CONDOGARDEN TRAINING AT AYAT CONDOMINIUM (49) RESIDENTS AREA 19-21 JULY 2016 ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA
Introduction Condogarden training was jointly organized by the Home gardens Network of AKLDP project and one of the network members Conovation Plc. The AKLDP, which is part of Feed the Future, the United States Government s global initiative to reduce poverty and improve food security and nutrition leads the Home Gardens Network. The Network promotes availability and consumption of vegetable and fruits at household level through information sharing meetings, field visits and trainings. After the first permagarden training given to SOS Village the network jointly organized the second training with Conovation Plc to condominium gardeners to promote urban gardening. Conovation Plc is Hybrid Company established in January 2015 by passionate and visionary entrepreneurs to unleash the potential of entrepreneurship and assist the growth of businesses with top entrepreneurship and business development service provision. Berhau Gebremichael, general manager of Conovation Plc, initiates the idea of condogarden after he took the permagarden ToT given by AKLDP and TOPS. The training was given for the first time at Ayat condominium chaffe site from 19 th 21 st July 2016 for 15 participants, three women and 12 male who already have a traditional garden at their home. Three trainers Berhanu, Mestawet and Waltenegus covered the technical part using permagarden toolkit. Aberash from Conovation Plc and Tilahun from AKLDP facilitated the training. The training focused on improving and maintaining soil fertility, making and using compost, ash and other amendments; biointensive planting and managing pests and diseases. The component of the training is summarized on the table below.
Training Agenda Time Day One 19 th July 8:30 9:00 Participants Arrival, Registration and Opening 9:00 10:30 Introduction Overview of Permagarden Needs of plants and people Resilience The home-asset dialogue 10:30 11:00 11:00 Community resource walk and 12:30 talk Landscape mapping Day Two 20 th July YIP and Reflections Garden design and layout Local soil amendments Making Compost Health Break Bio-intensive soil preparation Double digging 12:30 1:30 Lunch 1:30 3:00 Garden site assessment Bio-intensive soil preparation Site clearing Double digging (cont.) Day Three 21 st July YIP and Reflections Bio- intensive seed spacing and planting Plant Health Pest and disease control Plant fertility and fertilization Crop rotation and garden maintenance Garden walk-through and review of all steps 3:00 3:15 Health Break 3:15 4:30 Water control and conservation Fencing or Protection Next steps, evaluation and Water management strategies closure
Day One The morning session of the first day training was commenced by registration of participants. Berhanu welcomed all the participants to the second week of training as they were in entrepreneurship training before the condogarden training. He then outlined the three days training program and invited Mestawet to introduce herself for the trainees. Participants were requested their expectation and fear of the training then it was summarized and posted on the wall with the ground rules. It was understood that the soil is very wet when participants shared their knowledge and experience they have on gardening activities. 1. General overview of Permagarden The trainees were briefly informed about the following facts of permagarden method: Permagarden combines permaculture and bio-intensive agriculture to create a highly productive garden using a very small piece of land. It is designed to work in both the rainy and dry seasons It can be done using locally available materials It is an approach to home gardens that improves soil fertility, water management, and inputs to produce nutritious crops year-round. The four structures and goals of permagarden: Nutritional, Economic, Ecological and Social method were discussed in brief. The needs of plants and people were explained in order to show them that the two creatures need the same basic elements. Tomato and a small ball were used to show the concept of resilience. After the coffee break participants were asked to list out assets they have at their home then they were grouped in to three and told to go in different direction for community resources walk and talk landscape mapping. Participants returned after 30 minutes and presented the valuable resource they have got that is important to gardening. 2. Garden Site Assessment and Clearing After the lunch break in the afternoon session, participants were learned the importance of considering the critical elements of plants need: the direction of sun light and wind as well as water supply for site selection. Two sites were given for participants to select based on the plants needs then they choose one site and started clearing of rocks, weeds and other debris using farm tools (hoes, rakes and shovel). Water control and conservation management strategies were also discussed.
