Machame Rotary Club serves the community on the south-western slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania. We found the publications of Food Plant Solutions (FPS), through our partner, Rotary Club of Kingston-Frontenac (Canada)
Food security is an issue for many in our community and has been a focus of our club. We also see agriculture as providing opportunities for youth who would otherwise drop from the educational system after Standard 7.
Rotary member, Anitha Kwayu, has made her garden a living class-room for the community to experiment with new plants and technology. We grow traditional crops such as maize, bananas, soya beans, and many green vegetables as well as experimenting with new plants and technologies such as pesticidal plants, and azolla farming.
Anitha is actively promoting the FPS guide, Potentially Important Food Plants of Tanzania , as well as the 15 Edible Plants Leaflet prepared to help combat the impacts of Covid-19. Anitha hopes to plant several “forgotten” plants from the FPS guide including tamarillo, potato yam, squash, and taro.
Eliud Jacob, recently joined Machame Rotary and had been working with Anitha when Covid-19 closed the secondary school where he taught science. He returned to his home village in Kagera region (north-western Tanzania) where he accessed the FPS leaflet prepared for the Lake Victoria region to share with the community. When schools re-open he hopes to return to work with Anitha and share their knowledge to build up the school gardens at the nearby primary and secondary schools.
Thank you, FPS. Your gift of plant knowledge is helping Machame fight poverty and starvation in Tanzania.
Anitha in her garden
Anitha and local villagers planting Pawpaw, Moringa, and Tephrosia Vogelii on World Environmental Day 6 June 2020.
Eliud Jacob sharing FPS guides in Kagera region.