Life after Ebenezer with Cuthbert Dube

Cuthbert Dube

You’ve been at Ebenezer for almost two years now and you’ll be graduating this week. What have been the

Highlights:
1. I’ve learnt how to farm
2. I’m equipped spiritually
3. I know how to start a business

Challenges:
1. I didn’t find anything challenging at Ebenezer.

Tentative Prospects for 2011:
I’m hoping to make it into the graduate programme. If I don’t, then I’ll go home and rewrite my O levels.

By Molly Manhanga

Life after Ebenezer with Mcebisi Ncube

Mcebisi Ncube

You’ve been at Ebenezer for almost two years now and you’ll be graduating next week. What have been the

Highlights:
1. I’ve learnt how to worship God
2. I’ve learnt how to be a serious farmer
3. I enjoyed playing games

Challenges:
1. Farming was really hard especially when I started at Ebenezer.

Tentative Prospects for 2011:
I want to go home and continue farming. I have a piece of land and a well where I can draw my water.

By Molly Manhanga

Life after Ebenezer with Mbongeni Nyathi

Mbongeni Nyathi

You’ve been at Ebenezer for almost two years now and you’ll be graduating next week. What have been the

Highlights:
1. I’ve learnt many things especially spiritual
2. I now know how to farm seriously
3. I can now relate well with my peers

Challenges:
1. Water shortages have been a challenge as my crops wilted.

Tentative Prospects for 2011:
I’m hoping to join the graduate programme and continue farming. If this doesn’t work out, I’ll go home and continue implementing what I’ve learnt at Ebenezer.

By Molly Manhanga

Stresses at Ebenezer.......

So many great things have happened at Ebenezer this year but, we’ve also had a full quota of stresses…….. Here are some that we are facing at the moment

1. Wild animals having a field day with the green maize in the fields. Wild pigs, baboons and bush buck are the main culprits here. One of our graduates, Simangaliso Ndlovu, had a beautiful field of green maize and three quarters has been wiped out by wild animals. That is really discouraging for her and the other apprentices who are now on “high alert”. Some have resorted to guarding their fields at night.
2. Our water problems continue….. the apprentices planted about 25,000 tomato seedlings after having put chicken manure as a basal fertiliser. Needless to say, without adequate water, about half the tomato plants have burnt and died.
3. Snakes…..It’s that time of the year when a variety of snakes show face. There are many venomous snakes around Ebenezer particularly the black mamba. Fortunately or unfortunately, the beauty of a snake is the last thing on anyone’s mind at Ebenezer. A snake means a dead snake and a discussion follows after it is lifeless – normally a worst case sceranio! (Sorry to all the snake lovers!)
4. Marketing of produce…….Transport and communications continue to be stressful…….

Again, amidst all this we are looking forward to our second graduation ceremony which is on the 15th December, we are continuing to harvest the tomatoes, onions and maize, the buildings continue to go up, the research and development plot continues to take shape…….so, alls well that ends well!

By Molly Manhanga

Meet Prosper Nguruva

Prosper Nguruva

M.M: Tell me briefly about your background?
P.N: I was born in Harare and did my primary and secondary schooling there. I worked with an Intercrop company for a year. After my parents died, I did some indigenous work. We are 2 in my family and I am the eldest. I started volunteering for Operation Joseph and for the Faithful Stewards Programme. I joined Foundations for Farming in 2007.

M.M: What work do you do at Ebenezer?
P.N: I’m doing Research and Development.

M.M: How is it going so far?
P.N: So far, so good. Communication is the main problem. I’m Shona speaking in an Ndebele community.

M.M: Yes, that can be difficult. How long will you be serving at Ebenezer?
P.N: I’m not too sure.

M.M: What are your impressions of Ebenezer?
P.N: There is potential.

M.M: How have you enjoyed your stay so far?
P.N: I haven’t quite enjoyed my stay. I’m sleeping on the floor – a mattress on the floor and the menu is rather basic. I'm sure with time I'll adjust and things will improve!

M.M: Thanks Prosper for doing such an amazing job in the Research and Development fields

By Molly Manhanga