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Kitchen Gardens and Animal RaisingLesson Plan

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Kitchen Gardens and Animal RaisingTable of Contents:

Lesson 1: Benefits of Home Food Production.......................................8Lesson 2: Dietary Diversity and Seed Choice......................................18Lesson 3: Preparing the Garden and Nursery.....................................29Lesson 4: Transplanting and Plant Spacing........................................39Lesson 5: Garden Care and Harvesting..............................................49Lesson 6: Chickens: Housing, Feeding and Care.................................59Lesson 7: Increasing Chicken Production...........................................68Lesson 8: Guinea Pigs: Housing, Feeding and Care.............................77Lesson 9: Increasing Guinea Pig Production.......................................87Lesson 10: Composting Animal Products............................................99Pre- and Posttest...........................................................................109Posttest Answer Key.......................................................................113

Lessons, stories, and activities in the Kitchen Gardens and Animal Raising Lesson Plan complement the information provided in Kitchen Gardens and Animal Raising Flipchart.

Understanding the Lesson Plan

Each lesson begins with objectives. These are the behavior, knowledge and belief objectives that are covered in the lesson. There are four types of objectives. Each is described below.

Behavior objectives: Most objectives are behavioral objectives written as action statements. These are the practices that we expect the caregivers to follow based on the key messages in the flipchart.

Under the objectives, all of the materials needed for the lesson are listed. Materials with an asterisk (*) should be brought by the Activity Leader selected at the end of Module 8. See below for more information.

Each exercise (section of the lesson plan) is identified by a small picture. Pictures are used to remind non-literate Leader Mothers of the order of the activities. For example when it’s time to lead the game the lesson plan shows a picture of people laughing as if they are enjoying a game (see below). The pictures in the lesson plan cue Leader Mothers of the next activity. Review the descriptions below for more information.

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The first activity in each lesson is a game or song. Games and songs help the participants to laugh, relax and prepare for the lesson. Some games review key messages that the participants have already learned.

Game

Following the game, all facilitators will take attendance. Following attendance, the promoter follows up with any difficulties that the Leader Mothers had teaching the previous lessons. 1

When Leader Mothers are teaching neighbor groups, this is a good time for to review key messages from the previous lesson and hear the success and challenges the neighbor mothers had when trying out new practices from the previous lesson.

Attendance and Troubleshooting

Next the facilitator reads the story printed on the flipchart, using the images to share the story. The story in each lesson is followed by discussion questions.

Discussion questions are used to discuss the problems faced by the two main characters in the module (Mama Muzuri and Mama Mubaya). Use the story and discussion questions to find out the current practices of the women in the group.

Ask about Current Practices

After turning to a new flipchart page ask, “What do you think these pictures mean?” After the participants respond, explain the captions and key messages written on the back of the flipchart.

Share the Meaning of Each Picture

The lesson plan also contains additional information for the trainer. The additional information does not need to be discussed during the lesson unless it relates to questions asked by the participants.

1 Paid staff are called promoters. The role of the promoters is to train Leader Mothers to facilitate lessons with their neighbors.

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Next is an activity. Activities are “hands-on” exercises to help the participants understand and apply what they have learned. Most of these activities require specific materials and preparations.

Activity

The Activity leader is responsible to organize materials for each lesson’s Activity. The Activity Leader meets with the facilitator ten minutes before each lesson to discuss the needed materials for the next lesson’s activity. The Activity Leader is responsible to talk with the others (Leader Mothers or neighbors) during the “Attendance and Troubleshooting” to organize the materials needed for the next meeting, asking them to volunteer to bring the items needed for the activity. The facilitator will lead the activity, but the Activity Leader will support her by organizing the volunteers and aiding the facilitator as needed during the activity.

The facilitator asks if there are any obstacles that prevent the caregivers from trying the new practices. Together with the other mothers in the group, the facilitator helps to solve problems and obstacles mentioned. The group may offer information, skills or tips to help mothers overcome obstacles.

Discuss Barriers

Next is Practice and Coaching. We want to make sure that each Leader Mother understands the material and can present it to her neighbors. The promoter observes and coaches Leader Mothers as they practice teaching in pairs using the flipcharts.

When Leader Mothers teach their neighbors, they will repeat this activity asking each woman to share the key messages (and practices) that she has learned with the woman next to her. The Leader Mother will go around and listen to each pair, making sure they understood the key messages correctly.

Practice and Coaching

Finally, the facilitator requests a commitment from each of the women in the group. It is up to each woman to make a choice. Do not force anyone to make a commitment if they are not ready.

Request

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Commitments

All lessons follow the pattern described above. Lessons can be adapted as needed to fit the needs of your group. Lessons should not exceed two hours in length although some lessons may take longer than others. The suggested time for each section is listed below.

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Section name Time needed for this sectionGame or SongAttendance and TroubleshootingStoryAsk about Current PracticesShare the Meaning of Picture 2Share the Meaning of Picture 3Share the Meaning of Picture 4ActivityDiscuss BarriersPractice and CoachingRequest Commitments

5 - 15 minutes5 - 15 minutes5 minutes10 minutes10 minutes10 minutes10 minutes15-30 minutes15 minutes20 minutes10 minutes2 – 2 ½ hours

AcknowledgementsMany thanks to the artists who have contributed to this module including Sam Goff, Desire Mulemaza, David Opowonya and Dr. Jean Pierre Okitakoy are greatly appreciated for reviewing and editing the materials.

Hanold, Mitzi J. (2012) Kitchen Gardens and Animal Raising. Washington DC. Food for the Hungry (FH) made possible through a grant provided by the U.S. Agency U.S. Agency for International Development, Office of Food for Peace, Bureau of Democracy, Conflict, and Humanitarian Assistance, to the Adventist Development and Relief Agency, under the agreement AID-FFP-A-10-00017. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Agency for International Development.

The following resources were used in the development of this module:

International HIV/AIDS Alliance. (2002). 100 Ways to Energize Groups: Games to Use in Workshops, Meetings and the Community. Available at www.aidsalliance.org.

HDRA-the Organic Organisation. Farmer Seed Saving. Coventry: HDRA, 2005.

FAO. Setting up and Running a School Garden. Rome: FAO, 2005. Waaijenberg, Henk. Agrodok 9: The Vegetable Garden in the Tropics.

Wageningen: Agromisa Foundation, 2003. FAO. Improving Nutrition through Home Gardening. Home Garden

Technology Leaflets. Rome: Agriculture and Consumer Protection, 1995. Berenguer, BJ. Organic Plant Production. Gambia is Good (GIG)/ Concern

Universal, March 2005. Wafadar, F. & Puls, I. Agrodok 34: Improving Hatching and Brooding in Small-

Scale Poultry. Wageningen: Agromisa Foundation, 2001. Eekeren, N. van; Maas, A; Saatkamp, H.W.; & Verschurr, M. Agrodok 4: Small-

scale Chicken Production. Wageningen: AGromisa Foundation and CTA, 2006. Martin, Franklin. Guinea Pigs for Meat Production. Echo Technical Note. Fort

Myers: ECHO, 1991.

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http://www.aidsalliance.org/

Benson Institute Proyecto Mejocuy. Guinea Pig Management Manual. Provo: Benson Agriculture and Food Institute, 2003.

Raabe, Robert D. The Rapid Composting Method. University of California Leaflet 21251. Sept 1981, pp. 1-4.

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Lesson 1: Benefits of Home Food Production

Caregivers will be able to list the benefits of producing their own food at home with a kitchen garden and small animals.

o Caregivers are able to provide fruit, vegetables and meat for the family all year long even when food (in the market) is scarce.

o Caregivers are able to eat a variety of foods each week to keep their family healthy and strong (and prevent malnutrition).

o Caregivers are able to multiply their savings by breeding small animals for food and money.

Caregivers will list the benefits to them personally of producing their own food at home.

Materials:1. Attendance Registers 2. Leader Mother Flipchart

Summary: Game: Kitchen Garden Attendance and Troubleshooting Share the story: Mama Muzuri’s Homestead Ask about current practices Share the meaning of each picture on flipchart pages 6-11: Foods to

Supplement Hunger, Foods to Prevent Malnutrition and Additional Income for the Family.

Activity: My Family’s Needs Discuss Barriers Practice and Coaching in pairs Request Commitments

1. Game: Kitchen Gardens2 — 10 minutes

2 Kitchen Garden is used to describe the small garden a woman keeps next to her house so that she is easily able to take foods from her garden to her kitchen to provide nutritious foods for her family each day.

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1. Ask the women to sit in a circle very close together. Each woman in the circle must have a place to sit, with no open spaces between the women. The facilitator stands in the middle of the circle.

2. The facilitator assigns each woman the name of a vegetable. For example, woman 1 is an eggplant, woman 2 is an onion, woman 3 is a tomato, etc. There should be at least 3 women of each vegetable. If there are 6 women or less, use only two vegetables.

3. The facilitator names one of the vegetables and all of the women in this group must find a new place to sit. If the facilitator says, “kitchen garden,” all of the women must move to a new place.

4. For example, if the facilitator calls out “eggplant,” all of the eggplants must stand and move to a new place. They cannot stay in the same place. The facilitator also tries to move to one of the places as the women move. One person will not have a place to sit – that person becomes the new facilitator.

5. The new facilitator stands in the middle of the circle and calls out a new vegetable and again the people in that group must find a new place to sit.

6. Repeat the game so that everyone has a chance to move and laugh.

Now that we are energized, let’s begin our lesson.

2. Attendance and Troubleshooting – 15 minutes

When teaching Mother Leaders:1. Promoter fills out attendance sheets for each Leader Mother and neighbor

group (beneficiary group).2. Promoter fills out vital events mentioned by each Leader Mother (new births,

new pregnancies, and mother and child deaths).3. Promoter asks if any of the Leader Mothers had problems meeting with their

neighbors. 4. The Promoter helps to solve the problems mentioned. 5. The Promoter asks the Leader Mothers to review the key practices from the

last lesson. 6. The Promoter asks the Leader Mothers about their commitments from the last

meeting and follows up with those who had difficulty trying out new practices.

? What was your commitment at the last lesson? Have you kept that commitment?

? How – what did you do?o Did anyone (spouse, grandmother or children) interfere or tell you not

to follow your commitments? Tell the story of what happened?o What factors (people, events or chores) in your life made it difficult to

keep your commitments?

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o How were you able to overcome these problems?

7. Promoter thanks all of the Leader Mothers for their hard work and encourages them to continue.

8. Promoter asks the group’s Activity Leader to discuss the needed items for next week’s activity and solicit volunteers.

When Leader Mothers teach their Neighbors:1. Leader Mothers will take attendance.2. Leader Mothers will ask about new births, pregnancies or illnesses in the

families of the mothers attending and help refer those with severe illness to the local health facility.

3. Leader Mothers will ask the mothers to review the key practices from the last lesson.

4. Leader Mothers will ask the neighbor mothers about their commitments from the last meeting and follow up with those who had difficulty trying out new practices.

5. Leader Mother asks the group’s Activity Leader to discuss the needed items for next week’s activity and solicit volunteers.

Story: Mama Muzuri’s Homestead (Picture 1.1) ─ 10 minutes

3. Story Read the story on page 4 of the flipchart.

Each morning Mama Muzuri picks greens and vegetables to add to her family foods. Her trees give fruit for her children to eat between meals. Kitchen and garden waste is given to the animals to eat. The family breeds the animals for food and for selling in the market. All year round, they have meat and food to provide for their needs.

4. Ask about Current Practices Read the questions on page 4 of the flipchart.

? What are the things in Mama Muzuri’s homestead that help her feed her family?

? How is your homestead like Mama Muzuri’s? How is it different?

? What could you add to your homestead to better provide for your family?

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Ask the first question to reinforce the different things Mama Muzuri is doing to provide for her family.

o We hope the women respond in this way: She is growing vegetables to add to her family foods.

o She is raising small animals to eat and to sell. o She has fruit trees to provide snacks for her children to eat so they

will grow strong and tall. Ask the second question to hear the women’s opinion of this homestead and

how it compares to their own. Ask the last question to hear what the women could add to their homestead

to make it more like the one in the picture. Encourage discussion. Don’t correct “wrong answers.” Let everyone

give an opinion. This page is for discussion, not for teaching. After the participants answer the last question, move to the next flipchart

page by saying, “Let’s compare your ideas with the messages on the following pages.”

Foods to Supplement Hunger (Picture 1.2) - 5 minutes

5. Share the Meaning of Each Picture

Ask the caregivers to describe what they see in the pictures on page 7. Read the bold text on the back of the flipchart out loud. Share the meaning of each picture using flipchart pages 6 and 7.

? What do you think these pictures mean?

Small animals and kitchen gardens provide food for the family all year long.

A small garden is easy to water and keep alive during dry season. The garden is planted in stages so it provides a harvest each month. Eggs and meat provide food for the family in every season.

Animals and animal products can be eaten when food is scarce. When farmers are planting in the field, foods from the kitchen garden

can be eaten at home. Planting some vegetables, grains and fruit helps to supplement crops

grown in the field. If crops fail, vegetables, meat and eggs can be eaten.

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? What animals do you keep now? How often do you eat the meat from these animals?

? What foods do you grow at home? How often do you add these foods to your family foods?

Additional Information for the TrainerDry Season Gardening Most farmers only plant during one or two rainy seasons. Their fields are too

large to water each day to help plants survive the dry season. By planting a kitchen garden you can profit from the land near your house.

Plants are planted year-round (not in seasons) and provide a harvest each month. The small size of the garden makes it easy for the family to water it each day.

Foods to Prevent Malnutrition (Picture 1.3) - 5 minutes




Families that eat fruits, vegetables and meat each week have less sickness than families who eat only grains and greens. Fruits and vegetables prevent illness.

Foods like sweet potato, carrot, pumpkin, taro, onion greens, amaranth and pumpkin leaves are rich in vitamin A.

Oranges, lemons and limes are rich in Vitamin C. Vitamin C helps the body absorb iron for strong blood. Eggs and meat help children to build strong bones and muscles. Eating meat prevents anemia in women and children.

? Which of these families looks like your family? Why?? How can a family garden and small animals improve your family life?

Additional Information for the TrainerAnemia (Iron Deficiency)

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According to UNICEF in developing countries almost half of all pregnant women and children younger than five years of age do not have enough iron in their body (iron deficiency).

Children with iron deficiency are at an increased risk of death, blindness and illness (especially measles and diarrhea).

