Milestone 4 Progress Report 3 | Mahlathini Development Foundation

RESILIM-O:

Resilience intheLimpopo Basin

Program–Olifants

MILESTONE 4: ProgressReport #3:

February-March 2017

under the

Lower Olifants catchment

Agricultural Support Initiative (AgriSI)

Implemented by

2
Table of Contents
.............................................................................................................................................3
Outline ..................................................................................................................................4
1. Activity record for the period...........................................................................................5
2. Progress ........................................................................................................................6
Milestone 4: February-March 2017: Progress according to deliverables............................6
3. Summary of baseline and implementation progress per village....................................10
4. Individual Experimentation...........................................................................................10
5. Summary of milestone implementation across villages................................................12
6. Monthly team assessment...........................................................................................13
Indicators: Assessment March 2017:...............................................................................13
Project Life Change Questions:.......................................................................................14
7. Work Plans for the coming two months........................................................................15
Attachment 1:  Detailed upcoming milestone (Milestone 5) activity plans (April-May 2017).16

Outline

In the inception meeting an implementation strategy that would bring all 6 communities on

board at the same time and include some baseline and visioning discussions at community

level as well as some theoretical inputs and practical training, was agreed to. This was done

to accommodate for the fact that people are anxious to start agricultural activities now in the

Spring and Summer season and for us as the facilitators to provide a commitment to the

communities to action.

This meant that activities planned under later milestones (particularly Module 3 ‘Introduction

to Innovations & Experimentation’) were brought forwardand added to originally planned

activities (Module 1 ‘Setting the Scene’ and Module 2 ‘Learning & Mentoring’); whilst

accommodating 6 villages. Now towards the end of Milestone 4, a balance has been

reached with implementation of all the modules.

Individual/household interviews and baseline assessments, to augment thebaseline reports

have now been conducted for a selection of participants acrossall 6 villages (33 in total to

date).

Visioning, planning and development of indicators forthe 5 fingers assessment framework

(principles for good farming practices) has been undertaken for all 6 villages in a joint

workshop. Individual and group sessions will be held to finalise and operationalise the

framework in each of the villagesin the coming months.

5 Learning groups have beenestablished: Botshabelo, Sedawa, Finale&Oaks, Willows and

Lepelle. Local facilitators have come tothe forein all five learning groups. The formalisation

of the process has been finalised for all 5groups andinduction and trainingwill continue

under Milestone 5.

Learning in the groups has continued and focused on soil fertility management, including

liquid manures with some input also on natural pest and disease control options.Mentoring

and monitoring at household level has been conducted in 2villages.

New ideas have been introduced through demonstration and implementation workshops:

➢1Workshop for The Oaks, Finala, Lepelle,Botshabelo and Sedawain construction

of a 4mx6m shade cloth structure/tunnel, construction and packing of 3 1mx6m

trench beds inside the tunnel and setting up of a drip irrigation system for the tunnel.

(22 participants)

➢Learningand innovation group workshops were held for Sedawa(27), Oaks and

Finala(9).Learning content includes ,soil fertility options, manure, liquid manures,

compost and shallow trenches. Mulching of CA plots and basin plantings was also

included.

PARTICIPANTSTHIS PERIOD

SEEDS OF LIGHT, Trygive Nxumalo

MAHLATHINI: Erna Kruger, Sylvester Selala, Chris Stimie

AWARD: Richard Hatfield, BigboyMkhabela,

CONTENTS

This report contains the following sections:

1. Activity record for the period

2. Progress

3. Summary of baseline and implementation progress per village

4. Individual experimentation

5. Summary of milestone implementation across villages

6. Monthly team review summary and assessment of indicators

7. Work plan for coming period

This report contains the following attachments:

1. Annexures:

a) Group session minutes: Learning and innovation workshop-Sedawa_20170206

b) Group session minutes: Learning and innovation workshop-the Oaks and Finala -

20170208

c)Group session minutes: Lepelle Water walk and fruit production case study

_20170202

d) Homestead assessments_ Local and New innovations_20170310

e) Cluster activity record: Principles for good farming practices workshop_20170315-16

f) Cluster activity record: Demonstration workshop for construction of tunnel, trench

beds and drip kit system_20170318,20

g) Monitoring_ Implementation of innovations_ Botshabelo and Sedawa_20170313-14

h) AWARD-AgSI_Selection of Local facilitators_20170323

1. Activity record for the period

This is an additional section now being included in the progress reports to outline

activities undertaken in the reporting period.This section gives an indication of activities

undertaken to achieve the outcomes for this period, time spent and people involved.

