I built the fence a recurring theme from last year has already resurfaced " Nazifi that's not how its done", but then again after the fence was finished we looked at our work and then I heard Hey Nazifi, that's the way! I never tire from hearing that.

It’s the beginning of February, and by the end of next month I need to have the nursery up and going its going to be a lot of work but I am having the time of my life lounging about and using my imagination to create something unique and a benefit for the future of Dan Saga.

By applying lessons learned from last years work and integrating Permaculture concepts the pre-rainy season task will be to transform a discarded parcel of turf generally used for a short cut path and place for kids to number two, into a fully integrated multipurpose area used for animal production, gardening, medicinal forest garden, orchard, and nursery.

Last year my focus was to establish a Sahelien Eco Farm and show farmers a different approach to managing their fields. This year my goal is to continue integrating these concepts to willing farmers, but also focus my attention on establishing food security and diversity within the confines of individual homes or small scale fields within the village. It is essential to find a way to maximize land use and water management in locations closer to available water and available maintenance.

This years work will be a lasting impression of the benefits of giving this white guy two years with nothing but time on his hands and the conclusion of a dream that started decades ago when a young boy dreamed of living in the bush of Africa.

Nothing could make this existence better.