Iron deficient mothers are more likely to give birth too soon (before the infant is developed), give birth to a child that is too small or a child that will suffer from development problems (infection, learning disabilities, or physical handicaps) and sometimes death.

For more information on anemia prevention, see Module 1, Lesson 3: Anemia Prevention.

Child Growth As a child grows the amount of blood, muscle and bone in the body increases.

Extra iron is needed to keep the child’s blood strong.3 Body building foods are needed for healthy growth of bone and muscle.4

Offering small amounts of meat or other animal products each week is the best way to prevent anemia.

Vitamin A Foods Children 1-3 years of age need 1,000 IU of vitamin A each day. Listed below

are best sources of Vitamin A: orange sweet potato, carrots, liver (offer 100 grams once a week to provide for the child’s needs), pumpkin, taro leaves, onion tops (100 grams twice a week), amaranth leaves, and pumpkin leaves (offer 100 grams four times a week).5

For more information about Vitamin A foods, review Module 2, Lesson 5: Vitamin A Foods and Supplements.

Additional Income for the Family (Picture 1.4) ─ 5 minutes


Ask the caregivers to describe what they see in the pictures on page 11.3 Children need 11 mg of iron each day. The iron content per 100 grams is listed for the following foods: petit pois (18 mg), pois cajun (15 mg), sesame (15 mg), feuilles de haricot (9 mg), haricot (8 mg).4 Children under 12 months of age need 14 mg of protein each day. Protein (body building) content per 100 g: cowpeas (80 mg), soja (34 grams) arachide (23 grams) petit pois (22 grams), haricot (22 grams), pois cajun (20 g) and poisson frais (18 mg). Eggs are not included as a child would need to eat more than one each day to receive enough protein.5 Children need at least 1,000 IU of Vitamin A each day unless they are already deficient. Listed below are the amounts of vitamin A in each food per 100 grams of the food: orange sweet potato (19,218 IU), carrots (16,706 IU), liver (13,328), pumpkin (4,992), taro leaves (4,238), onion tops (4000), amaranth leaves (2,770) and pumpkin leaves (1600).

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Read the bold text on the back of the flipchart out loud. Share the meaning of each picture using flipchart pages 10 and 11.


Breeding small animals increases your wealth. Keeping animals is like putting money in the bank. When the animals give birth, you have twice as much money as

you did at the start.

Small animals can be sold in the market when money is needed at home.

Sell additional animals to pay for school fees. Sell additional animals to pay for medicine or health visits. Sell additional animals to buy clothing and shoes. Sell additional animals to add money to your savings.

? If you had animals to sell, what would you use the money for?

8. Activity: My Family’s Needs – 30 minutes

? What additional reasons (not mentioned in the lesson) are benefits of producing your own food?

For those who do already have a garden or animals at home:

? What do you like most about producing your own food?

For those who do NOT have a garden or animals at home:

? Which of these reasons (extra income, extra food for healthy families, food all year, etc.) is most important to you? Why?

Ask those with the most experience to share their experience and advice on the following questions.

? What do we need to do to make food production a success? What actions will help someone breed animals effectively?

? How much time does it take each day to make home food production a success?

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Remind the women: It is important to start with only a few things at a time! If you plan to start with a garden, choose 2 or 3 plants to grow the first year. If you want to start raising animals, choose one new animal. Once you learn how to care for a few things, it will be easier for you to

expand and add animals, vegetables and production in future years.

9. Discuss Barriers – 15 minutes

? Is there anything that might prevent you from trying these new practices?

Ask mothers to talk to a woman sitting next to them for the next five minutes. They should share barriers and concerns they have about the new teaching. Together they should try to find solutions to these barriers. After five minutes, ask the women to share what they have discussed.

Help find solutions to their concerns. If a woman offers a good solution to another woman’s concern, praise her and encourage others to consider this solution.

Possible Concerns: No money to purchase seeds.

o Explain that in the next lesson we will discuss ways to harvest seeds from fruits and vegetables.

o All Mother Leaders and neighbor mothers will receive one fruit seedling this year

o Seeds can be “borrowed” from neighbors this year and paid back once you receive seeds from your first harvest.

o The first garden should be small. Start with a vegetables. As soon as you are able to get more seeds, plant those too. Begin small and keep adding as you are able.

10. Practice and Coaching ─ 20 minutes

For Leader Mother Groups:

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1. Ask each Leader Mother to share the teachings she has learned with the person sitting next to her. She will use the first two flipchart pages of today’s lesson.

2. Each Leader Mother will teach the person next to her in the same way that the promoter taught her.

3. After ten minutes, ask the women to switch roles. The other Leader Mother will share the teachings from the third and fourth pages of the flipchart lesson.

4. The Promoter watches, corrects, and helps Leader Mothers who are having trouble.

5. When everyone is finished, answer any questions that the Leader Mothers have about today’s lesson.

For Neighbor Groups:6. Ask each woman to review the key messages she has learned from today’s

teaching with the person sitting next to her. Ask them to share what new things they will do in their home based on this new teaching.

11. Request Commitments ─ 10 minutes

? Based on today’s teachings, what commitment will you make?

Ask each mother to say aloud a new commitment that she will make today.

For example: I commit to talking with my spouse about making space near our house for a

kitchen garden and animal hutch. I commit to talk with my neighbors about getting seeds. I will start saving money for supplies needed to build an animal hutch or

purchase seeds from the market.

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Lesson 2: Dietary Diversity and Seed Choice

Caregivers will choose at least one staple food, one fruit and two vegetables to grow in their kitchen garden:

o Choose foods that can be eaten as snacks such as groundnuts or maize.6

o Choose foods that your family likes to eat! Caregivers will harvest seeds from plants and fruits for their kitchen garden.

o Choosing healthy fruits and plants without disease. o Harvesting seeds from wet fruits (like tomatoes) by squeezing out

the pulp, fermenting the seeds and drying them. o Harvesting seeds from flower heads (like cabbage) by cutting off

the stalk and removing the seeds when the flower head is dry. Caregivers will dry seeds in a shaded place. Caregivers will store dry seeds in a closed container.

Note to the Trainer: Although some improved seeds will be given to mothers in the FH program, not all women will receive improved seeds at the same time. It is the hope that after the first harvest, improved seeds will be shared with all mothers. However, it is important that all women know how to harvest seeds so they can begin gardening even if they don’t receive improved seeds.

Materials:1. Attendance Registers 2. Leader Mother Flipchart3. One ripe, wet fruit*4. Bowl of fermented seeds*5. One dried vegetable flower* 6. Dried, pounded chili or pepper*

Summary: Game: Who is the Leader Attendance and Troubleshooting Share the story: Mama Mubaya’s Husband Disagrees Ask about Current Practices Share the meaning of each picture on flipchart pages 6-11: Choosing Foods,

Harvesting Seeds: Wet Fruits, and Harvesting Seeds: Flowering Plants Activity: Harvesting Seeds6 From the Local Determinants of Malnutrition Study it was found that mothers of healthy children were 2.5 times more likely to feed their child peanuts at least once over the past week as compared to mothers of malnourished children. Mothers of healthy children fed their child grilled maize 5 times or more over the past week than mothers of malnourished children.

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Discuss Barriers Practice and Coaching in pairs Request Commitments

1. Game: Who is the Leader — 10 minutes

1. Ask the women to stand in a circle. Choose one volunteer who leaves the group.

2. After the volunteer leaves, the remaining women choose a secret leader. This leader will lead certain actions such as clapping, slapping her thighs or stomping her feet. Everyone in the group copies the action of this secret leader. However, the women in the group must try to protect the secret leader so it is not clear which mother is starting the new actions.

3. The volunteer returns and stands in the middle of the circle. 4. The secret leader begins doing an action (such as clapping) but tries to start

it without the volunteer seeing her. (Everyone else in the circle copies the secret leader’s actions). The secret leader changes her actions often. (Everyone in the circle copies her actions, changing with her).

5. The volunteer tries to guess which one of the women is the leader. 6. When the volunteer spots the leader, a new volunteer (and leader) is chosen. 7. Repeat the game several times.







last lesson.

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6. The Promoter asks the Leader Mothers about their commitments from the last meeting and follows up with those who had difficulty trying out new practices.




keep your commitments?o How were you able to overcome these problems?








Story: Mama Mubaya’s Husband Disagrees (Picture 2.1) ─ 10 minutes


“To make the most money, we should plant maize as it brings a high price in the market.” “But the kitchen garden is for eating,” says Mama Mubaya, “so our children will grow strong and tall. We need more than just one grain to say healthy!” Her husband scoffs at her. Mama Mubaya responds, “What will we eat today and tomorrow while the maize is growing? We need more than maize.”

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4. Ask about Current PracticesRead the questions on page 12 of the flipchart.

? Who has the best plan Mama Mubaya or her husband? Why?

? How many different types of foods should a family eat each day? Why?

? What foods do you want to grow (or are your currently growing) in your garden? Why?

Ask the first question to hear the women’s opinion about the best foods to grow in the garden.

o We hope the women respond in this way: the purpose of the kitchen garden is to provide food for cooking and eating, adding to foods bought for eating (or those grown in the field). Grains can be added to the garden, but the kitchen garden should not be used as a place to grow cash crops.

o Sometimes husband and wife disagree on foods for growing. Encourage the women to think about ways to find agreement with their spouse so they can both be happy with the kitchen garden.

Ask the second to review the importance of eating a variety of foods each day.

o Healthy families eat two or more foods from each of the three food groups each day. This includes the energy group (grains and oils), the body building group (meat, animal products and legumes) and the prevention group (fruits and vegetables).

Ask the last question to hear the ideas of which foods they hope to grow in their garden.

Encourage discussion. Don’t correct “wrong answers.” Let everyone give an opinion. This page is for discussion, not for teaching.

After the participants answer the last question, move to the next flipchart page by saying, “Let’s compare your ideas with the messages on the following pages.”

Choosing Foods (Picture 2.2) - 5 minutes


Ask the caregivers to describe what they see in the pictures on page 15. Read the bold text on the back of the flipchart out loud.

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Share the meaning of each picture using flipchart pages 14 and 15.


Choose foods that your family likes to eat. Choose your family’s favorite foods. Don’t grow foods that your family is not accustomed to eating. Try one new food each year, but not too many.

Start with one staple food, one fruit, and two vegetables. Grow cash crops in the field, not in the garden. Grow two different colored vegetables in addition to greens. Plant a grain that is different from what you grow in the field.

Choose foods that can be eaten as snacks between meals. Snacks like grilled maize or groundnuts. Snacks like avocado, mango, oranges, and bananas.

Additional Information for the TrainerFrequency of Eating From the baseline, only 28% of children 6-23 months of age received food

three or more times each day. It is recommended that children 6-9 months eat 3 times a day, children 9-11

months should eat at least four times a day. Children 12-23 months should eat at least five times a day.

Dietary Diversity Only 33% (one out of every three children) 6-23 months of age ate food from

a variety of food groups!7 This means two out of every three children are not receiving all the nutrients they need.

The most common foods eaten by children (6-23 months) from the baseline survey were green leaves (eaten by 64% of children). Since greens are the most common food, encourage women to plant other fruits and vegetables of different colors to add to their normal foods.

Number of Plants Encourage mothers to start with only a few different plants. If some don’t

grow or die, they can replace them with new plants. They should add one or two new vegetables or grains each year as the work becomes easier. She can continue adding until she is able to provide for the family’s needs.

Harvesting Seeds: Wet Fruits (Picture 2.3) - 5 minutes

7 In the care group program we have grouped foods into three food groups to make it easier for mothers to understand and practice. The baseline included 12 food groups. Only 33% of children ate from four or more of these 9 categories.

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When harvesting seeds, find large fruit without disease. Harvest seeds if you do not have improved seeds. Choose fruits with good color, size, and taste.

To harvest “wet fruits,” squeeze (or scoop) the pulp and seeds from the ripe fruit into a bowl.

Wet fruits include tomato, eggplant, squash, melon, gourds, mango, and orange.

Wash the seeds until they are clean and smooth.

If seeds are covered in slippery liquid, let them sit in the pulp until bubbles form. Then wash the seeds.

This is called fermentation. A white film will appear. It may take 2-3 days for seeds to ferment. Fermentation helps the seeds lose the slippery skin. Good seeds will sink. Bad seeds float to the top.

Dry seeds under the shade of a tree. Protect the seeds from birds, rodents and direct sun. Seeds are dry when they no longer stick together.

Additional Information for the TrainerSeed Production Flowers must be pollinated in order to make seeds. Pollen (the plant’s own

fertilizing powder) is moved from the male part of the flower (the thin structure which holds the pollen) to the female part of the flower (the sticky bulb at the center of the flower).

Most vegetables (like maize and tomato) have both male and female parts. Some plants (cucumber, pumpkin and melon) have male or female parts and need other plants to help them produce seeds.

Although many flowers make their own pollen, others (like carrots, onion and cabbage) need pollen from other plants to produce seeds.

Pollen is moved from one plant to another by wind, water or with the help of bees, ants, bats or animals which come in contact with the pollen.

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If your plants are not producing seeds, talk to neighbors who grow this plant to learn how they help their plants pollinate and develop healthy seeds.

Cross-Pollinating Plants Plants in the brassica family cross-pollinate (collecting pollen from different

types of plants for fertilization). Brassicas include the following plants: cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower and kale.

These plants, if planted in the same garden, will cross-pollinate creating a hybrid seed (one with traits from all of the surrounding plants).

If you plan to harvest seeds, only plant one brassica in your garden. Plant the garden at least 1000 meters away from other gardens growing brassicas. If you want to plant more than one brassica, plant one type at your home garden and the other type near your farm or field.

If you plan to harvest seeds, don’t plant different varieties of the following plants in one garden: asparagus, carrots, cress, okra, radish, beets, cauliflower, endive, onion, rhubarb, broccoli, chard, leek, parsley, rutabaga, cabbage, maize, parsnip, and spinach.

Drying Seeds Dry the seeds in the morning sun (or in the shade of a tree) for several days.

Do not dry the seeds in direct sunlight. The seeds will crack in the hot, midday sun.

When the seeds do not feel damp or stick together are ready for storage.

Harvesting Seeds: Flowering Plants (Picture 2.4) ─ 5 minutes




When harvesting seeds from flowers, choose healthy plants that have produced lots of fruit.

Onions, amaranth, Chinese cabbage and carrots produce flowers with seeds.