Fig 1: Site assessment and Clearing Day Two The second day morning session was started by recapping the first day s lesson then videos about vertical farming, bio intensive farming system and small household composting was showed to the participants. 3. Compost preparation As compost is essential to build up the soil s fertility, to improve its water holding capacity and to promote plant health, trainees were showed how to prepare it using locally available materials. The compost preparation training was given by Mr Walta and his co workers. Locally available resources like animal dung, ash, charcoal dust, kitchen waste, crop residue and leaves were collected by the trainees before the preparation. The steps of compost preparation demonstrated in the training were as follows: 1. The first layer was formed by putting small stones on the ground and added one meter long tree cuttings on the stones that is essential to compost aeration, the air needed for microorganisms to move and respire and to digest organic waste loaded. Like most living things, the bacteria that decompose organic matter, and the other creatures that make up the compost ecosystem need air. 2. Dry plant leaves and grass chips, straws and corn stalks were added on top of the first layer. They are Carbon ingredients:-microbes use carbon as an energy source. Usually dry and brown or yellow in color. High-carbon ingredients are called browns.
3. Kitchen wastes like food remains, vegetables, and potato and onion peelings were then applied on dry grass chippings, Ingredients are green, moist plant matter, such as leaves, or an animal by-product, such as manure. Microbes need nitrogen for the proteins to build their tiny bodies. These ingredients are called greens, 4. A mixture of ash and charcoal was added on the green load of compost layer. We performed our compost formation following the procedure brown (dry materials) carbon ingredients, greens (green kitchen waste) nitrogen waste and old compost or top soil. 5. Finally the compost pile was showered as compost microbes need the right amount of water. Too much moisture: - reduces airflow and temperatures which leads to a bad smell. Too little water: - slows decomposition and prevents the pile from heating. Fig 2: Compost preparation 4. Bio-intensive soil preparation and Double digging After lunch break at the afternoon session the trainees were informed and showed the importance of constructing and using A-frame to identify the contour line and to determine the flow of water. The trainees started Bio-intensive soil preparation to the 2m by 1m created bed. The bed was divided by 40cm segment and dug 30cm deep that allows closer plant spacing and growth of root deeper, then top soil was removed to loosen the subsoil and amend with compost, ash and charcoal dust.
Fig 3: A Frame Construction Fig 4: Double digging and soil amendment
Day Three 5. Bio- intensive seed spacing and planting The trainees started planting seedlings of kale, pepper and white onion using triangular spacing method with 15 and 20cm spacing between the seedlings. Subsequently the bed was covered with dry grass in order to maintain the moisture and lessen the growth of weeds. Plastic waster bottle irrigation method was also demonstrated to slowly add water directly onto the roots of the plant. Fig 5: Bio-intensive planting and mulching 6. Protection Biological pest and disease control mechanisms were discussed briefly. In order to protect the garden from livestock, people and wind, the trainees collected discarded plastic bottles and constructed a fence. Fig 6: Fencing
Conclusion Unlike most condominium sites, Chefe condominium site has an ample of free spaces and resources that are not being used by the residents and this training helped the participants to realize this. The participants appreciated the training and mentioned that this training improved the knowledge and skill they have. Except the rain that interrupts the practical session, it was a very successful training; please see the satisfaction survey below. The participants were very active and keen and amazingly they were applying what they learned into their garden after the daily training session. Satisfaction Survey The evaluation consists of seven items. 1. Improving their Knowledge - all of them has agreed it has greatly helped them to learn about home gardening from the training. 2. Importance of the Issues Raised - all of them strongly agreed on the importance of the points discussed and practical issues. 3. Practicing the Knowledge Gained - except one participant who is neutral, the rest indicated that they can put the knowledge gained into practice and use. 4. Participatory Approach of the Training - all have agreed it was participatory. 5. Effectiveness of the Conceptual Presentations - except one participant, the rest have indicated the effectiveness of the conceptual presentations. 6. Effectiveness of the Practical Demonstration and Engagement during the Training - all participants strongly agreed the practical sessions were effective. 7. Satisfaction on the Training - all agreed that they have been satisfied very much. 8. Timing Allotment - except one, the rest strongly agreed they had enough time and the time was sufficient. 9. Logistics and Venue - all of them strongly expressed their satisfaction on the services provided to them in the venue and refreshments. All in all, the feedback from the participants at the end of the training was positive and encouraging. The only issue of concern was the training materials which could not be provided to them for the toolkit was not translated. Therefore, we strongly recommend the training manual to be translated in local language.