Gardening In Rwanda

As an organization in Rwanda that helps empower vulnerable children to begin to dream and overcome obstacles in their life, we are looking into
starting square foot gardens for children to care for. Our hope is that it will allow them to begin creating a small income for their lives and give them something to be responsible for. Has anyone worked in or near Rwanda using square foot gardening? If yes, what advice can you
give us? Does anyone have experience with obtaining grants for this kind of project?

Welcome to the Forum

The only advice I can give right now is to start composting. Shred paper and chop junk weeds.

Do you have access to the All New Square Foot Gardening book (2006)?

playforhope
What an incredibly wonderful project.
I think that must be about the greatest thing to be doing. Don't know much about grants, but best of luck, and be sure and let us know the progress

playforhope,

Is this your first contact with anything SFG related? Because the forum here is kind of an aside to the real Square Foot Gardening foundation. They monitor us here and keep us in check, since we're operating officially under their name, but they don't come around here very often. Mel Bartholomew himself is very much engaged in teaching the SFG method to the world and I know the foundation has sent teams to other countries and has the experience you're likely looking for. I would contact them from the website (click "website" on the green menu bar above).

It sounds like such a wonderful project. Congratulations and good luck!

Thank you for all of the encouragement. Yes we initially contacted them directly asking exactly what you mentioned. They told us to come here and ask if anyone had experience in Rwanda.

playforhope wrote:... Yes we initially contacted them directly asking exactly what you mentioned. They told us to come here and ask if anyone had experience in Rwanda.

Oh dear I'm sorry. Didn't mean to send you on the roundabout. Well I hope someone chimes in that can help you.

PlayforHope: Could you please provide us with a more specific location where you are located?

You see, asking for gardening help in Rwanda, is a little like asking for gardening help in the United States. Both countries cover a large area and have various climates.

In general, the high altitude of your country provides a nice tropical highland climate, with average temperatures about 75 degrees in the lower mountains; but it is considerably cooler in the uplands and along the higher mountains.

Rwanda is just south of the equator, but the high altitude of your country means there is plenty of rain ... even to the point of having 2 rainy seasons and supporting a rain-forest.

As you can see, there are many people willing to assist you, but we need more information. I think that if you contact the Square Foot Garden Foundation again (as someone previously mentioned) and provide them with more specific details related to the exact location you wish to begin the Square Foot Gardens ... rather than a 'broad brush' picture of the entire country of Rwanda, it would be helpful for them as well.

Best wishes and God bless you.

Jeanne

Jeanne: The location is listed as Kigali which is the Capitol. I figure it's nighttime there now and you might want to research. I'm on vacation and my phone is a little cumbersome.