Carrot and cabbage produce flowers during the second year of growth.

Cut flowered stalks and let them dry. Rub or shake the seeds from the dried flower.

Remove the chaff and poor quality seeds. Remove seeds that are damaged or diseased.

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Store dried seeds in a clean, dry container.

? How many of you have harvested seeds in the past?? What advice can you share with the other mothers?

Additional Information for the TrainerHarvesting Roots and Tubers Chinese cabbages, carrots, and onions flower in the second year. Seeds can

only be harvested in the year when flowers appear. When harvesting carrot, dig up the carrots and find the plants with the

largest roots, and best appearance. Cut the greens and replant these carrots in the coolest time of the year. The

next year, a new top will grow with flowers. For harvesting onions, select the largest onions. Cut the onion tops 15 cm

from the onion. Let the bulbs dry under the shade of a tree for three to four weeks. When bulbs are completely dried, store them in a dry place. When ready to plant, cut off the top section of the bulb (top ¼) to promote sprouting and plant.

To help cabbage flower, plant the cabbage so it matures in the cool time of the year. When the plant is mature, use a knife to make an “X” cut on the top of the cabbage head. Be careful not to cut into the inner core of the head. The stem and flowers will grow out of the “X” cut.

Seed Storage Store dry seeds in a clean container with a lid. If seeds are stored when they

are still wet, mold and mildew will develop, increasing risk for disease and spoiling.

Keep the seeds in a cool place where they are protected against pests and rodents.

Mix sand, dried hot peppers, chili powder or strong smelling leaves with the seeds to keep pests away. Mix 20-30 grams of dried and powdered chilies for every kg of seeds.

Consider storing seeds in a closed container with a handful of rice grains to draw out moisture.

8. Activity: Harvesting Seeds – 30 minutes

Bring these items to the meeting: A ripe, wet fruit (tomato, cucumber or melon) A bowl of fermented seeds (must be prepared in advance) Flowered stalks (carrot, amaranth or Chinese cabbage) Dried chili or pepper to use in seed storage

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1. Demonstrate how to harvest seeds from both the ripe wet fruit and the dried flowered stalks.

2. Explain how to dry seeds, setting them into the sun to dry. 3. Demonstrate how to store seeds with hot chili’s or ground peppers to keep

pests and rodents away. (Mix 20-30 grams of dried, powdered chilies for every kg of seeds to be stored.)

4. Discuss the best types of containers for storing seeds to keep them cool and dry.

5. End the demonstration with following discussion:

? If you don’t have a garden already, where can you find flowered stalks?

Add any of the following that are not mentioned: Ask other women in your community if you can have some of their seeds. Look in the forest for wild vegetable plants

? Which vegetables are hard to find in the market? How can you find seeds for these fruits?

Add any of the following that are not mentioned: Ask other women in your community if you can have some of their seeds. Look in the forest for wild vegetable plants Ask women who sell fruit if they can help you find seeds

Discuss other markets (farmer field groups or co-ops) that may have access to seeds. Make sure women know the following:1) how to harvest their own seeds and 2) options for purchasing seeds locally





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For Leader Mother Groups:1. Ask each Leader Mother to share the teachings she has learned with the

person sitting next to her. She will use the first two flipchart pages of today’s lesson.


3. After ten minutes, ask the women to switch roles. The other Leader Mother will share the teachings from the third and fourth pages of the lesson.








For example: I will begin collecting flowered stalks for drying and collecting seeds. I will collect good sized, healthy fruit to harvest seeds for my garden. I will go and purchase seeds of plants that my family likes to eat. I will talk with my neighbors and ask them if I can have a few seeds to start

my garden.

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Lesson 3: Preparing the Garden and Nursery

Caregivers will map out the placement of animal hutches, fruit trees and vegetable gardens around their house.

o Start the garden in a sunny, flat area near water and the cooking house.

o Prepare a small area (nursery), about 1 meter wide and long near the garden to grow seedlings.

Caregivers will prepare a nursery for vegetable seeds and wait until they are strong enough to move them to the kitchen garden.

o Wet the soil so that it is moist.o Break up the hard crust on the soil. o Turn over leaves and grass into the soil. o Mix soil in nursery with sand.o Add a thin layer of mulch on top of seedlings to keep them moist.

Caregivers will only plant some of their seeds each month, staggering the planting so they will have a staggered harvest.

Materials:1. Attendance Registers 2. Leader Mother Flipchart3. A volunteer who has not yet started her nursery*

Summary: Game: I’m Planting a Garden Attendance and Troubleshooting Share the story: Mapping the Garden Ask the mothers about their current practices Share the meaning of each picture on flipchart pages 6-11: Location of the

Garden and Nursery, Planting Seeds in a Nursery, and Nursery Care Activity: Preparing a Nursery Discuss Barriers Practice and Coaching in pairs Request Commitments

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1. Game: I’m Planting a Garden — 10 minutes

1. This is a game of memory. The women in your group must remember everything that the others say.

2. Ask everyone to stand in a circle, including the facilitator. 3. The facilitator begins by saying, “I’m preparing a kitchen garden and I’m

planting (name one fruit, grain or vegetable).” 4. The person to the right of the facilitator repeats what the facilitator said and

adds one new fruit, grain or vegetable onto the sentence. 5. Continue with each woman in the circle repeating what was said before and

adding one new thing. 6. There are no wrong answers in this game. Continue adding new items until

the list is too long to remember!

7. Now that we are energized, let’s begin our session.










to follow your commitments? Tell the story of what happened?28

o What factors (people, events or chores) in your life made it difficult to keep your commitments?









Story: Mapping the Garden (Picture 3.1) ─ 10 minutes


Mama Mubaya and her husband agree to grow two fruit trees, one row of maize and two rows of vegetables. “This way we all get to grow our favorite things.” Mama Mubaya says. “Let’s make a plan” says her husband, “Let’s mark a place for the animal hutches, the fruit trees and the garden using sticks and stones.”


? What is the purpose of marking the land before beginning?

? What planning have you done so far to prepare for your garden and animal hutches?

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Ask the first question to hear the women’s opinion about mapping the garden first.

o We hope the women respond in this way: Mapping helps you to select the best location for the garden in comparison to other things you may later add to the homestead like fruit trees, a well, compost pit or animal hutch.

o Planning ahead helps you to consider all of your needs before beginning to dig or build.

o If you put your animal hutch next to your garden, you animals may eat your plants. If you put your animal hutch too close to the house, you may smell the animals at night.

o Planning and talking it through with the family helps to prevent problems in the future.

Ask the second question to hear about the women’s plans for their homesteads.



Location of the Garden and Nursery (Picture 3.2) - 5 minutes




Choose a sunny place near your house and a water source. Gardens close the house make it easy for you to gather vegetables

before cooking. Gardens near water make it easy to water each week. Vegetables grow best if they have direct sunlight for most of the day. Make a fence from thatch or thorns to keep animals out of the garden.

Prepare a small place (nursery) to grow seedlings. Make the nursery about one meter long and wide. Only very small seeds need to be planted in a nursery.

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The healthiest plants will be moved to the kitchen garden. Plant tubers, bulbs and large seeds directly in the garden.

? What other advice would you give about choosing a good place for a garden? A nursery? Animal hutches?

Additional Information for the TrainerIndividual and Group Plots Mothers may decide to plant seeds in a group plot near a water source or in

a valley where the soil is rich instead of near their home. However, when the garden is far from the home, it is difficult for a woman to

harvest foods for her family to eat each day. Even if a group plot is developed, all mothers should consider growing small plants near the home.

Nutrient Level of the Soil Healthy soil is essential for a healthy harvest. The soil must hold enough air

and water for plants to grow. Worms, insects and tiny organisms also help to improve the soil.

Some soil is naturally healthy (especially land that is left alone in the forest), other soils have lost nutrients from burning, clearing and overuse.

To help improve the soil in your garden, start a compost pit. Mixing compost into the soil helps to improve the soil’s health. Rotate plants each year, so you are not planting the same plant in the same place each year.

To learn more about compost, see Lesson 10. For more information about plant rotation, see Lesson 4. For more information about improving soil health, talk with the FH Agriculture Staff.

Natural Fences Putting a fence around your garden protects your plants from wind and

animals. You can make a fence from solid sticks, thorny branches, palm leaf-stalks, bamboo or wire.

By planting a living fence, you can harvest food from the fence for your family or to give to animals as fodder. Some options include the following:

o Use shrubs or trees like moringa. The leaves can be eaten. Plant the tree with cuttings 1 meter high.

o Sisal gives good protection from animals and wind. Plant the bulbs in double zigzag rows 50cm apart. Sisal can also be used to make rope to tie up tomato plants or animals.

o Cassava can be made into hedges by placing cuttings 5-10cm apart or in double zigzag rows, 20cm apart. Trim the hedge regularly and reinforce with sticks or bamboo for greater protection from animals.

o Pigeon pea does not provide great protection, but provides edible beans and fodder for small animals.8

Planting Seeds in the Nursery (Picture 3.3) - 5 minutes

8 Waaijenberg, Henk, page 6.31




Stagger the planting of seeds so you can harvest all year long. Do not sow all of your seeds at one time. Plant new seeds every 3-4 weeks until the garden is full. By staggering plantings you will have ripe produce in all seasons.

Break up the soil, mixing it with sand and water. If the soil is dry, water it the night before you turn the soil. Water makes it easier for you to work the soil. Turn grass and weeds into the soil. Sand makes it easier to remove the seedlings when they have spouted.

Plant small seeds 1-2 cm deep with 5-10 cm between each seed and row. Cover each seed with soil.

Plant vegetables and grains which grow well in the current crop season.

If your garden is not near a well or water source, plant seeds which don’t require heavy watering.

Plant seeds in rows so you know where each plant is growing.

Additional Information for the TrainerRoots, Tubers and Large Seeds Don’t plant large seeded plants (or those with roots) in a nursery. Plant

them directly into the kitchen garden with the correct spacing. This includes maize, groundnut, amaranth, onion, beans, carrots, pumpkins, squash, cucumbers, melons and okra.

Advice on Watering9

If it rains regularly, the garden does not need watering, except during planting and transplanting.

Water quantities are measured in millimeters (mm): 1 mm = 1 liter per square meter = 1 watering can (about 10 liters) per 10 square meters. The amount of water needed depends on the climate and the kind of soil. The hotter and sunnier the weather, the more water is needed for the vegetables.

In the dry season, if it does not rain, leaf vegetables need at least 6mm a day and the other vegetables at least 4mm a day, that is to say 6 and 4 watering cans for a garden of 10 meters by 10 meters.


Sandy soil must be watered more frequently and with more water than clay-like soils.

Transplants require daily watering. Water stronger plants once a week. Do not overwater. If the soil stays wet for a long time the roots might rot.

Water in the late afternoon ore early morning to prevent the leaves from burning and loss of water by evaporation.

Watering Can Prepare a watering can by piercing the bottom of a gourd or can with a nail.

Be sure to make small holes - if the holes are too big the water will damage the plants and wash away the soil.

You can also use a broom dipped into a bucket or calabash to sprinkle water onto seedlings.

Water next to the plant or seedling so the water reaches the roots. Pouring water directly on the plants will damage the stem and leaves of small or weak plants.

Nursery Care (Picture 3.4) ─ 5 minutes



What do you think these pictures mean?

Add finely cut grass and leaves around new plantings. Lay the grass so it is 5 cm deep. These cuttings (mulch) keep the soil moist. Mulch prevents weeds by blocking them from the sun. As the cuttings break down, they add food to the soil. Mulch protects the soil and seeds from heavy rain.

Water after planting. Water the seeds every evening. Water in the morning or late afternoon to prevent new leaves from

burning in the hot sun. Do not pour water directly on the seeds. Water in between the rows. During rainy season, only water on days when the soil is dry.

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8. Activity: Preparing a Nursery – 60 minutes

Prepare in advance: Find a mother who has not yet prepared a nursery. Ask her if the group can work together to plant her first seedlings at the end

of the next meeting. If it is dry season, ask the woman to water the area well the evening before

the group meets. Ask her to prepare some seeds to plant, a bucket or two of sand and a pile of

cut grass for mulch.

1. Together as a group, use hoes to break up the soil in a small plot about 1 meter long and 1 meter wide.

2. Mix one or two buckets of sand into the soil. Add water as needed so the soil is easy to work.

3. Plant seeds in rows about 2 cm deep with 5-10 cm between each seed and each row.

4. Cover the seeds with soil.5. Add a layer (up to 5cm) of cut grass onto the newly planted seedlings.





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Based on today’s teachings, what commitment will you make?


For example: I will stagger the planting of my seeds so I will have harvest all year round. I will map out the location of the garden and nursery making sure there is

enough sun for planting. I will mix sand into the nursery soil to help me transplant the young

seedlings later. I will cover the seeds with mulch and water them lightly each day.

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Lesson 4: Transplanting and Plant Spacing

Caregivers will plant fruit sapling at least 5 meters away from big trees, huts and the kitchen garden, digging a hole big enough to hold the roots.

Caregivers will move the healthy, well-formed plants with 2 or 3 adult leaves from the nursery to the main garden.

Caregivers will water seedlings and saplings each day for several days after transplanting.

Caregivers will add mulch around each new planting to prevent weeds from growing, too add food to the soil, and help keep the soil moist.

Caregivers will plant each vegetable, root, bulb and grain in rows according to its proper spacing.

o Plant carrots in rows about 40 cm apart. Leave about 8 cm between each plant.

o Plant maize in row 80 cm from other plants with 50 cm between each plant.

o Plant groundnut in rows 30 cm apart with seeds 30 cm apart. For improved varieties, space “red beauty” seeds with 8-10 cm between each seed and 20cm between each GL24 seed.

o Plant onions 8-10 cm apart in rows 25-30 cm apart. o Plant amaranth in rows 25 cm apart with 15-20 cm between each

plant. o Plant Chinese cabbage in rows 40 cm apart with 10 cm between

plants (regular cabbage is 30 cm apart with 100-110 cm between each row).

Materials:1. Attendance Registers2. Leader Mother Flipchart3. Materials to demonstrate plant spacing*

o A Volunteer’s Garden with seedlings ready to plant*o Watering can with water*o Mulch for the new plantings* o Sticks (each woman should bring one stick for each of the crops or

vegetables she plans to sow)*o Hoes (each woman brings one)*

Additional Information for the Trainer: The demonstration activity should either be done in a group plot using the improved seeds given by FH, or in the

36

personal plot of one of the women in the program using local seeds which she has harvested. If the group goes to her plot, she should provide all of the mulch, water, and seedlings for planting. The others in the group will help with the work, bringing their own hoes (and sticks for recording the plant spacing).