DATE

DESCRIPTION OF ACTIVITY

WHO WAS

INVOLVED

2016/02/01

Learning and mentoring: CCA criteria and

models workshop: AWARD and MDF staff –

8hrs

Taryn Ancoise,

Richard, BB, Seeds of

Light and Erna,

Sylvester

2016/02/02

Learning and mentoring: Water walk and

homestead based assessments: Lepelle –

10hrs

Erna, Sylvester,

Trygive, BB, Lepelle (7

homesteads)

2016/02/03

Learning and mentoring: Homestead based

assessments: The Oaks, Finale –6hrs

Erna, BB, Sylvester,

The Oaks andfFnale

(6 homesteads)

2016/02/04

Office; report writing, consolidation of photos

and attendance registers, preparation for

following week’s workshops – buying of hay

bales and collection of manure –6hrs

Erna, Sylvester

2016/02/06

Innovations and experimentation: Sedawe: Soil

fertility workshop –7hrs

Sylvester, BB, Trygive

2016/02/07

Innovations and experimentation:Workshop

continuation plus homestead assessments –8

hrs

Sylvester, BB, intern

2016/02/08

Learning and mentoring: Homestead

assessments in Willows –5hrs

Collection of bales and manure–3hrs

Sylvester, BB

2016/02/09

Innovations and experimentation: The Oaks,

Finale soil fertility learning workshop and

homestead assessments-8 hrs

Sylvester, Trygive BB,

Intern

2016/02/10

Office admin; B2O report –5hrs

Sylvester, BB, Richard

2017/03/13,14

Learning and mentoring, collaborative work:

Homestead visits for mentoring and monitoring,

start set up of tunnel workshop in Oaks;

Botshabelo, Sedawe –

Planning meeting

Sylvester, Christine

and 12 participants,

Erna

2017/03/15-

Networking, Visioning and 5 fingers w/s for all 6

villages

Full AWARD team,

Mahlathini, Ukuvuna,

all 6 villages

2017/03/17

Networking and collaborative work: Preparation

for workshop;

Office; finalisation of deliverables review and

changes, design of 5 fingers assessment forms,

garden monitoring forms

Sylvester, Chris, Erna

richard

2017/03/18

Networking and collaborative work: OAKS:

Trench bed, tunnel construction and drip kit

demonstration and implementation

(Oaks, Finale, Lepelle,

Botshabelo, Sedawa

Erna, Sylvester, Chris,

Trygive

2017/03/19

Admin and planning

Erna, Sylvester, Chris

2017/03/20

Networking and collaborative work: OAKS:

Trench bed, tunnel construction and drip kit

demonstration and implementation ;

continuation of construction of tunnel and drip

kit

(Oaks, Finale, Lepelle,

Botshabelo, Sedawa

Erna, Sylvester, Chris,

trygive

2017/03/22,23

Networking: LF election and induction,

household monitoring visits

Progress report writing

Sylvester, Trygive

Oaks, Botshabelo,

Willows, Erna

2. Progress

Milestone 4: February-March 2017: Progress according to deliverables

1. Setting the scene

This deliverable was originally to be concluded under milestone 3. A few activities

have been continued under Milestone 4.

Activities

planned

Activities

actual

Outputs

% completion

to date (target

/ actual)

Verification

Submitted

Setting

the

scene

2 villages

x 3 days

6villages

x 1 day ea

Local

facilitators

process

100% / 75% -

LF’s chosen for

4 of 6 villages

Attendance

registers

Group

session

minutes

Cluster

activity report

Yes

Visioning

and scenario

development

100% /50% -

Group session

and cluster

workshop of 3

days run by

AWARD for

development of

vision and 5

fingers criteria

for beast

practice_ all

villages

Baseline

report

100% -

100%Individual

homestead

assessments for

33 participants

across all

villages

completed

Homestead

assessments,

photo diaries

Yes

In progress

•Local facilitator criteriadeveloped and used in 4 of 6 villages to select local

facilitators.-Report attached: Learning and innovation workshop -

Sedawa_20170206, Learning and innovation workshop –

Botshabelo_20170322

•Water walk and homestead assessments Lepelle-Report attached.

