Today is an important day. Our trainer Hiba will show how to start planting the seeds. Last weeks we worked on building seedling beds with the stones and cement we received. Our two leaders went to the first training in the city and learned how to prepare our nursery. When they returned, we also got the materials from FOGA and immediately our leaders told us how to start with the beds.
Now the beds are ready and cleaned. Our nursery team consists of 10 members. Six women and four men. For me as woman it is a very nice opportunity to earn something for my family. My husband disappeared during the war time. I take care for my three children. Today they are at school and I am happy I can come to the nursery and do something.
Hiba arrives. She came with a big car and drove two hours through the desert places to reach our village. We gather on a carpet and get training. Hiba shows plastic and how we can wrap it around earth. We need two types of soil. Sand and mud. Then wrap the plastic around. After several trials I succeed to make a nice sachet for one seedling. Then Hiba shows how to peel the seed from the materials we gathered from around the acacia trees in the forest. Only the small inside seed we plant in created sachet.
We continue with making more sachets and planting the seeds. Meanwhile Hiba tells how we should irrigate and that we must weed every day. Irrigating the seedlings can be a problem. We did not have water in our village for the last weeks. Fortunately, Hiba tells that FOGA also sponsors a donkey cart. With the donkey and the cart, we can go and buy water from our neighbor village.
It becomes crowded in our nursery place. Not only our team, but also several farmers from the village want to see what is happening. And we invited our tribe leader to join the training and see what is happing in this village. Now also the children and the teacher from the primary school came to see what is happening in our nursery.
It is a nice day. We get full attention and learn a lot. Before Hiba leaves, she gives us again good instruction how to nurse the seedlings. From tomorrow we will start irrigating and see how the seeds will grow to seedlings. Looking forward to the new life!
Nadia