Summary: Game: The Gardener Says Attendance and Troubleshooting Share the story: Mama Mubaya’s Shortcut Ask about Current Practices Share the meaning of each picture on flipchart pages 6-11: Fruit Trees,

Transplanting and Plant Spacing. Activity: Plant Spacing Discuss Barriers Practice and Coaching in pairs Request Commitments

1. Game: The Gardener Says — 10 minutes

1. The object of this game is to do what “the Gardener” says. The women should only do the activity if the facilitator begins the sentence with “The Gardener says…” For example, “The Gardener says weed the garden. The Gardener says, add mulch to the garden. The Gardener says, sprinkle water on your garden. The Gardener says, plant seeds in the nursery.” (For each of these actions, the women should pretend to be doing the action.)

2. Say several “The Gardener says,” then give an instruction without mentioning the Gardener. “The Gardener says weed the garden. The Gardner says to water the plants. Now add mulch.” Those who began adding mulch must leave the circle.

3. Continue giving new commands until only one person remains. 4. Repeat the game several times.

Now that we are energized, let’s begin today’s lesson.


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Story: Mama Mubaya’s Shortcut (Picture 4.1) ─ 10 minutes


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“What happened to your garden?” asks Mama Muzuri. Mama Mubaya grumbles, “I planted vegetable seeds directly into the garden to save time. I watered them, but the soil washed away. Nothing has sprouted!” Mama Muzuri shakes her head. “Growing a garden takes time. You must be patient and try the new things we are learning. If not, you can’t expect the garden to grow well.”


? Why didn’t Mama Mubaya’s garden succeed?

? What should she have done differently?

? Is your attitude about gardens like Mama Muzuri or Mama Mubaya? Why?

Ask the first question to review some of the reason’s Mama Mubaya’s garden did not succeed.

o She watered her seeds with too much water, washing many of them away.

o The birds and sun destroyed the seeds. Ask the second question to hear from the women what she should have done

differently. o She should plant seeds first in a nursery to choose the best

seedlings and help them grow strong before putting them in the garden.

o She should between the rows, not directly onto the plantings. o She should add mulch around the seedlings to keep the soil moist

and feed the plants. Ask the last question to hear the mother’s attitudes about their own kitchen

garden. Encourage discussion. Don’t correct “wrong answers.” Let everyone



Fruit Trees (Picture 4.2) ─ 5 minutes

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Plant fruit trees at least 5 meters away from the garden, other trees and huts.

As it grows, it will block the sun from other plants. When the tree drops fruit it may damage huts that are too close. Citrus trees are smaller and can be planted 2-3 meters from other

buildings and plants.

Dig a hole deep enough to hold the roots and some compost. Add a handful of compost into the hole. Do not bend or break the roots during planting. Add dirt around the roots until the soil is level with the ground. Pat the soil firmly to remove air under the soil.

Add mulch around the sapling. Keep the mulch away from the stem. The mulch may cause the stem to rot if it is too close. Water around the sapling, pouring it over the mulch. The water will seep into the ground and water the roots.

Transplanting (Picture 4.3) ─ 5 minutes




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When your seedlings have 2 or 3 adult leaves, move them to the garden. Use a hoe or shovel to dig up the roots.

Water the plants before digging up the roots. Do not cut or break the roots. Leave the dirt clinging to its roots. Plant the seedlings in the garden on the same day.

Plant similar vegetables together in a group. Each year plant groups in a different place in the garden.

Plant roots and tubers together in one group. Plant cabbage-like plants together (broccoli, cauliflower, kale and

Chinese cabbage) in one group. Plant vegetables that grow best in high heat (tomato, cucumber,

pepper and eggplant) in one group. Plant all other plants in the last group (lettuce, peas, and beans). Pests and disease increase when plants are planted in the same place

each year.

Additional Information for the TrainerTransplanting When transplanting, choose the best plants, the ones with good growth. Transplant after a rain (or after watering) when the sun is low in the sky (not

at midday when the sun is very hot). Seed depth10

Sowing depth is usually twice the width of the seed face (diameter). For example, a seed with a diameter of 3 cm is sown at a depth of 6 cm.

If the seeds are sown too deep, they have difficulty emerging from the ground and may rot.

If the seeds are sown too close to the surface, they may dry out in the sun and are more easily eaten by birds or rodents.

Companion Plants Some plants add nutrients to the soil to help other plants grow well. Some

plants have a smell or flower that keeps pests away. Below are a few suggestions of plants which help others to grow well.

Plant carrots in rows with tomatoes to help tomatoes grow well. Planting onions near cabbage helps the cabbage to grow well. Avoid planting

tomato with cabbage. Amaranth helps corn to grow well. Intersperse with onion. Eggplant helps beans to grow. Plant marigolds in the garden to keep nematodes away. For more

information on pest control, see the additional information for Picture 5.3Crop Rotation If you grow the same vegetables or vegetables from the same family in the

same place each year, you encourage the multiplication of bad insects and disease common to your vegetable or group of vegetables. By moving the vegetable groups to a new place in the garden, you can enrich the soil and reduce plant sickness.


Plant Spacing (Picture 4.4) ─ 20 minutes




Plant the seeds in rows, leaving space in between each plant and each row for the roots to grow well.

Break up the soil as you did for the nursery. Put compost in each hole before planting. Cover the roots with soil and pat the soil gently.

Water the transplants well. Add mulch each seedling. Water transplants each day for three or four days. After plants are settled, they can be watered once or twice a week

as needed. During hot season, plants may need to be watered each day. Check the soil under the mulch before watering. If it is damp, wait to water again.

Additional Information for the TrainerSpecific Vegetables For additional information on specific fruits and vegetables see the pages at

the end of this document.11 Plant Spacing Leaving space between rows and seeds ensures the plants do not compete

for water or food. Planting in rows also makes it easier for the gardener to weed and water.

Vegetables planted according to the specific measurements are bigger and of better quality than vegetable seeds which are scattered or planted too close together.

11 Vegetable and fruit pages at the end of this document are copied from the following source : FAO. Créer et Diriger un Jardin Scolaire. Rome : Organisation des Nations Unies pour l’alimentation et l’agriculture, 2009.

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8. Activity: Plant Spacing – 30 minutes

Health Managers: Encourage the Promoters and Mother Leaders to develop a song about plant spacing. By including crop measurements in a song, women will be able to easily remember the spacing for many years to come.

1. Go to a garden with seedlings ready to be planted.2. Discuss how the plants should be grouped in the garden by family.3. Demonstrate the proper plant spacing for each of the seedlings that the

woman has to plant.a) Group vegetables together by those with similar measurements to help

mothers remember the distances. Help mothers make markings on the sticks, cutting small

notches for each measurement. Use a new stick for each new vegetable or crop.

b) Encourage a literate woman in each group (care group and neighbor group) to keep a list of the measurements so others in the group can come to her for help if they forget the distances.

4. After planting, add mulch around each new planting.5. Water the mulch around each plant carefully.

1. Plant Spacing Between plants Between rows

Onions 8-10 cm 25-30 cmCarrot 8 cm 40 cmChinese Cabbage 10 cm 40 cmCabbage 30cm 100cmTomato 50 cm 75-100 cm (or 20-40 cm

if you will stake plants)Eggplant 50 cm 90 cmAmaranth 25 cm 15-20 cmMaize 50 cm 80 cmGroundnut 30 cm local varieties;

8-10 cm “red beauty”;20 cm for GL24

30 cm

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For example: I will plant my garden in rows, rotating the location of each group each year. I will use compost in all of my planting holes, and add mulch around each

plant. I will water new transplants each day for the first few days after

transplanting. I will use the marked sticks to help me plant according to the plant

measurements.

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Lesson 5: Garden Care and Harvesting

Caregivers will weed their kitchen gardens each week, adding more mulch as needed to prevent weeds from growing.

Caregivers will remove diseased plants and broken branches to encourage plant growth.

Caregivers will remove shoots from tomato, amaranth and eggplants that take nutrients away from the main stem of the plant.

Caregivers will support low hanging branches using either string or sticks to keep branches from lying on the ground.

Caregivers will harvest the fruit as soon as it appears rich in color and is easily removed from the stem.

Materials:1. Attendance Registers 1. Leader Mother Flipchart2. Materials to build a Pot-in-Pot Refrigerator*

a. Two pots, one large one and one smaller that fits inside (with at least 50cm between the inner and outer pot on all sides).*

b. Sand to fill the outer pot*c. A watering can and water*d. A cloth to cover the pot*

Summary: Game: The Whisper Attendance and Troubleshooting Share the story: Gardening and Child Care Ask about Current Practices Share the meaning of each picture on flipchart pages 30-35: Weeding and

Pruning, Shoots and Stakes, and Harvesting Fruits and Vegetables. Activity: Pot-in-Pot Refrigeration Discuss Barriers Practice and Coaching in pairs Request Commitments

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1. Game: The Whisper ─ 10 minutes

1. Participants sit in a circle.2. The facilitator thinks of a sentence about a garden problem such as, “I’ve

planted tomato plants but my neighbor’s goat keeps coming into my garden and eating the leaves off my plants.”

3. She whispers this message into the ear of the person sitting on her right. The woman receiving the message repeats the message to the next person in the circle.

4. Continue passing the message from one person to another until it reaches the last person in the circle.

5. Ask her to say the message aloud.6. Compare the final message to the original message. Usually the message

changes as it is passed around the circle.7. Repeat the game with a new message.

Now that we are energized, let’s begin.









? How – what did you do?

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o Did anyone (spouse, grandmother or children) interfere or tell you not to follow your commitments? Tell the story of what happened?










Story: Gardening and Child Care (Picture 5.1) ─ 10 minutes


“Why do you spend so much time caring for this garden?” Furaha asks. Mama Muzuri responds, “Just like you, this garden needs help to grow strong and healthy. The plants need water just like you. The plants need mulch to protect them from heavy rains and damaging wind (like you need a roof over your head). They need weeding and pruning to grow strong (like a child need vaccinations and discipline). Just like you, a garden needs special care!”


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? What other similarities do you see between gardening and child care?

? What practices do you recommend to help plants grow strong and productive? Which of these practices are you doing now?

Ask the first question to discover the women’s ideas about the similarities between garden and child care.

Ask the second question to hear practices they believe help plants to grow strong and productive.

o We hope women mention some of the practices we are discussing in this lesson including pruning, staking, pest management, regular watering and weeding.

Ask the last question to hear which of these practices the women are already doing.



Weeding and Pruning (Picture 5.2) - 5 minutes




Remove weeds that grow through the mulch, digging out the roots. Weed at least once a week. Use a small stick or shovel to dig out the roots of the weed. Burn weeds which already have flowered. Add more mulch to areas where weeds are growing. Give weeds to the small animals you are raising.

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Remove dead and broken branches and plants with disease. Prune plants in the rainy season when they are strong. Prune fruit trees after the first harvest. Remove plants that bear poorly formed fruits. Pruning broken and damaged branches will help the plant to grow

stronger.

? How often do you prune the plants in your garden? Tell me about it.? How many of you have put mulch on your gardens? How has it helped your

plants to grow?

Shoots and Stakes (Picture 5.3) - 5 minutes




Remove shoots on tomato and eggplant that take nutrients from the main stem.

Remove the shoots that grow between the main stem and the largest branches.

Look for shoots below the flowers at the top of the plant. Do not remove shoots above the flowers. Pluck the shoots off with your thumb and finger. This helps the plant grow taller and produce bigger vegetables.

Stake plants with branches that hang on the ground. Eggplant and tomatoes produce better when branches are supported. Place stakes at the beginning and end of each row. Use a string to “weave” between the tomato plants up and down the

row. Or tie the heavy branches loosely to a stick.

? Tell me how you stake your plants.? What strategies have you learned to help control pests in the garden?

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Additional Information for the TrainerPruning shoots (or suckers) Pruning tomato plants increases the number of tomatoes and reduces

disease.12 Identify the main stem of the plant. Then find the blossom at the topmost part of the stem. Moving down from the blossom, remove the shoots which appear at the division between the main stem and branches.

These shoots are sometimes called “suckers” because they suck (or drink) the food and water away from the main stem.

Removing these shoots helps the main branch to grow taller. Removing them will give you bigger, better fruit. Remove new shoots from the main stem once a week when plants are dry (not after a rain).

Never remove the shoots above the last blossom on the plant. At this point the plant is still growing up. Removing these shoots above the blossom will stunt growth.

Pest Control13

These natural methods help to control insects without using harsh chemicals. Most of these methods require that you purchase a sprayer for the plants. You can also use a broom dipped into the bucket or calabash of the pest control mixture. Spray (or sprinkle) ever 3-4 days as needed. Remember to rotate crops each year to prevent an increase in insects. For small gardens, reduce the quantities by half.

Tobacco leaves control pests on cabbage, cucumber, squash and greens. Tobacco can carry a virus that affects plants of the solanaceous family. Do not use on (or near) tomatoes, potatoes, chilies, eggplant, sweet pepper, or bitter tomato. Soak ½-1 kg of leaves in 2 liters of water for one day. Filter with a cloth and add it to 8 liters of water. Spray or sprinkle the plants every three to four days.

Garlic bulbs control aphids, leafhoppers, squash bugs, whiteflies. Chop 500 grams of garlic and add it to 8 liters water. Let sit for 2 to 3 days. Spray or sprinkle the plants every 3-4 days.

Use soap to control insects like aphids and green hoppers, or thrips and mites. Do not use it on thin leafed plants in the nursery. Add four spoons of powdered soap (like OMO) in 5 liters water or 1/8 bar of laundry soap to 5 liters water.

Use chili peppers to control insects such as ants, scales, caterpillars, aphids and diamond-back moths. Chop of 250 grams of fresh chilies. Add them to 1 liter of water. Boil for 15- 20 minutes and mix with 2¼ liters of water.

Dried chili powder can be used to control ants and termites. Spread the powder around the base of the plant from near the stem to the furthest leaf.

Neem seeds, leaves and bark control many insects. Chop ½ kilo of fresh leaves and add them to 2½ liters of water. Or pound ½ kilo of unripe fruit adding it to 4 liters of water. After two days spray (or sprinkle) the plants.