•A combined workshop for all villages to compile a broad vision for each area,

principles for good farming practices and a 5 fingers monitoring assessment

framework for each village_Report attached: Principles for good farming

practices _20170315,16

2. Introduction to innovations and experimentation

Activities

planned

Activities

actual

Outputs

% completion

Verification

Submitte

Introduc-

tion

innovation

and

experimen-

tation

4 villages

x 2days

5 villages

x 2 days

ea,

3villages

x 1day ea

Understan

d current

practices,

introduce

new ideas

100% / 110%

(Tunnel,bucket

drip kits

Learning

materials

Yes- EK

Demonstrations

Photographic

records

Individual

farm

experimen

tal design,

homestea

d food

production

monitoring

100% -ongoing

process of

individual

household

assessment and

planning

Homestead

assessment

forms (Oaks

(5), Lepelle (7),

Finale (5),

Sedawe (3),

Botshabelo (4),

Willows (9)

Yes- EK

•Demonstration of new ideas in the form of community based workshops for

construction of a tunnel (Shade cloth structure –4mx5m –called a tall crop

tunnel), bucket drip kits for greywater use and building of trench beds for

planting of seed and seedlings for The Oaks, Finale, Lepelle, Botshabelo and

Sedawa.

•Homestead based assessments for present implementation in gardening

(including farmer work plans and individual experimentation0 conducted for

33 participants across all 6 villages._Report attached_Homesated

assessments -Local and new innovations _20170310

•Initial assessments for potential for underground RWH storage structures at

household level done for 1-2 households in Botshabelo.

3. Learning and mentoring

Activities

planned

Activities

actual

Outputs

% completion

to date (target

/ actual)

Verification

Submitted

Learning

and

mentoring

4 villages

x 3 days

6 villages

x 2 days

New

practice

training:

Soil fertility

100%/ 50%Soil

fertility:

Conducted for 3

villages –The

Oaks, Finale and

Sedawa. Further

training under

milestone 5.

Training

manual

Yes-

attendance

registers,

Yes-

collected-

Sylvester

photos,

Yes

collected-

with EK

farmer work

plans,

Yes –See

Homestead

assessments

report

garden

monitoring

Yes-See

Homestead

assessments

report

Local

facilitators

champions

training

and

mentoring

100% / 65%

PROGRESS

REPORT

Yes-

Farmer

monitoring

50% / 45% -

garden level

monitoring of

implementation

and

experimentation

See

Homestead

assessment

forms and

report

Yes-

Clusters;

self

mentoring

100% -See

Principles for

good farming

practices w/s

report

Visioning

and 5 fingers

for all 6

villages

Yes

•Learning workshops were conducted in soil fertility management. This included the

following topics:

oLocal understanding of soil fertility, use of kraal manure, current practises

used to improve soil fertility.

oIntroduction to soil fertility (local understanding of signs of nutrient deficiency

on the crops, discussing signs of nutrient deficiency, nitrogen (N),

Phosphorus (P), Potassium (K))

oMethods or waysto improve soil fertility (liquid manure, use of fertilizers)

oUse of mulch (hay and Lucerne in CA plots) and

oNatural pestcontrol (e.g. aphids)

•Mentoring and monitoring was conducted through the homestead based

assessments and also through a village based assessment of individual

experimentation in Botshabelo and Sedawe, that included the newly elected local

facilitators.

4. Collaborative activities

•Joint workshops on principles for good farming practices for all 6 villages and

trench beds, tunnel and drip kit construction for 5 villages. See no’s 2 and 3

above and the attached reports.

