Rural Aquaculture Promotion is geared towards improving the capacity of farmers in rural Zambia by working as a Department of Livestock and Fisheries field officer within the village community. The imbasela (sweet bonus) of all this is harvest day. Complete with celebratory fish fry and the fruits of six months or more of steady pond management. Changilo has quite a few farmers who have cultured the same stock for over a year without a complete cull and that can mean alot of stunted fish as the breeding cycle allows for eight or nine generations within this time period. With no fresh stock, inbreeding can take a toll on the working fish farm. As the rainy season begins to draw to a close, a primary goal has been to undergo long overdue harvest and start over with fresh stock from the nearby Chalata production site. We try to use traditional baskets to harvest as much as possible as the free mosquito nets from the clinic are loaded with pesticide thats great for preventing malaria, not so much for a nutritious meal.
Harvest day starts with the cutting of the dike wall and creating a drainage furrow, steadily increasing in depth, with a hoe just before sunrise. Around mid-morning it's time for the fun to begin as the water level has become low enough that fish can be gathered with a modicum of effort and the whole family gets involved with catching, cleaning, sorting, weighing, and selling. Finally the pond will be let to dry completely and crack on the bottom to destroy disease and the eggs of invasive species before refilling the pond to prepare for stocking the pond again.
New volunteers have arrived in country and as they begin training outside of Lusaka, those who have fulfilled their two years of service prepare to depart for life beyond Peace Corps. These folks were my mentors and source of support throughout me first few months of service, helping to guide me through the sometimes confusing world of volunteer life. It was a shame to see them go but such is the way we have chosen and it was a pleasure to spend a few final days with some great people. I wish them the best of luck in all of their future adventures.
Rural Aquaculture Promotion is geared towards improving the capacity of farmers in rural Zambia by working as a Department of Livestock and Fisheries field officer within the village community. The imbasela (sweet bonus) of all this is harvest day. Complete with celebratory fish fry and the fruits of six months or more of steady pond management. Changilo has quite a few farmers who have cultured the same stock for over a year without a complete cull and that can mean alot of stunted fish as the breeding cycle allows for eight or nine generations within this time period. With no fresh stock, inbreeding can take a toll on the working fish farm. As the rainy season begins to draw to a close, a primary goal has been to undergo long overdue harvest and start over with fresh stock from the nearby Chalata production site. We try to use traditional baskets to harvest as much as possible as the free mosquito nets from the clinic are loaded with pesticide thats great for preventing malaria, not so much for a nutritious meal.
Harvest day starts with the cutting of the dike wall and creating a drainage furrow, steadily increasing in depth, with a hoe just before sunrise. Around mid-morning it's time for the fun to begin as the water level has become low enough that fish can be gathered with a modicum of effort and the whole family gets involved with catching, cleaning, sorting, weighing, and selling. Finally the pond will be let to dry completely and crack on the bottom to destroy disease and the eggs of invasive species before refilling the pond to prepare for stocking the pond again.
New volunteers have arrived in country and as they begin training outside of Lusaka, those who have fulfilled their two years of service prepare to depart for life beyond Peace Corps. These folks were my mentors and source of support throughout me first few months of service, helping to guide me through the sometimes confusing world of volunteer life. It was a shame to see them go but such is the way we have chosen and it was a pleasure to spend a few final days with some great people. I wish them the best of luck in all of their future adventures.
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