Old Mosquito nets can be used to cover the nursery to keep insects away. Place stakes (sticks) in the ground surrounding the sides of the nursery. Place the net over the sticks pulling the net gently so it does not rest on any of the new seedlings.

12 In DRC tomato plants are of the indeterminate variety which grows all year long. These plants require staking and pruning. Determinant varieties of tomatoes are short and bush-like and do not require staking or pruning.13 Berenguier, BJ, page 6.

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Harvesting Fruits and Vegetables (Picture 5.4) ─ 5 minutes




Harvest fruits and vegetables when they are ripe, break or cut them off at the stem.

Picking the ripe fruit encourages the plant to produce more. Most vegetables have the best flavor when they are small. Leaving vegetables too long may reduce flavor.

Keep vegetables in a cool place before washing and eating. It is best to eat vegetables one or two days after harvesting. Wash fruits and vegetables just before eating. Store vegetables in a pot-in-pot refrigerator to prevent them from

spoiling. The outer pot is filled with wet sand. Put vegetables in a smaller pot

inside to keep them cold.

Additional Information for the TrainerHarvesting Tomatoes A tomato is fully ripe when it releases easily from the stem. This is also

when it has the best flavor. Tomatoes will continue to ripen after picking if picked green, but will not taste as good.

Harvesting Root Vegetables Loosen the soil gently and pull one of the root vegetables up. Root

vegetables are more tender and rich in flavor if eaten younger and smaller. As the roots get older and larger, they become tough, woody and strong in flavor. You can store some root crops in the ground after the tops die.

Pot-in-Pot Refrigeration Ripe vegetables can be kept without spoiling for up to one week if they are

kept cool. A cooling pot was created in Nigeria called the “pot-in-pot refrigerator.” You can make your own cooling pot by following his instructions. See below for more information.

In a study in Nigeria, the pot-in-pot was able to keep eggplants fresh for 27 days instead of three days, and tomatoes and peppers lasted for three

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weeks before going bad in the pot-in-pot. African spinach, which usually spoils after a day, remained edible after 12 days in the pot-in-pot.14

8. Activity: Pot-in-Pot Refrigerator – 30 minutes

Option One: Building a Pot-in-Pot Refrigerator1. Place a small amount of sand in the large pot – then put the small pot inside.

Add more sand in the large pot as needed until the rim of the small pot is at the same level as the rim of the large pot.

2. Now fill the space between the pots with sand until the sand reaches just below the rim of both pots.

3. Use a watering can to wet the sand in between the pots. 4. Place vegetables or other crops to be cooled in the smaller pot.5. Cover the small pot with a damp cloth.6. To keep the pot cool, add water to the sand in between the pots twice a day.7. Keep the pot in a dry place with a breeze (or good air flow). 8. For better cooling, purchase a metal stand to raise the pots off the ground.

Option Two: Garden Maintenance1. Visit a volunteer’s garden with tomatoes and other plants which need pruning

and weeding. 2. Work as a group to identify and remove shooters from tomato and eggplants. 3. Work as a group to identify plants that are diseased or broken which need to

be pruned or removed.4. Work together to weed the garden as needed. 5. Work as a group to water the plants and add additional mulch as needed.6. Discuss any pests or disease seen in the garden and work with the women to

find solutions to overcome the pests. 7. Answer questions.


14 Rolex Awards for Enterprise. Mohammed Bah Abba. Visited 11 December 2012. Available: http://www.rolexawards.com/profiles/laureates/mohammed_bah_abba/project

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For example: I will weed my garden each week, removing weeds and adding mulch as

needed. I will remove the small shoots from my eggplant and tomato to improve the

plant growth. I will remove broken branches and diseased plants from the garden. I will talk with my husband about buying a pot-in-pot refrigerator for cooling

our harvest.

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Lesson 6: Chickens: Housing, Feeding and Care

Caregivers will be able to list the advantages and disadvantages of raising chickens.

Caregivers will prepare a raised chicken shelter to protect chickens from predators at night.

Caregivers will offer fresh food and water to the chickens each day in addition to letting them scavenge during the day.

Caregivers will provide nesting materials inside the coop for each hen. Caregivers will store eggs until the hens are broody and ready to nest.

Materials:1. Attendance Registers 2. Leader Mother Flipchart3. Volunteers with Chicken Coops*

Summary: Game: The Two Chickens Attendance and Troubleshooting Share the story: Advantages and Disadvantages of Chickens Discuss Current Practices Share the meaning of each picture on flipchart pages 46-51: Raised Chicken

House, Chicken Feed, Nesting and Egg Storage Activity: Chicken Coops Discuss Barriers Practice and Coaching in pairs Request Commitments

1. Game: The Two Chickens — 10 minutes

1. Ask the women to stand in a circle. The facilitator stands with them. 2. There are two chickens in this game. Demonstrate each sound and action for

the women. a. One chicken makes the sound of a squawking chicken, flapping her

wings, and raking her feet across the ground (demonstrate the noise and action).

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b. The other chicken is brooding (ready to sit on her eggs) and is squatting low to the ground making a brooding sound and spreading out her feathers to cover her eggs (shrug your shoulders and extend your arms like large wings covering eggs beneath you.

3. Ask the women to practice each of the sounds and actions of the chickens.4. Now begin the game. When the facilitator makes the squawking noise,

everyone must make the sound of a squawking chicken, flapping her wings and raking her feet across the ground.

5. When the facilitator makes the brooding noise, everyone must make the same sound, squat low to the ground extend your arms and shrug your shoulders.

6. The object of the game is to do the right action at the right time! 7. The facilitator tries to trick the women by repeating the same sound several

times before changing to the new sound. 8. Continue giving several women a chance to be the facilitator until everyone is

laughing.

Now that we are energized, let’s begin.











keep your commitments?

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Story: Advantages and Disadvantages of Chickens (Picture 6.1) ─ 10 minutes


Mama Muzuri and her husband are thinking about raising chickens. “Chickens produce eggs which are great snacks for the children,” says Mama Muzuri. “Yes, but the roosters will keep us awake at night,” says her husband. “Chickens are easy to sell. The meat tastes good and is easy to prepare,” says Mama Muzuri. “They are easy to feed if you let them scavenge during the day,” her husband adds. “That’s true,” says Mama Muzuri, “but we do have to build a coop to protect them at night.”


? What would you add to this list of advantages and disadvantages of raising chickens?

? Do you keep chickens? Why or why not?

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Ask the first question to hear the women’s additional ideas. Ask the second question to hear the reasons why women do (or do not)

currently keep chickens. Encourage discussion. Don’t correct “wrong answers.” Let everyone



Raised Chicken House (Picture 6.2) ─ 5 minutes




Prepare a raised chicken coop to keep chickens safe from predators at night.

Add baffles onto the legs using wicker or thatch. Baffles prevent rats from climbing into the coop. Make the floor out of sticks leaving 5 cm between each stick. Use sticks or bamboo for the walls of the coop. Cover the coop with thatch. Place the coop under the shade of a tree. Make a door that you can keep open and close.

Let the chickens out to scavenge during the day.

? What does your chicken coop look like? How does it compare with these coops?

Additional Information for the TrainerDoor The door should be large enough so you can easily gather eggs from each

nest. Later, with nesting hens, you will leave the door open so they can scavenge as needed and quickly return to the nest.

Protected Coop59

Make sure the coop is protected from sun and rain with one of the following options: 1) a long overhang – at least 90 cm hanging over the edge (to keep the morning and evening sun as well as rain off the chickens) or 2) covered sides or 3) positioned under a large tree which provides shade and cover from rain.

Chicken Feed (Picture 6.3) ─ 5 minutes




Give your chickens food each night. Offer maize and millet grains, scraps from family foods like bones and

fruit peels. Offer vegetable leaves, sweet potato leaves, weeds and garden waste. Never give cassava leaves to chickens! Cassava leaves can easily kill

chickens.

Seed can be broadcasted in dry season. During the rainy season use a bamboo or wood feeder to keep grains

dry. Grains left on the ground will get wet and bring sickness to the

chickens. Hollow out the wood or bamboo so food can be put inside.

Give fresh water to chickens each day. If using a bowl, add fresh water each day. For multiple chickens, place a bottle upside down in a small bowl.The water slowly drains from the bottle as the chickens drink.

Additional Information for the TrainerWater Feeders In tropical areas it is very important to supply chickens with enough water.

For a small numbers of chickens, an upside-down bottle is an easy solution. You can add string or leather to fix it to the wall, placing a small saucer against the mouth of the bottle.

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The water will pour into the bowl as the chickens drink. This way, you do not need to refill the container as often. 15

Nesting and Egg Storage (Picture 6.4) ─ 5 minutes




Provide a nest for each hen inside the chicken coop. Use a basket, pot or bucket to make a nest. Place the nest in a dark warm place. Add sand mixed with ashes to the bottom of the basket. Add cut grass on top of the sand mixture. Keep roosters with hens when you plan to raise chicks.

As soon as chickens lay eggs, move the eggs to a cool place. Collect eggs each day. Clean eggs with a dry cloth. Store the eggs you don’t plan to eat in a cool place. Store eggs until the hens become broody. Make a mark each day on all eggs in the cooling place. Eggs kept longer than 7 days should not be used for hatching.

Additional Information for the TrainerBaseline Data Almost 40% of households reported owning either chickens or ducks.

However only 3% of these mothers gave their child an egg to eat the day before the survey.

Forty-six percent (46%) of farming households reported owning goats, chickens or ducks. However only 5% of mothers reported giving children meat the day before the survey.

Although animals are in the homestead, they are not being used to increased child health and nutrition.

Cooling Eggs When the egg cools, the embryo stops growing. The growing starts again

when the temperature is increased (when a brooding hen sits on the eggs). If the temperature decreases a second time, the embryo will die.

15 Eekeren, N. van; Maas, A; Saatkamp, H.W.; & Verschurr, M, see page 6.61

Eggs stored for more than one week are less likely to hatch and the chances of survival for those that do hatch are much smaller. It is better to eat or sell these eggs than waste time giving it a hen for nesting.

Egg Production Depending on the breed, chickens can lay one egg every other day or up to

five eggs each week. By collecting the egg each day, it encourages the chicken to continue laying. If eggs are not collected, she will stop laying once the nest is full.

Keeping chickens well fed, clean, and in well-lit houses will encourage more egg production.

One can expect a fertilized egg 7 to 10 days after mating. A hen can continue to produce fertilized eggs for about a week after mating.

Marking Eggs Use a pencil to make a small circle or line on the eggs that you are keeping

cool. Make a mark each day before adding new eggs. New eggs will be marked after 24 hours.

If an egg has 7 marks, it should be immediately eaten or sold. It is too old for hatching.

8. Activity: Chicken Coops - 30 minutes

Before the day of the lesson: Find women in the community who own chickens. Visit each house and observe the different ways that the animals are kept. Look for nests and hutches that are well built and support the things that will

be taught in the lesson. Ask those with “good coops” if they are willing to share their experience with

the women’s group. Explain the date and time when the women will come to visit.

On the day of the lesson:1. Visit one or two of the chicken coops which you chose.2. Ask the women at each house to explain how they care and house the

chickens. Ask them to explain the cost of building the cage or hutch.3. Ask them to share advice they have for others raising chickens.4. Thank them and move to the next house.

After leaving the houses, ask the women the following questions:

? What good things did you see that you could do at your house?? What things could be improved to improve the chicken production?

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? What records did the woman keep about her chickens? What records are most important to record?

Add any of the following that are not mentioned: Roosters which have mated with the chickens to prevent inbreeding with

chicks. Chickens who produce the most eggs Chickens that produce the greatest number of fertilized eggs












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For example: I will gather supplies to make a chicken coop. I will make baskets or small boxes to use in the chicken coop for nesting. I will plant tall grasses around our house so we can use the greens for

nesting materials and feed.

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Lesson 7: Increasing Chicken Production

Caregivers will wait until most (or all) of the hens are broody and put up to 8 eggs in each nest.

After 9 days, caregivers will examine the eggs, removing those which do not have a heartbeat. Eggs removed from the nest will be eaten, sold, or boiled and used for chicken feed.

Caregivers will provide clean water and food for the chicks inside the chicken coop for the first three weeks.

Caregivers will contact IPAPEL staff about vaccinating chicks to prevent sickness.

Caregivers will replace soiled nesting materials every 2-3 days and sweep around the coop each day to prevent rodents and disease.

Caregivers will regularly replace roosters (or trade them with neighbors) to prevent inbreeding.

Materials:1. Attendance Registers 2. Leader Mother Flipchart3. A volunteer with nesting hens (on eggs 9-18 days old) 4. Flashlight for examining eggs

Summary: Game: Pass the Egg Attendance and Troubleshooting Share the story: Mama Muzuri’s Chickens Ask the women to discuss their current practices Share the meaning of each picture on flipchart pages 46-51: Brooding and

Nesting, Feeding Chicks, and Hygiene and Vaccinations. Activity: Examining Eggs Discuss Barriers Practice and Coaching in pairs Request Commitments

1. Game: Pass the Egg — 10 minutes

1. Choose one volunteer.

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2. Ask the other women to stand in a circle, very close together. The volunteer stands in the middle of the circle.

3. The facilitator walks around the outside of the circle and secretly slips an egg or other object into someone’s hand.

4. Tell the women that the object represents an egg. They must quickly pass the egg around the circle behind their backs.

5. The volunteer in the middle is the mother hen. She is looking for her egg and carefully studies the people’s faces and movements to guess who has her egg!

6. When the volunteer guesses correctly, the volunteer switches places with the woman holding the egg and the game continues.














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Story: Mama Muzuri’s Chickens (Picture 7.1) ─ 10 minutes


Mama Mubaya visits Mama Muzuri to see her new chickens. “We used to keep chickens,” says Mama Mubaya, but our chickens didn’t lay many eggs. Most of the eggs never hatched. Then one of our chickens got sick and all of them died.” she said. Suddenly, she looks down and sees a basket of eggs in Mama Muzuri’s hands, “You have so many eggs! How did you do that?”


? What problems did Mama Mubaya face? Do you have these problems with your chickens? Tell me about it.

? What do you think Mama Muzuri has done to increase her egg production?

Ask the first question to review the story and hear about problems the women face raising chickens.

Ask the second question to hear the women’s ideas about practices that increase egg production.