5. Networking

•Discussions with Ukuvuna re their implementation process and practices in

Sekukune

3. Summary of baseline and implementation progress per village

This table provides an overview and summary of all activities undertaken on a village by village level. It is not always possible to keep the

agendas in all the villages synchronised over time and so some of the activities will have been undertaken in some of the villages and not

others. This summary allows the team to track where the process is in each village.

4. Individual Experimentation

Here a summary is provided of the individual experimentation undertaken in each of the villages. This will be updated in all future reports.

Mar-17

VILLAGE

Current

practices

CC mapping

Baseline

w/s 2

(Cropping

practices

Visioning

and

scenarios

Champions/

Local

facilitators

New

practice

training

Farmer

experiment

ation

Individual farm

experiment

designs

Tunnel

construction

Drip kit

construction

RWH and erosion

control

assessments

Five Fingers

Vision and

scenarios

SelectionTraining Contours

Diversion

ditches,

trench beds

greywater

bucket filter

Keyhole

beds

Tower

gardens

Soil

properties

Soil fertility (manure,

compostliquid manure,

fertilizers)

Planting

seed and

seedlings

Sedawa √ √√√√ √ √ √√ √√ √ √ √√√√

Botshabelo √ √ √ √√√ √ √ √√ √ √ √√√√

Willows √ √ √ √√ √ √ √√ √ √√√

Oaks √ √ √ √√√ √ √ √√ √ √√ √ √√√

Finala √ √ √ √√ √ √ √√ √ √√ √ √√√

Lepelle √ √ √ √√ √ √ √√√ √√√√

Introductiontoinnovationsandexperimentation

Learningandmentoring

Baseline

AWARD baseline and implementation per village: 2016-2017

INDIVIDUAL EXPERIMENTATION

Mar-17

Date

Village

Description of experiment

No of

participants

Name of participants

Nov-16

Sedawa, Lepelle,

Oaks, Finala,

Willows, Botshabelo

Diversion ditches, contours (using line levels), trench beds, planting

seeds and seedlings greywater filtration for irrigation,

See attendance registers

Dec-16

Sedawa, lepelle,

Oaks, Finala, Willows

Conservation Agriculture plots : 10mx10m tramline intercropping of

maize and sugar beans and maize and cowpeas. Planted in basins

and rows.

See attendance registers

Feb-17

Sedawa, Oaks and

Finala

Liquid manure, shallow trenches

See attendance registers

2017/01/31

The Oaks

Diversion ditches, trench beds, CA

Mr Makudu, Janet Lewelle,

Florence Lewelle, Betty

Ncgogo,

2017/01/31

Finala

Tower garden, CA, drip kits

Sarah Nyathi

2017/02/01

Sedawa

Tunnel: vs normal production experiments

Christina

2017/02/01

Lepelle

CA, diversion ditches, trench beds

4 (8)

George Sebatane, Jane

Kobeni, Sias Sebuyane,

Londi Tsilwane

2017/02/06

Sedawa

Basin planting: Control is the normal way 30cmx30cm basins 50cm

apart, Trial is inclusion of manure nad lucerne hay in the basin prior

to planting and mulching between basins

Mrs Matene

2017/02/06

Sedawa

Planting a selection of vegetable seeds: Butternut, onion, rosemary,

coriander, chilli, green pepper, squash, lazy house wife (beans),

Swiss chard, chinese cabbage, carrot, okra, parsley, spring onion,

turnip (2 types (white and red), egg plant, tomatoes

See Learning and

Innovations report -Sedawa

2017/02/28

Okas, Finala,Sedawa

Mulching CA plots

See attendance registers

2017/03/13-

Botshabelo, Sedawa

Stone bunds (2), Diversion ditches (2), ridges and furrows (5),

mulching (3) trench beds (5), CA (7), millet and sorghum (5), line

levels (1), seedling beds (5), medicinal plants (1), banana basins (1)

See monitoring report; Maria

Malepe, Miriam Malepe,

Dibonanna Mokghoto, Flora

Nthlamo, Meaisy Mokwena,

Mosebu Nthlamo, Rebone

Malepe, Ludia Malepe, Alex

Mogopa.

