This is one of the awesome posters from the Forestry Department container chopped off at the bottom (it was too big to scan) it says ' Think Before You Act' meaning, lighting fires. The crying tree asks - 'Why are you burning me?' (With fire) . At the top it says, 'I am your friend and nature's gift (to you)'. And along each side are the various uses of trees.
These pictures are from a flip chart used much later, but shows the planting method. I don't think I need to make it any larger, or translate what I wrote. Though I did say to mix the soil with dry cow manure as a fertilizer. The picture on the right shows a margarine pot with a nail hole punched into the lower side. This drips water directly to the roots of the young tree - an effective irrigation method.
To start a story in the Tanzanian way, I would quietly say to the class 'Hadithi, hadaithi.' meaning, A story, a story. or I have a story. The class would be surprised that I knew to say this and they would look at each other not knowing if they should respond. Some may quietly respond. I would then call out loudly. 'Hadithi, hadithi!' and the class would know and respond. Haditi, hadithi, hadithi njoo, uongo njoo, utamu, tulia!' A story, a story, come, tell a lie, come, something sweet (nice, good), sit quietly (to listen). Sometimes as a game I would prentend I had not heard them and they would shout it out again, even louder.
This true story I used in our seminars.
At the village of Mkonoo, Jumanne showed me his trees and he was disappointed, because he was caring for them, yet they were not growing well. Certainly he had planted them in the red soil as I had told him, and he had formed a small catchment area around each tree to hold the water he poured around. Jumanne carried the water some distance in a 20 litre bucket and shared 5 buckets between his 20 trees each morning.
We went together to look at his trees and I showed that although he was irrigating, not much of the water was reaching the roots. The water had compacted the soil (as hard as a brick) and most of the water he carried, actually evaporated. Soil temperatures become very hot causing this situation.
I told him about the margarine pot irrigation method, suggesting evan plasic water bottles would be ok. By placing the pot/bottle next to the tree would cultivate the soil a little which was a good idea too. Once the pots were in place - making sure the nail hole does not block and placing a stone or something for a lid as hens and other animals might steal the water - he needed to use just one bucket between each of the 20 trees, every three days!
Jumanne went searching for the pots and bottles, and some people laughed at him, but he did not care, he set up his irrigation method.
About three weeks later, Jumanne heard my vehicle approach and ran out to the road to stop me. Very proudly he took me to show me what he had done, and already it was noticable how well the trees were responding. He insisted that I take tea with him.
Even whem I moved to Makumira, Jumanne would call to visit, and of course I would give him a few trees to take back to Mkonoo.
At the conclusion of the story, I would say, 'Hadithi yangu imei...' My story it has f...' and they would finish the word, 'Isha.' Finished.
I used to like that!
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