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Brooding and Nesting (Picture 7.2) ─ 5 minutes




Keep ten hens with one rooster to increase your offspring. Replace rooster regularly to prevent inbreeding.

When the hens are broody, place up to 8 eggs in each nest. If a hen becomes broody before the others, give her a boiled or dead

egg to sit on until the other hens are broody. Broody hens make an unusual sound, are unwilling to leave their nest

and will collect eggs to sit on. Use the stored, cooled eggs that are less than 7 days old. Sell or eat eggs that are stored more than 7 days.

After 9 days of nesting, remove eggs that do not have a beating heart.

Wait 9 days after the hen sits on the eggs. Use a flashlight to look for a beating heart in the egg. Chicks will hatch after 21 days in the nest. If the heart is not seen, it is a dead egg. Eat or sell it. Boil the cracked or soiled eggs. Crush them with the shell and use it as

chicken feed.

? How does this teaching compare to what you normally do with your chickens and eggs?

Additional Information for the TrainerTiming Reproduction

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Allowing all chickens to hatch at the same time makes it easier for the caregiver to care for young chicks. It allows the caregiver time to check all eggs for development since all of the hens begin nesting on the same day.

Foster Mothers Not all hens are equally fit for brooding (sitting on eggs / mothering the

young); but it is possible to get a broody hen to sit on the eggs of another. Turkeys and ducks can also be good mothers.

Examining Eggs Do not examine eggs with a flashlight after the 18th day. The light disturbs

the chicks and may cause unwanted stress as they prepare to hatch. Also, removing the eggs from the warm nest causes the temperature to drop increasing stress on the chicks.

Brooding Hens The hen will leave her nest to drink, eat and defecate. At first she will rarely

get off the eggs. After two weeks she will leave the nest more frequently. Make sure that the coop’s door is open during the day so nesting birds can leave for eating, dust bathing and drinking as needed.

The hen will stand and shift (or turn) the eggs regularly. Regular turning ensures the eggs are heated equally.

If a chicken become broody when you want her to continue laying eggs, place the hen in a separate coop and feed her well. In a few days she will start laying again.

Feeding Chicks (Picture 7.3) ─ 5 minutes




Provide clean water and rich foods for the chicks each day. Offer cut greens and broken grains. Snails, worms, insects, bones and crushed, boiled eggs provide protein

for growth. Greens provide vitamins to prevent sickness.

Keep the baby chicks inside the coop for 3 weeks. Provide food and water for the hen and chicks inside the coop. Leave the coop door open so the hen can scavenge for food during the

day.

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Feed the chicks at night before letting hens return to the coop. After three weeks the chicks can scavenger during the day.

After five months chicks are ready to breed. Keep records of which chickens are bred together. Do not breed a rooster with its offspring.

Additional Information for the TrainerMaturity Egg production begins at 20-32 weeks depending on the breed. A hen does

not need a rooster to start laying, but eggs will not hatch unless fertilized.

Hygiene and Vaccinations (Picture 7.4) ─ 5 minutes


Ask the caregivers to describe what they see in the pictures on page 59. Share the meaning of each picture using flipchart pages 58 and 59.


Put fresh grass into the nests every 2-3 days. Sitting in feces and wet grass causes sickness. Remove feces and uneaten food around the nest.

Sweep under the chicken coop each day. Sweep away feces and food scraps to prevent rats and birds from

gathering near the chickens.

Vaccinate chicks at a young age. Talk to IPAPEL staff about vaccinations for Newcastle Disease. Separate sick birds from the flock. Sickness spreads quickly between birds in a flock. Burn or bury dead birds.

Additional Information for the TrainerDisease Prevention Disease can often be prevented by providing clean water, good food,

housing, care and vaccinations.

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Keep chicken houses dry and clean. Sweep away manure around the house to deter rats and wild birds from coming to the coop. These animals may bring sickness to the birds.

Clean drinkers and feeders regularly, making sure water does not overflow onto food or nesting materials.

8. Activity: Examining Eggs – 30 minutes

Note: Make sure the eggs are younger than 19 days old. It is best to examine eggs that are about 9 days old. Be careful with the eggs. Return the eggs to the nest quickly so they do not cool down during the demonstration.

1. Take the women’s group to the house of the volunteer. 2. Take one of the eggs from the nest, showing the group how to examine the

egg with a flashlight. To make it easier to view, take the group inside a dark hut so the inside of the egg can easily be seen with the flashlight.

3. Replace the egg quickly so it doesn’t become cold.4. Examine several eggs that are from 1-2 weeks old.

a. Look for eggs that are not developing – point these eggs out to the women in the group.

b. Look for eggs where the heartbeat is easily seen – point these eggs out to the group.

c. Look for eggs with dead embryos – point these eggs out to the group.

d. Look for eggs with young chicks – point out the movement inside the eggs for the women to see.

5. Ask, “Why is it important to examine the eggs?”6. Remind the women that it helps to know which eggs can be sold or used for

eating; and which eggs are developing and will mature into young chicks.7. Answer questions.



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For example: I will store eggs until my hens begin showing broody behavior.

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I will keep the chicks inside the coop until they are three weeks old to prevent them from danger.

I will examine eggs 9 days after the hens begins nesting on them to see which eggs are maturing and which should be eaten or ground up for chicken feed.

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Lesson 8: Guinea Pigs: Housing, Feeding and Care

Caregivers will be able to list advantages and disadvantages of keeping guinea pigs.

Caregivers will prepare either an outside hutch or indoor space to house guinea pigs.

o Separate males from female guinea pigs.o House one male with up to ten females for breeding.o Keep additional males separated from those who are breeding.

Caregivers will give guinea pigs leafy greens, grasses, weeds, vegetable and fruit peels twice a day.

Caregivers will provide fresh water each day to the guinea pig. Caregivers will sweep away manure and uneaten food from the pens each

day. Caregivers will separate sick guinea pigs from all others and burn animals

that die.

Materials:1. Attendance Registers 2. Leader Mother Flipchart3. Volunteers keeping guinea pigs*

Summary: Game: The Knot Attendance and Troubleshooting Share the story: Advantages and Disadvantages of Guinea Pigs Ask the women to discuss their current practices Share the meaning of each picture on flipchart pages 46-51: Guinea Pig

Housing, Guinea Pig Feeding and Guinea Pig Care. Activity: Guinea Pig Housing Discuss Barriers Practice and Coaching in pairs Request Commitments

1. Game: The Knot — 10 minutes

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1. Ask the women to stand in a circle, with shoulders touching. 2. Each woman grabs the hand of another woman in the circle (not someone

standing next to them). 3. Then with the other hand, they grab the hand of a different woman in the

circle (again not someone standing next to them and not both hands of the SAME person).

4. After each woman is holding hands with two different people, ask the women to “untie” the knot.

5. They cannot let go of the hands they are holding. They can lift arms over shoulders, and step over clasped hands. Encourage them to work together to untangle. (It takes time, but can almost always be untangled).

6. They should finish with one single circle (some may be facing out rather than in).

After the game, ask:

? What can we learn from this game?o We need each other to solve problems. o We need everyone to agree and help each other.o Persistence will help us to solve the problems we face!











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Story: Advantages and Disadvantages of Guinea Pigs (Picture 8.1) ─ 10 minutes


Mama Mubaya and her husband are thinking about raising guinea pigs. “Guinea Pigs are small and easy to care for, ” says Mama Mubaya. “They are quiet and can be kept in the house,” says her husband. “Guinea pigs breed quickly,” says Mama Mubaya. “Yes, but they suffer from parasites and pneumonia just like our children. However, the meat tastes delicious!” her husband says.


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? What would you add to this list of advantages and disadvantages of raising guinea pigs?

? Do you keep guinea pigs? Why or why not?

Ask the women to add advantages and disadvantages that they have found to be true (that have not already been discussed).

o Some additional reasons may include the following:o Guinea pigs are easy to hide and light to carry if people are forced

to flee their homes.o You don’t need money to start breeding guinea pigs. You don’t

need land—most are kept indoors.o There are fewer diseases with guinea pigs as compared to poultry. o Disadvantages: animals are easily stolen or eaten by wild dogs,

cats, and snakes. When kept inside they can easily be stepped on and killed accidentally.

Ask the second question to hear the opinions of the women in the group regarding guinea pigs. Ask them to explain their reasons for keeping (or not keeping) these animals.



Guinea Pig Housing (Picture 8.2) ─ 5 minutes




Keep guinea pigs away from drafts and predators. A pen 1 meter long and 1.5 meters wide can hold up to 12 guinea pigs. Guinea pigs can be kept inside the house in a separate hutch or house. They don’t climb or jump. A 5 cm wall will keep them inside. If housed outside, cover two sides of the hutch to protect them from

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the sun, wind and rain.

If you have more than one male, keep the additional males in a separate pen.

Leaving more than one male with females will cause fighting. Choose the largest, healthiest male to stay with the females. Keep one male with up to 10 females.

Hold the guinea pigs on their backs to identify the sex. Female genitals are in the shape of “Y”. Male genitals are in the shape of “¡”. Do not breed males that are the offspring of any of female guinea pigs.

Additional Information for the TrainerSeparating by Sex Guinea pigs should be separated by sex and age. If two or more males are

housed with one or more females, they will fight and sometimes injure one another.

Only one male at a time should be penned with females to be mated. However, more than one male can be housed together as long as females are not present.

If the males continue to fight, observe them and identify the aggressive animal. Guinea pigs often adjust to each other. If an animal is constantly aggressive, replace it.

Pen Materials Pens can be constructed on the floor of the house, in a special building or in

outdoor cages. Floors of pens can be made of wire, wood, cement or mud. Construct walls with netting, wood, mud and cement. Cages can be constructed of wood, wire, metal or a combination of these materials.

If using dried grasses or leaves for bedding, change it once a week to reduce parasites and sickness.

Guinea Pig Feeding (Picture 8.3) ─ 5 minutes




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Offer leafy greens, grasses, vegetable and fruit peels and garden weeds at least twice a day.

Let freshly cut foliage sit for one hour before giving it to guinea pig. Freshly cut greens cause gas and stomach problems. Guinea pigs need vitamin C to stay healthy. Vitamin C is found in leafy greens, leaves and grasses. Feed guinea pigs a variety of foods to keep them healthy. Guinea pigs do not like strong smelling plants, wet plants, dried leaves

or woody stalks.

Provide clean water each day. When fresh greens are scarce, offer more water. Provide water in a shallow dish. Wash the dish and add new water each day. Offer twice as much water during the hot dry season.

Additional Information for the TrainerDiet Guinea pigs do not like strong smelling herbs or grasses. Trees that are

known to be poisonous or rejected by cattle should not be given to guinea pigs. In general, they do not care for ripe fruits, but will eat pods and immature grains.16

Leaves and greens should be aired out for one hour before offering it to guinea pigs. Freshly cut, warm and/or fermented materials causes gas and even death. Forage should be dried in the sun for at least one hour.17

Water Guinea pigs get water from the fresh greens they eat. However, always

provide additional water for guinea pigs to drink. Pregnant guinea pigs need 100 ml of water per day to live. If water is low,

animals may attack one another. Guinea pigs in the growing stage need 80 ml of water each day. Breastfeeding guinea pigs need 30 ml per day.18

Guinea Pig Care (Picture 8.4) ─ 5 minutes


Ask the caregivers to describe what they see in the pictures on page 67. Read the bold text on the back of the flipchart out loud.

16 National Research Council. Microlivestock: Little Known Small Animals with a Promising Economic Future. Panel of Microlivestock, National Academy of Sciences, 1991.17 Benson Institute, page 6.18 Benson Institute, page 6.

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Share the meaning of each picture using flipchart pages 66 and 67.


Keep food in a trough to increase eating. Keep foods off the ground (or safe from trampling by placing it in a small

trough). Keep the water dish away from the food trough. Trampled or wet foods will not be eaten by the guinea pig.

Sweep manure and uneaten food away each day. Add manure and uneaten materials to your compost. Allowing guinea pigs to lay in manure and discarded food will increase

sickness and parasites.

Separate sick guinea pigs from others. Burn dead animals. Discuss illnesses found in your herd with the IPAPEL staff.

Additional Information for the TrainerDisease and Death Guinea pigs are often seen dusting themselves (rolling) in ash from wood

fires. This helps to control external parasites like fleas and lice.19

Guinea pigs do not need regular vaccinations. The major causes of death for guinea pigs include stillbirths, trampling,

predation, pneumonia, stomach problems (usually from poor feeding), and general neglect. Pneumonia is common if temperatures change abruptly when conditions are wet.

8. Activity: Guinea Pig Housing – 30 minutes

Before the day of the lesson: Find women in the community who own guinea pigs. Visit each house and observe the different ways that the animals are kept. Look for well-constructed pits, pens or hutches for the animals. Ask those with “good animal housing” if they are willing to share their

experience with the women’s group. Explain the date and time when the women will come to visit.

19 National Research Council. Microlivestock: Little Known Small Animals with a Promising Economic Future. Panel of Microlivestock, National Academy of Sciences, 1991.

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On the day of the lesson:1. Visit one or two of the guinea pig homes.2. Ask the women at each house to explain how they care and house the guinea

pigs. Ask them to explain the cost of constructing the house and feeding the guinea pigs.

3. Ask them to share advice they have to others raising guinea pigs.4. Thank them and move to the next house.

After leaving the houses, ask the women the following questions:

? What good things did you see that you could do at your house?? What things could be improved to improve the guinea pig production?

Explain that another housing option will be discussed at the next lesson.









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For example: I will prepare a separate pen or pit for male guinea pigs. I will offer a variety of foods including greens, kitchen scraps and fruit peels

to my guinea pigs twice a day. I will prepare a place for my guinea pig that is away from drafts and where

guinea pigs are protected from predators.

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Lesson 9: Increasing Guinea Pig Production

Caregivers will create an 8-pen breeding system to help them provide enough meat to feed their family at least twice a month.

o Caregivers will separate males from females and separate the young by age.

o Each month caregivers will move the animals into a new box based on their role in the system.

o Caregivers will mark the females who produce large litters. Caregivers will give more food than normal to pregnant mothers and nursing

mothers with their young. Caregivers will eat or sell males that are not desirable for breeding (either

too small, a relative of the females, or those which are not good breeders). Caregivers will eat or sell females that regularly have small liters, have

birthed more than 7 litters or who do not easily get pregnant.