5. Summary of milestone implementation across villages.

MAHLATHINI

MILESTONE COMPLETION: target completion to date % (in black) vs actual (in red)

Key activities /

Milestones

MILESTONE 1

MILESTONE 2

MILESTONE 3

MILESTONE 4

MILESTONE 5

MILESTONE 6

MILESTONE 7

Inception report

100% / 100%

Setting the scene

67% / 65%

100% / 80%

100% / 90%

100% / 100%

Comment:

less coverage,

more villages

visioning + final

LFs outstanding

Some visioning

+ 2 LFs

outstanding

LF selection and training

complete. Additional

visioning in Lepelle

Learning and

mentoring

10% / 15%

30%/ 40%

50%/65%

70%/85%

90%

100%

Comment:

6 villages not 4

6 villages Some

garden mon +

LF outstanding

6 villages;

continuation with

learning schedule;

LFs elected in 3

villages

6 villages; continuation with

learning schedule; soil

fertility and P&d control.

Mentoring and garden

monitoring by LFs

Experimentation &

intro to innovations

25%

25% / 50%

50%/75%

75%/85%

90%

100%

Comment:

for all 6 villages

6 villages not 4

6 villages

For all 6 villages

Collaborative work

Comment:

25%/40%

6 villages:

Introduction to

drip kits and

tunnels; 3 villages

RWH and erosion

control options

50%/65%

6 villages; tunnels, drip kits,

greywater management,

RWH and erosion control

options

75%

100%

Networking and cross

visits

25%/25%

cluster based

workshop in good

farming practices

50%/50%

Open day: cross visit of all

learning groups. World

biodiversity day workshop

75%

100%

Comment:

6. Monthly team assessment

Indicators: Assessment March 2017:

Indicator

Overall

target

Actual_Nov

2016

Actual_March

2017

No of participants in learning

groups

100

108

55 (Homestead

assessments, five

fingers w/s and

tunnel w/s)

No of learning groups

No of local facilitators

Percentage of participants

engaged in CC adaptation

responses

1-2 (45%)

2-3 (25%)

>3 (10-15%)

1-2 (10%)

1-2 (85%)

2-3 (10%)–for

this time period

OVERALL:

1-2 (50%)

2-3(15%)

No of participants

experimenting with new

innovations

-local

-co-designed

No of participants showing

increased knowledge

28 (att reg 5

fingers workshop),

22 att reg tunnel

w/s)

Percentage of participants

engaged in collaborative

activities

45%

-(25%) –building

of tunnel and drip

kit

Percentage of participants with

improved livelihoods

-increased availability of food

-increased income

-increased diversity of

activities and livelihoods

options

40%

Qualitative assessments;

-stakeholder engagement

-Increased understanding and

agency to act towards

increased resilience

-Adaptation and innovations

into local context

-Potential for increased

resilience

-Social engagement

Stories, case

studies,

photos, cluster

activity

records, group

session

minutes,

Stories:

-Making of trench

beds, building

tunnel and drip kit

Oaks, Finale,

Lepelle,

Botashabelo,

Sedawe

-Rainwater

harvesting storage

assessments for

Botshabelo

-Mulching of

Conservation

Agriculture plots,

planting cover

crops

-Implementation

of innovations

Understanding:

Examples of people

showing an increased

understanding of CCA

adaptation

Future dated question; explicit vs implicit? What qualifies as

CCA vs good practises?

-Expression of knowledgeand learning in five fingers

workshop (15-16 March) for5 of the 6 villageswas

very impressive. Participants talked about soil and

water conservation, keeping the soil cool with plant

cover and mulching, mixed cropping strategies

conservation agriculture and grey water

management.

Actions:

Examples of people

showing an increased

agency towards increasing

their resilience

-Experience with diversion ditches and trench beds

show individual’s’ learning regarding the importance

of waterand soil conservation strategies. Planting in

the tunnel in Sedawe has clearly shown the

advantages of climate control options

Examples of increased

potential towards

resilience

-Tunnel trench beds, diversion ditches, conservation

agriculture, grey water management and use,….

Project Life Change Questions:

1. Do we have examples or stories of how weor others are in the processof adaptive

management related to CC? (adapt, reflect and respond to….) and examples of

what this adaptive managementis?