Materials:1. Attendance Registers 2. Leader Mother Flipchart3. 15 pebbles and 20 leaves*4. One stick for drawing in the sand*5. Materials for marking guinea pigs*

Summary: Game: Guinea Pig Count Attendance and Troubleshooting Share the story: Mama Mubaya Asks for Help Ask the women to discuss their current practices Share the meaning of each picture on flipchart pages 46-51: Housing for

Advanced Breeding, Pregnancy and Raising Young, Eating and Selling. Activity: Eight Pen Demonstration Discuss Barriers Practice and Coaching in pairs Request Commitments

1. Game: Guinea Pig Count — 10 minutes

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1. Ask the women to sit or stand in a circle. The facilitator stands with them too.2. The group will count, in turn, around the circle. Start at 1 and continue until

25 or above (depending on the literacy of the participants). 3. Anyone who has a 5 or 0 in their number must say GUINEA PIG instead of

saying the number. For example, 1, 2, 3, 4, GUINEA PIG, 6, 7, 8, 9, GUINEA PIG, 11… etc.

4. Every time someone says GUINEA PIG, everyone must wave their hands in the air.

5. Encourage the women to count quickly. 6. Repeat the game several times until everyone is laughing.














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Story: Mama Mubaya Asks for Help (Picture 9.1) ─ 10 minutes


Mama Mubaya visits Mama Muzuri. “My husband and I are raising guinea pigs,” Mama Mubaya says, “but we need help! Our house is crowded with animals. The males are fighting and sometimes injure each other. We know inbreeding is bad, but we don’t know how to separate the animals. Sometimes we kill a guinea pig only to discover it is pregnant! What are we doing wrong?”


? What problems does Mama Mubaya have?? Do you have any of these problems? How do you

overcome them?? What do you think Mama Muzuri will suggest?

Ask the first question to review Mama Mubaya’s problems. o Her animals are multiplying and filling the house. The males are

fighting. The animals are inbreeding. Sometimes her family eats the pregnant guinea pigs by accident.

Ask the second question to see how others in the group deal with these problems.

Ask the last question to hear suggestions from the women of how they think these problems can be resolved.

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Housing for Advanced Breeding (Picture 9.2) ─ 5 minutes




Create a house with six separations to increase reproduction. Keeping all guinea pigs together causes inbreeding. Inbred animals have small litters. Their young are more likely to die. Separate the animals to produce a larger, healthier herd. Make pen 1, 1½ meters long and wide. All other pens are 1 meter long

and 1 meter wide. Pen one is the breeding pen for one male and 10 females. Pen two is the pen for pregnant females. Pen three is the birth cage. Pen four is the one month old male cage. Pen five is the one month old female cage. Pen six is the two month old male cage. Pen seven is the two month old female cage. Pen eight is the male cage (three months and older).

Each month move a new male into the breeding cage and move all others down to the correct place.

Additional Information for the TrainerBenefit of Eight Cage System Male and female guinea pigs are separated to reduce inbreeding. Young guinea pigs are separated so they can become physically mature

before getting pregnant. Males do not become physically mature until four

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months of age and the females at 3 months of age. Breeding them before this time may stop their growth and reduce the health of the litter.

After birth, the mother guinea pig is allowed to rest one month so that she does not immediately become pregnant. This helps increase the mother’s health so she can continue birthing healthy litters. If she becomes pregnant immediately after each new birth, she will need to be replaced earlier than if she is allowed to rest for one month after delivery.

The system helps guide caregivers in choosing which guinea pigs to eat (and which to keep as breeders and reproducers).

Using this system requires less record keeping (can even be accomplished without records) which makes it easier for low-literate families to manage.

This system should work very well using three males and fifteen females as breeding stock. Once well established, with breeding females producing three or four in a litter, at least 200 young guinea pigs should be produced for selling or eating each year.

According to estimates, 20 females and 2 males can produce enough meat year-round to provide an adequate meat diet for a family of 6.20

Inbreeding If animals stay together (males, females and offspring) they will eventually

begin inbreeding. This means parents will breed with their offspring or one of the offspring will breed with its siblings. This increases the death rate among new litters, increases physical abnormalities and reduces the body size of new litters.

Trade or sell the males each year to prevent inbreeding.Female fertility Female guinea pigs are fertile every 16 days including the first few days

following delivery. However, it best to allow them to rest for one month after birth. If they are not given rest, females should be replaced each year.

On day 30 (and again every month): Move the largest young males from the baby male cage to the male

fattening cage. Move the largest young females from the baby female cage to the female

fattening cage. Remove babies from their mothers and check their sex. Place males in the baby male cage and females in the baby female cage. Remove male from breeding cage to a temporary cage, such as a deep

bucket. Remove females from breeding cage to a temporary cage, such as a deep box.

Place one fresh male in the breeding cage, and record in the record book. Place the "spent" male from the bucket in the boar cage. Move the females that are in the birth cage to the breeding cage. Record which females have been moved.21

Move the females from the pregnant female's cage to the birth cage. Move the females from the temporary cage or box to the pregnant female's cage.

Baseline Data (DRC) Only 5% of mothers reported giving children meat, even though 46% of

farming households reported owning goats, chickens, or ducks.

20 Huss, D.L. 1982. Small animals for small farms in Latin America. World Animal Review (FAO)43:24-29.21 For non-literate women, they should keep only 2-3 males which they rotate into the breeding pen each month. When females birth large litters (more than 2), they should mark the male and female in some way so they are kept and not taken for eating or selling.

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Guinea pigs when using the 8 cage system can help families to raise enough guinea pigs to supply meat each week for the family.

Pregnancy and Raising Young (Picture 9.3) ─ 5 minutes




Feed pregnant mothers well to increase the number of her offspring. Healthy, fat guinea pigs are more likely to birth three or more young. After nine weeks, pregnant guinea pig will give birth.

Offer more greens, scraps and water than normal to pregnant guinea pig, nursing guinea pigs and their young.

The young begin eating almost immediately after birth. Guinea pigs will nurse for two weeks in addition to eating foods. Mark guinea pigs who birth more than three guinea pig. Use this guinea pig for future breeding.

After one month, move each animal to a new cage. Move the males to the young male cage. Move females to the young female cage. Move the mother to the breeding cage. Move a new male to the breeding cage from cage 8. Move the old male back to the cage 8.

? How does this method increase the health of the animals? How could this method help you with your herd?

Additional Information for the TrainerBirth Guinea pig delivery lasts from 10 to 30 minutes. The mother does not need

any assistance. Birth usually happens at night. The number of offspring is from one to seven.

The mother eats the placenta (bloody sac delivered with the guinea pigs) and cleans the guinea pigs herself.

Signs of Pregnancy

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By the second week, the guinea pig will begin to eat and drink a lot more than usual. Her weight will increase and her activity will decrease.

By six weeks, her belly will swell and the young can be seen moving inside her belly. She will deliver after 9 weeks of pregnancy.

Always separate pregnant guinea pigs from others. If stressed, and caused to run some of the offspring my die in the belly. Loud noises can also increase stress on the animals.

Infertile Guinea Pig If a female has failed to give birth while in the breeding cage, replace her.

After two litters, if you see she only produces small liters compared to the other females, replace her. Bearing 1-2 guinea pig in a litter is small compared to those who can bear 3 or more each time.

If a male in the breeding cage is not mounting the females or none of the females become pregnant, replace him. Make sure the male is at least four months old before mating!

Feeding the Young The newborns can begin eating almost immediately after birth. If well fed

they will double their size in one month. They should be weaned at one month and placed into separate pens by sex and age.

Eating and Selling (Picture 9.4) ─ 5 minutes




Choose male animals to eat or sell from pens 6 and 7. Keep the largest, well-formed males for breeding. Large healthy males are more likely to produce large offspring. Sell or eat small males or those that are less desirable for breeding. Replace all males each year to prevent inbreeding. Inbreeding reduces the number in the litter, the size of the animals and

increases death of offspring. Place the best males in the pen 8 for future breeding.

Sell or eat females that regularly have small litters or have already birthed 5-7 litters.

Every two years, replace the old reproducing females with younger guinea pigs.

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Additional Information for the TrainerEating the Largest Traditionally, families choose the largest guinea pig for eating. The largest

guinea pig should be used for breeding future animals not for eating. Eating the largest, healthiest animals will reduce the quality of your future litters.

Replacing Female Guinea pigs22

Each month, when choosing a new male for the breeding pen, choose the largest, well-shaped male from litters of 3 or more. Female guinea pig (large, well-shaped and those from litters of 3 or more) should replace the females that have reproduced for more than 2 years (5-6 litters).

Older females lose their ability to reproduce. Replacing two year old females helps to avoid small litters.

Sell or eat the females that are small or not desirable for breeding. Hides and Manure In some countries, the skin of the guinea pig is eaten along with the meat.

However, the hides can be treated and used in making handbags, feed bags, sacks and shoes.

The manure is useful as fertilizer or as a food ingredient for other livestock.23

8. Activity: Eight Pen Demonstration – 30 minutes

1. Draw the 8 pen system on the ground with a stick. Use rocks (for males) and leaves (for females) to explain how the animals are rotated each month.

2. Begin with one male and one female.a. For example the male and female are together in pen 1. After one

month, the females who appear pregnant are shifted to pen 2.b. After she gives birth, she is put into the birthing cage (pen 3).c. After one more month she is put back with the male (pen 1).d. Her young (2 females and one male) are placed into the male and

female pens (pens 4 and 5). e. After one month they are moved to the next male and female pens

(pens 6 and 7).

? Why are these two extra pens (6-7) needed? It allows you to move the animals each month, and not keep records of the

age of the animals. Males should not be mated before four months – this is why there are four

boxes for the young males before they go back to the breeding cage. 22 Martin, page 6.23 Nuwanyakpa, page 6.

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Females should not be mated before three months – this is why there are three boxes for the females before they go to the breeding cage.

a. The next month, the two females are put into the breeding cage with their mother (pen 1). The male (their father) is sold and replaced with a new male to prevent inbreeding.

b. The young males (in pen 7) are sold or replaced (because they are siblings to the new females).

c. Now we have three breeding females and one new breeding male (pen 1).

3. Continue this example with the three females birthing a different number of litters.

4. Demonstrate which ones should be marked and which ones should be sold or eaten, etc.

? What are some things that the guinea pig owner should record about each animal (using the 8 pen system)?

Add any of the following information that the participants do not mention:o The parents of each animal to prevent inbreeding o The animals which produce large litters

It is easiest to keep a written record. However, since many mothers are not literate, discuss options for marking animals that does not require reading or writing.

? What are some ways to remember this information without writing it down?

Mention any of the following ideas that are not mentioned: Siblings can be marked with a plant die or marker (may need to be reapplied

regularly). Earring can also be placed into the ears of good producers (those with litters

of three or more). Using a sharp knife, small notches can be cut into the ears of the guinea pigs

to mark the animals. (Wash the animals’ ears with soap and water each day until it heals).

Health managers add other options here that are locally appropriate for marking of animals.

5. Demonstrate using one or two marking options how to mark the animals. Mark the stones or leaves in your demonstration to show how this marking will affect future decisions of buying or selling animals.

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For example: I will talk with my spouse about building an 8 cage system so our family is

able to eat meat twice months. I will separate my guinea pigs by age and by sex to increase productivity. I will choose animals for eating from pens 6 and 7. I will replace female reproducers every 2 years.

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Lesson 10: Composting Animal Products

Caregivers will prepare a compost heap in their homestead to help enrich the soil in the kitchen garden.

Caregivers will collect the following materials to make a compost heap:o Green materials such as fresh, moist materials (green leaves or

grass cuttings, fruit and vegetable scraps, egg shells, and animal manure).

o Brown materials including dry crop residues that are no longer green, dried grasses.

o Thick woody twigs, cane shoots and stalks. When they have gathered enough materials they will build a heap:

o Layering all woody twigs at the bottom (10 cm deep).o Adding 2 cm of green materialso Adding 10 cm of brown materialso Thin layer of soil from top layer of the ground.o Repeating the green, brown and soil layers until the heap is 1 meter

high. Caregivers will water the pile twice a day during the dry season. Caregivers will turn the pile every 2-3 weeks until the soil is dark and sweet

smelling. Caregivers will use the compost in see holes, mixing it with soil to increase

the garden productivity.

Materials:1. Attendance Registers2. Leader Mother Flipchart3. A volunteer with materials to build a heap*4. Hoes*

Summary: Game: Mirrors Attendance and Troubleshooting Share the Story Ask the women about their current practices Share the meaning of each picture on flipchart pages 78-85: Composting

Materials, Building the Heap, Turning the Heap, Compost and the Garden. Activity: Compost Heaps Discuss Barriers Practice and Coaching in pairs

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Request Commitments

1. Game: Mirrors ─ 10 minutes

1. Everyone will work with a partner for this game (including the facilitator). 2. One person in each pair is a "mirror." The other person is the "actor." The

"actor" will move their body in different ways. The mirror must copy everything that the actor does.

3. The facilitator should demonstrate with his partner first until everyone understands.

4. After a few minutes, ask the women to find a new partner and to switch roles (the mirror becomes an actor, the actor becomes a mirror)

5. Repeat several times.

Now that we are energized, let’s begin today’s meeting.










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8. Promoter asks the group to select an Activity Leader who will be responsible to coordinate the supplies and preparations for the activities in the next module. The Activity Leader will make sure that each Mother Leader brings one or more of the needed items for the lesson’s activities. She will come to each of the meetings ten minutes early so the Promoter can give her the list of needed items and explain the activity for the next lesson. The Activity Leader will then ask for volunteers who are willing to bring the needed items during the “Attendance and Troubleshooting” section. The Activity Leader will also assist the Promoter during the day’s activity.

9. Explain the needed items for the activity in Lesson 1 of the next module. Help the Activity Leader gather these items with the help of the Volunteers for the next meeting.





5. Leader Mother will help the group identify a new Activity Leader to discuss the needed items for next week’s activity and solicit volunteers.

Story: Mama Mubaya’s Success (Picture 10.1) ─ 10 minutes


Mama Muzuri stops by Mama Muzuri’s house to see how she is doing. “Mama Mubaya, your garden is beautiful!” “Yes!” Mama Mubaya says, “I started over and we are now using the guinea pig manure for compost. My husband heard about it in his farmer leader group. Now our vegetables, animals and even my children are bigger and healthier than before!”

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? How did using compost help Mama Muzuri’s garden, animals and children to grow?

? Do you use compost? Why or why not?? How do you use it?

Ask the first question to review how compost improved more than just eh plants.

o We hope the women respond this way: The compost helped to improve the growth of the plants.

o The vegetables are bigger and healthier which makes her family healthier.

o There are more leaves and garden scraps for her animals to eat.o Healthy guinea pigs have larger litters and healthier offspring.o Everyone benefits.

Ask the second question to hear about the compost practices of the women in your group.



Composting Materials (Picture 10.2) ─ 5 minutes




ather discarded food, sticks, nesting materials and animal feces to make dark rich soil.

Keep piles of these materials until you have enough to build a heap. Separate green materials from dry nesting materials and thick woody

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materials. Rich soil holds more water than sand and clay. Rich soil produces bigger, healthier plants.

Prepare a place 1 meter wide and 2 meters long near your vegetable garden.

2 meters is about the same as 7 footsteps. It will be easy to carry the soil to your vegetable garden. Build the heap in a shaded place. Build the heap near a water source. Build the heap away from the house and coops. The pile may attract rodents and pests.

? Do you have a compost heap on your homestead? Why or why not?

Additional Information for the TrainerWhen to begin the heap: Build the heap after harvesting your field crops – you can use the stalks and

crop residues for brown materials. Makes small piles of materials until you have enough to build a heap.

Composting Materials Do not add plastic, metal, or glass to the compost pile – they will not break

down. Do not add plants that poison people or other plants, like castor bean, acacia

leaves, and eucalyptus. Do not add feces from dogs and cats. Only add feces from animals that eat

plants or grasses. Ashes – they slow the composting process.

Rain Prepare the heap under a tree or thatch covering to protect it from rain. If

the pile is too wet, it will not decompose – the roof will allow you to control the amount of moisture inside the heap.

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Building the Heap (Picture 10.3) ─ 5 minutes




First lay down sticks, cane shoots and cane stalks. Thick woody materials let air reach the bottom of the heap.

Add a thick layer of brown materials, a thin layer of green materials and a thin layer of soil.

Brown materials (10 cm) include dried nesting materials and dried weeds, crop residues and dried mulch.

Green materials (2 cm) include animal manure, soiled fodder, green leaves, kitchen scraps and egg shells.

Find a healthy soil from the top layer of the ground. Soil holds moisture and reduces odor and flies. Soil adds living insects and tiny organisms that break down the

materials.

Repeat the brown, green and soil layers, sprinkling each layer with water.

Prepare the heap in 2-3 days. Heap the materials until it is about 1 meter high.

Additional Information for the TrainerTwo week method24

To make compost more quickly, follow this method. Chop up all of the materials for the heap into 4 cm sized pieces. Use a pile of green materials and a pile of brown materials (equal in size). Pile the mixture into a heap approximately 1 cubic meter in size.

Cover the heap with banana leaves, plastic or old sacks/jute bags. After 3-4 days, the heap should become hot inside. Mix in more animal manure if it does not feel hot. After another 3-4 days, turn the heap inside out so that the materials from the center are on the outside and vice versa.

Turn the heap every two days in the same way. After 14 days, the compost should be ready for use.

24 Raabe, page 6.99

Turning the Heap (Picture 10.4) ─ 20 minutes




Push a long stick deep into the heap to let air enter the heap. After turning the heap, place the stick back into the center of the heap. The heap becomes hot as the materials break down. If the heap is not hot, add more water.

Water the pile when it is dry. It should feel damp, like a cloth that has been wrung out of water. During the dry season, water the pile every morning and evening.

Turn the heap every 2 to 3 weeks. Restack the old heap into a new heap. Place drier materials on top of the large stalks and sticks. Water these

materials. Cover with the rest of the materials.

Additional Information for the TrainerMoisture If the heap is too wet, it will rot. If the heap is too dry, the materials will not

break down. During the dry season, water the pile every morning and evening.

Cover the heap with plastic or rice bags to keep it moist inside. When the heap feels too wet, mix more dry brown materials into the heap.

Heap Temperature To test the temperature of the heap, remove the stick from the pile. Make a

new hole in the middle of the pile. Let the stick stay from 10 minutes. Remove the stick. It should feel very warm against your skin (warmer than

your body temperature). If the pile is not hot, the materials are not decomposing. Make sure there is enough water and air reaching the pile.

In the final stages of decay, the temperature of the pile will cool.Restacking the Heap

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Put the thick woody substances that have not decayed at the bottom of the heap.

Add drier and less decomposed plant materials to the middle of the pile. These are the core materials. Add water to these materials.

Use the rest of the materials from the old heap to cover the core materials. Push the air stick into the center of the pile. Turn it to allow a small pocket of

air to form.Problems with Heap If the pile smells like rotting eggs, there is too much moisture inside and not

enough air. Turn the pile more often. Add more open holes with sticks. If you are composting during rainy season, cover the pile to prevent too much moisture from the rains.

If the pile is not decomposing (too slow), it is not wet enough. Add more water.

If the pile does not heat up, it has too little or too much water. Turn it with a shovel. Add more water if needed.

If the compost has ants, add water. If it attracts flies, add more soil.

Compost and the Garden (Picture 10.5) ─ 20 minutes



? What do you think these pictures mean?The compost is ready if it feels crumbly, smells sweet and is dark in color.

Mix compost with soil in when planting seeds and trees. Add a handful of soil into the seed hole in the garden. Add a shovel full of compost in the bottom of planting holes for fruit

trees.

While plants are growing, make a circle of compost around the plant stem.

It will slowly feed the plant as water carries nutrients to the roots.

? How has compost helped your plants to grow better?

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8. Activity: Composting– 30 minutes

Choose the activity which is best for your group.

1. Work with a volunteer who has already collected materials to build a new heap. Work together as a group to build the heap, water it and cover it appropriately.

2. Visit compost heaps owned by one or two women.a. Test the heaps for temperature.b. Turn the heaps together.c. Analyze the amount of moisture in the heap.d. Discuss materials used to prepare the heap. e. Answer questions





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For example: I commit to building a compost pit inside my homestead. I commit to saving animal manure and nesting materials for composting. I commit to water my compost heap each day and turn it over every two to

three weeks.

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Pre- and Posttest

Two questions from each lesson are listed below. Before and after teaching the materials to staff and trainers, give the posttest to evaluate their comprehension. For those who score less than 75%, give them more training to help them grasp the key content.

1. Name two advantages of raising animals at the homestead.

a. _____________________________________

b. _____________________________________

2. All of the followings statements are true except one. Mark the one that is false.

a. The purpose of the kitchen garden is to grow cash crops. b. Fruits and vegetables contain vitamins and nutrients to prevent

sickness.c. Eggs and meat provide protein to build strong muscles and bones. d. A kitchen garden helps women to provide two or more foods from each

food group to her family each day.

3. Describe how to harvest seeds from a tomato, or squash (wet fruits).

__________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

4. Circle the false statement below.a. Families should try to grow at least one staple food one fruit and two

vegetables in their homestead. b. B. Families should only plant improved seeds in their home garden.c. Families should choose foods that the family likes to eat. d. Families should choose foods that can easily be fed to children in

between meals (snacks).

5. All of the following are true except one. Choose the false answer.a. Grow large trees around your garden to provide shade for the plants.b. It is best to plant the kitchen garden near your house and a water

source. 104

c. Prepare a small nursery to grow seedlings near the garden. d. Do not plant all of your seeds at once. Plant new seeds every 3-4

weeks.

6. How should the nursery be planted?a. Broadcast the seeds in the nursery.b. Plant them according to the specific crop spacing. c. Plant onions, cassava and other tubers and bulbs before planting

seeds.d. Plant seeds in the nursery in rows 5-10 cm wide with 5-10 cm between

each seed.

7. All of the following practices increase plant growth except one. Mark the false statement.

a. Add mulch around plants to keep moisture in the ground. b. Add compost to the planting holes to increase the soil’s health.c. Water around plants (not directly on top of them) to protect the

branches and stems. d. Trim the roots of seedlings before planting them in the garden.

8. Why should vegetable groups be moved to a new place in the garden each year?

_______________________________________

9. What is a tomato shoot? Why should it be removed?______________________________________________________________________________________

10. All of the statements below are true except one. Mark the false statement.

a. Weed your plants at least once a week as needed. b. Wait until the fruit drops from the plant before harvesting. c. Stake plants with heavy branches to encourage growth.d. Cut dead and broken branches from your plants.

11. Why do chicken eggs need to be cooled after laying? All of the following are true statements except one. Mark the false statement.

a. If the hen is not broody (does not want to sit on the eggs) the embryos will die quickly.

b. Cooling the eggs stops the embryo from developing. c. Cooled eggs have more nutrients than eggs left in the nest.

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d. It is important to cool the eggs until the chicken is broody.

12. Name three things that should be included in a well-constructed chicken coop.

a. _____________________________________

b. _____________________________________

c. _____________________________________

13. What actions help to prevent sickness in chickens? All of the following are true except one. Mark the false statement.

a. Keep the coop in a warm sunny place to keep the chickens warm. b. Remove old nesting materials and replace it with new grass or leaves

every 2-3 days. c. Separate the food and water troughs so grains and other foods do not

get wet. d. Vaccinate chicks at a young age to prevent Newcastle Disease.

14. How do you determine if an egg is fertile? a. All eggs that a chicken lays are fertile. b. If a rooster is present, all eggs that a chicken lays are fertile. c. If a heartbeat is seen inside the egg after 9 days of nesting, it is fertile. d. Eggs which float in water are fertile.

15. All of the following are good practices except one. Mark the statement which is not a good practice. a. Offer fresh water once a week.b. Place one male guinea pig with the females; put all other males in a

separate pen. c. Do not allow offspring to breed with either of their parents. d. Offer green leafy grasses and kitchen scraps at least twice a day.

16. All of the following protect guinea pigs from sickness except one. Mark the statement which is false.a. Sweep away feces each day to protect them from parasites. b. Let the guinea pigs outside in the rain to clean debris from their fur.c. Separate sick guinea pigs from others to prevent the spread of disease.d. Discard uneaten or trampled foods to keep away other pests.

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17. Draw an eight cage guinea system identifying which animals stay in which sections.

18. You are breeding animals to provide meat for your family each month. When choosing an animal to eat, which of the following is bad advice?

a. Choose 3 month old males.b. Choose the largest animal so everyone in your family will have enough

to eat. c. Choose old females that have been reproducing for two years. d. Choose females that do not get pregnant after two months in the

breeding pen.

19. List two examples of green materials and two examples of brown materials.

Green materials 1)_____________________ 2)____________________

Brown materials 1)_____________________ 2)____________________

20. Name two things a caregiver must do to help his compost pile turn into rich soil.

a. ____________________b. ____________________

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Posttest Answer Key

For those who score less than 75%, give them more training to help them grasp the key content.

1. Name two advantages of raising animals at the homestead.

Any two of the following practices are correct:o Animals can be eaten when food is scarceo Animals can be eaten all year longo Families that eat meat are healthier than families that don’t eat

meat.o Breeding animals increases your wealth.o Breeding animals at home is easy.o Small animals can be sold when money is needed at home. o Or other advantages discussed during the lesson.

2. All of the followings statements are true except one. Mark the one that is false.

A. The purpose of the kitchen garden is to grow cash crops.

3. Describe how to harvest seeds from a tomato, or squash (wet fruits).

Their answer should include the following points: Squeeze (or scoop) the pulp and seeds from the ripe fruit into a bowl. Wash the seeds until they are clean and smooth. Ferment seeds covered in slippery liquid. Then wash the seeds.

4. Circle the false statement below.B. Families should only plant improved seeds in their home garden.

5. All of the following are true except one. Choose the false answer.A. Grow large trees around your garden to provide shade for the plants.

6. How should the nursery be planted?D. Plant seeds in the nursery in rows 5-10 cm wide with 5-10 cm between each seed.

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7. All of the following practices increase plant growth except one. Mark the false statement.

D. Trim the roots of seedlings before planting them in the garden.

8. Why should vegetable groups be moved to a new place in the garden each year?

Their answer should include the following point: Pests and disease increase when plants are planted in the same place each

year. OR rotating crops increases productivity.

9. What is a tomato shoot? Why should it be removed?Their answer should include two of the following points: Shoots are new growth that appears between the main stem and the largest

branches. Removing shoots helps the plant grow taller and produce bigger vegetables. OR removing shoots gives more food and water to the main part of the plant.

10. All of the statements below are true except one. Mark the false statement.

B. Wait until the fruit drops from the plant before harvesting.

11. Why do chicken eggs need to be cooled after laying? All of the following are true statements except one. Mark the false statement.

C. Cooled eggs have more nutrients than eggs left in the nest.

12. Name three things that should be included in a well-constructed chicken coop.

Any three of the following practices are correct: A raised closed coop to keep chickens safe from predators at night. Baffles on the legs to keep rats away. Spaces between the sticks to allow feces to drop through. A roof to protect chickens from sun and rain. A door to let chickens move easily in and out of the coop.

13. What actions help to prevent sickness in chickens? All of the following are true except one. Mark the false statement. A. Keep the coop in a warm sunny place to keep the chickens warm.

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14. How do you determine if an egg is fertile? C. If a heartbeat is seen inside the egg after 9 days of nesting, it is fertile.

15. All of the following are good practices except one. Mark the statement which is not a good practice. A. Offer fresh water once a week.

16. All of the following protect guinea pigs from sickness except one. Mark the statement which is false.B. Let the guinea pigs outside in the rain to clean debris from their fur.

17. Draw an eight cage guinea system identifying which animals stay in which sections.

The cage should look like this (the arrows are not needed).

18. You are breeding animals to provide meat for your family each month. When choosing an animal to eat, which of the following is bad advice?

B. Choose the largest animal so everyone in your family will have enough to eat.

19. List two examples of green materials and two examples of brown materials.

Any two of the following are green materials: Green grass

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Green leaves Uneaten animal food Fresh weeds Kitchen scraps (peels) Egg shellsAny two of the following are brown materials: Dried nesting materials Dred mulch Dried weeds and dried grasses

20. Name two things a caregiver must do to help his compost pile turn into rich soil.

Turn the pile every 2-3 weeks Add water to the pile (keep it moist)

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Documents

Essential Hygiene Actions - Care Group Infocaregroupinfo.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/2012-DFAP... · Web viewChinese cabbages, carrots, and onions flower in the second year. Seeds