2. Do we have stories that show innovation or lack of innovationtowards positive

change? What insights have we gained into how innovation can lead to positive

change?(INCREASED RESILIENCE)

About 50% of participants have tried outsome of the new innovations introduced and

are able to clearly articulate the potential benefits of these practices.

3. Do we have stories that show evidence of, or an interest in self organisation towards

collective action? What insights have we gained into how self organisationcan lead

to collective action?

Requests for meetings by the learning groups within their membership to discuss

local issues have been made as has insistence on a transparent and community

based process forelection of local facilitators.

4. Do we have stories to show that learning together is happening or that there is an

interest in learning together? What insights have we gained about how to learn

together?

New individuals join the learning groups throughout the process. Learning groups

have requestedto have meetings among themselves to discuss some of their local

issues. Learning groups have insisted on group meetings to ensure transparency and

accountabilitywithin the group.Election of local facilitators (LFs) is seen as an

important step for the groups who have all taken this process seriously and insisted

on LFs being neutral politically but representative of the group members.

5. Do we have stories of how we and or others are able to think systemically? What

insights have wegained?

Participants arestarting to see the value of and links between the different

innovations introduced-such as diversion ditches, trench beds, mulching, tunnel drip

irrigation and grey watermanagement. Somehave used furrows and ditches as

planting methods within their conservation agriculture trials, as well as mulching and

planting in of a diverse range of crops, including drought tolerant crops such as millet

and sorghum. Others have designed their diversion furrows to feed trench beds. A

few have worked in the tunnel and used grey water and furrows as management

practices within the tunnel. l.

6. Do we have stories of how we and or others are able to be inclusive and democratic?

What insights have we gained about how this can be achieved? (STAKEHOLDER

ENGAGEMENT).

…..

7. Work Plans for the coming two months.

(See the attachedcalendar April2017)

1. Electionand initial training of Local Facilitators for each siteis to becontinued.

They will continue to join the garden assessment and monitoring process, to get

used to the kindsof questions asked of people and gain an understanding of each

individualin their learning group. The garden monitoring form (based on the 5

fingers assessments0 is to be translated into seSotho for easy use byLFs and

Sylvester and Trygive are to provide on the ground mentoring support.

2. Learning will include Soil fertilityfor the villages where this has as yet not been

conducted ( Botshabelo, Willows and Lepelle); looking at nutrients, fertilizers, uses

and combinations of manure, improved kraal manure,compost and liquid manures.

A demonstration of liquid manures will be done as well as how to construct a

shallow trench. Mulching will be prioritised as an important activity for all farmers.

3. Learning will also include: Mixed cropping and natural pest anddisease control;

inter-cropping, multipurpose plants and home-made pest control brews.

4. Garden monitoring will be initiated to assess implementation of new ideas and a

gardening and experimentation plan for eachhouseholderwill be completed. This

will be started in the villages where LF’s arenow present; Sedawe, Botshabelo and

The Oaks.

Attachment 1: Detailed upcoming milestone (Milestone 5) activity plans (April-May 2017)

2017

April

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

WRC initiation

AWARD; Tzaneen

- procurement

plants, seedlings

AWARD: Veg

production training

village 1

AWARD: Veg

production training 2

AWARD: Office,

planning, photos,

reports

AWARD; 1

vehicle

AWARD; 1 vehicle,

refreshments for w/s

AWARD; 1 vehicle,

refreshments for w/s

AWARD: team planning

meeting

AWARD; LF training and

cross visit

AWARD: report

writing

consolidation

AWARD: Veg

production training

village 3

AWARD: Veg

production training

village 4

AWARD; 2 vehicles,

refreshments for w/s

AWARD; 1 vehicle,

refreshments for w/s

AWARD; 1 vehicle,

refreshments for w/s

Notes:

2017

May

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

AWARD Training and

monitoring

AWARD Training and

monitoring

AWARD Training

and monitoring

AWARD Training

and monitoring

AWARD: Office and

planning meeting

AWARD: Monthly

assessment and planning

AWARD Training and

monitoring

AWARD Training

and monitoring

AWARD Training

and monitoring

AWARD: Office and

planning meeting

Notes: