growing seedlings from egg cartons

about a month ago i brought a pile of used cardboard egg cartons to my neighbor, Monica's, home with a bag of seeds.  some jr. youth had brought a large bag of rich soil for us to use.  we started sprinkling soil and a seed into each egg holder and by the time we were done, we had made about 10 cartons' worth of seeds.

the benefit of growing them first in the egg cartons is to prevent the possibility of chickens coming and eating the seeds out of the garden before they have sprouted.  the family kept the cartons in a sunny area where the chickens couldn't fly to them; they also chose a place very close to where they hang out so when the rain came suddenly, they were able to quickly manage bringing them into shelter.

Monica's family took on the responsibility of caring for the seeds.  they watered them daily and within 2 weeks they had begun the process of transplanting the seedlings into their own keyhole garden which was made by Emil and Magdelene, ages 12 and 10 respectively.  it isn't a true keyhole garden but they tried their best and it is serving, for the first time in their family, as a formal garden dedicated to growing food.  it is simply beautiful.  the seedlings have taken root and are thriving now in Ghana's rainy season..

adjacent keyhole gardens made by Emil and Magdelene

Monica tilling the garden and removing weeds; beans plants are growing in the foreground

tomato seedlings growing in a cluster; the kids will transplant them to the completed keyhole garden across the road

Monica decided to replant some of the carrots i gave her to see if they'll grow bigger

inspired by Machine Gun Preacher

while sitting in the back of a KLM airplane on our way back to ghana after a week-long holiday with our children in France and Italy, my husband and i searched the list of movies to watch to pass the time.  we wanted to watch one that we wouldn't mind seeing on a tiny screen while having to press the earphones against our ears to offset the sound of the plane's engines.  we quickly agreed on Machine Gun Preacher.  we soon found ourselves wrapped up in the atrocities of the Ugandan/South Sudan war, our thoughts no longer lingering on the wonderful, joyful moments spent on holiday with our children..

this film is very raw and gripping.  it stirs up anger and disgust as well as incredible inspiration to see how this one man, Sam Childers, lived his life in a most sinful way and then dedicated himself to maintaining an orphanage in that region of conflict.  he is not an example to me or any kind of hero, yet his determination to put the lives of those children first is what i appreciate.  the film depicts his weaknesses and flaws, as well as how challenging it was for his family while he followed his passion to build the orphanage at by any means necessary (now i'm thinking of Malcolm X :)).

this film strengthened our resolve to extend our life of Baha'i service -- which is based on the spiritual upliftment of the human family through the principles revealed by Baha'u'llah -- to encompass building a long-lasting, sustainable 'structure' -- a physical institution of one form or another that represents and contributes to the spiritual foundation of any community..

for years we have longed to build something:  a school, a sports center, a community center, a community garden, and an orphanage.  these are basic 'structures' -- but we feel they will only be dynamic and sustainable if they are infused with and based on the spiritual principles of equity, freedom of all forms of prejudice, and a high moral standard of conduct.  for us, these 'structures' must serve a greater purpose, providing a foundation for a spiritual civilization.

as Baha'is, we are striving to live a life of nobility, justice and universal brotherhood -- principles which transcend all current standards of charity and service.  we want to build something that exemplifies a standard of excellence for others to follow, something which enables everyone in a community to feel touched by the highest ideals of nobility, honor, dignity, purity and holiness.  it would welcome all and serve as a refuge, an opportunity, and a place which offers possibilities for a glorious future of high-minded, service-oriented, spiritually enlightened, and excellence-seeking souls..

i have always struggled to undertake anything big or visionary.  i have allowed all of the possible obstacles -- money, inexperience, lack of education, location, my age -- to prevent me from taking steps toward accomplishing significant goals (like a Master's degree).  but at a deeper level i realize it's because i haven't had the confidence to believe in myself.  this is still a struggle for me in many ways.  but despite all of my excuses, inabilities and lack of confidence, this film actually encouraged me to feel able to accomplish this goal of finally establishing a 'structure'.  i think what makes this feeling possible is that my husband has the same exact goal.  he and i working together gives me a sense of confidence about being able to accomplish something big (though these years of raising children is pretty awesome in and of itself!)..

whether the film is accurate or exaggerated, the character in the film inspired us.. he is far from perfect yet he chose to sacrifice his life for others -- he continued following his heart because it was the right thing to do.  he wasn't defeated by his own faults and weaknesses.  he wasn't discouraged by others' lack of support.  he had no thought of himself in those moments of making decisions to fight for the human rights of these children of war..

building a keyhole garden ~ service project

the first step in establishing the foundation

this past saturday i went outside early to prepare the land for building the keyhole garden.  this required leveling the land with a shovel and trowel, and then laying down the rusty, metal pipes in a circular pattern wide enough to encompass an inner circle which will serve as the compost pile.  after 45 minutes i was already full of sweat and ready to come home to rest until the time was set to begin with the kids.

i came at 10am as we had planned and began arranging rocks and cement blocks that we have been collecting from within this family's compound area.  since they live where a big home has started being constructed, there were enough to form a low wall for the garden.  cement is not ideal because it erodes rather quickly in this climate, but we wanted to use what we have available to us without waiting a long time to have enough money to purchase proper rocks or bricks.  soon 2 of the 'gems of justice' boys came.  i was so happy to see them because they were willing and able to work hard.

the triangular area will be the entrance to the central compost area

this was the beginning of a 5 hour project that i could not have done without them.  we laid the rocks in a circle along the perimeter of the poles until it was as round as we could make it, with a triangular entrance area to be able to reach into the compost pile in the middle.

we didn't have enough good-sized and shaped rocks to make a higher wall so we managed to integrate smaller ones to create a semi-high wall that was about the same height all the way around.    it took a long time to match them well enough that they fit together well and would enable other rocks to be places above them securely.  this stage was labor intensive and required some level of engineering skills to complete. :)

it was then time to dig a circle in the middle of the garden for the poles to stand around.  at first we used a basic hoe and then we went to ask my gardener for a pick-axe to make deep holes which worked a lot better.  the pick-axe was also essential for breaking up a mound of hardened dirt which we needed to remove so the walkway around the garden would be flat.  the kids ended up digging a hole out of the raised ground and finding better quality soil to add into the garden.  the dirt that was on top was used to fill up the hole and now it is nice and flat!

trying to dig a circular trench in which the poles will be standing

beginning to secure the poles into their positions, using rocks to hammer them down

joshua placing small rocks around the base of each pole (domani's idea) :)

 as the older kids started hammering the poles into place in the middle of the garden, the younger ones gathered small rocks to place around the base of each pole.  it was incredibly sweet the way they worked together and gently, with the utmost care, placed each little rock -- as if now the pole would not fall over. :)


once the poles were secured, one of the boys began twisting twine around them from the base upwards.  the other jr. youth started emptying out the bags of chicken fertilizer and cow manure and mixed them up with the soil that we had.   it was now time to add the layers of ash, rusty metal, cardboard and plants into the garden with the soil.  it was a very enjoyable part of the process because everyone was doing something at the same time.  by this time 3 girls came who are part of another jr. youth group a few blocks away.  they observed for awhile and then started helping.

we included cardboard in our layers because we didn't have straw or dried grasses

trying to knit the long grasses around the poles and twine

  we soon realized that the middle circle would either need a LOT of twine or the grasses they brought needed to be wrapped around the poles.  they were hoping to use the grasses to lie on top of soil to trap moisture.  i asked them if we could use them for the compost pile and if they could continue to bring more because we will need it for both purposes when we are ready to begin planting seeds.  they proceeded to intertwine the long grasses in and out of the poles so they would be secure.  we could see how it was going to look when it can be finished all the way to the top of the poles.
though we were dripping wet, very tired and hungry, the rewards of this service project began to show on our faces as we started to smile with the joy that comes from working hard.

using some better quality soil from where the mound originally stood

using the rake for the final mixing of the soil

we have laid the foundation for the garden but will need to add a lot more soil, ash and grasses before watering and planting seeds.  for our first time making a keyhole garden -- learning from videos from YouTube -- it was an experience that developed many skills and is already making an impact in the lives of the people of the neighborhood.  kids and adults feel excited.  they see it as beautiful.  they tell us they want to see food growing here.  for the jr. youth, it is an immeasurable, indescribable experience that will be something they continue to learn from and enjoy for years to come..

keyhole garden..ready to begin

this is the (blessed!) spot where the neighborhood 'keyhole garden' will be built.  the other day the children and i gathered rocks for the initial layer to make the circle this weekend.  we have gathered a lot of grasses, plant clippings, wood shavings and cardboard.  the kids have been collecting ash from the charcoal they use to cook food, and i decided to use the rusty, metal poles that were for my beans to climb for the keyhole's center circle instead.  we also will use twine to hold them in place since no one has any reeds for tying.  there is probably not enough regular soil, but we have a lot of chicken fertilizer and cow manure to mix into it and create a rich soil to cover the sheet mulching and layers of greens and ash.

the best thing that we have is the interest and enthusiasm of the kids and 2 mamas!  i was so impressed the other day when i came to gather the rocks and weed the area that a group of them came to help without being asked.  almost the entire jr. youth group has now watched the 2 videos of keyhole gardens and are excited about making one.  even my gardener watched them and wants a DVD to show his son so they can make one, too!

starting a keyhole garden in accra

just beyond this home, to the right, will be the keyhole garden

i am at the very beginning stages of making my first keyhole garden with some children, junior youth and their families -- my friends and neighbors.  we are at the early stage of planning and gathering the necessary materials needed to undertake this sustainable agricultural technique.

a keyhole garden in Lesotho

after consulting with the jr. youth and visiting one of the mothers with a video of how the women in Uganda build keyhole gardens, we have chosen a plot of land in our neighbor's lot on the other side of the wall from our compound.   2 of the jr. youth we know live there; their younger brother, who is 10, is one of three children who have started carrying soil in buckets, on their heads, from a big pile a block away.  this pile of soil belongs to my gardener.  since it is extra and he has no use for it, he said we could have it for a small amount of money.  i bought it for gh5 which is about $3.  it will be just enough to fill the garden bed.  the kids will gather large stones and rocks, as well as dried grasses and long sticks.  once they are prepared i will purchase chicken fertilizer and cow manure.  they are going to begin saving the charcoal ash in one location (instead of spreading it out in various locations) and i have some twine to tie around the sticks once we make the inner circle.

the one resource we need, which has always limited people's ability to grow food easily, is water.  these families do not have running water in their homes.  they must collect it from a location down the street.  sometimes water is in short supply and must be saved for washing and cooking.  since i live in a compound with a water storage tank, and since this method requires less water than traditional farming, i will be able to supply the keyhole garden with any additional water that they need.  it can be held in the large plastic containers with a spout that people use for transporting water.

the idea came from Celia Beaumont, a Baha'i who lives in South Africa.  she had seen a post by me on Facebook when i mentioned i was going to start a gardening project with our neighbors.  i started researching about keyhold gardens online and immediately found myself absorbed in the abundant and rewarding benefits of this method for growing food on a small scale (this video link features a keyhole garden in Lesotho).  now i am passionate about making it happen in our neighborhood.  it will be a big learning experience for all of us and one that embodies the full spirit of arising to serve one's community -- demonstrating to the kids and youth how divine confirmation works through consistent and continual effort to achieve one's goals.

recycling human waste

i have been reading "Toolbox for Sustainable Living".  my most recent attraction to the book has been how to dispose of human waste.  it provides a few ideas for creating a 'toilet'.  aside from the typical digging of a deep hole, i like the idea of building a straw bale base with a movable outhouse on top. :)  looked pretty cool in the book!

as i was reading i thought about these 4 neighbors i know who do not have indoor plumbing.  i started really wondering what they do with their waste.  today i walked to one of the family's homes who has a 17 year old daughter at home.  she is planning on becoming a nurse and i like how mature she is.  i brought the book with me and hoped that we could talk about it.  after sitting and chatting a bit, i asked her how do they manage their human waste.  she explained that they dig a hole each time and cover it up in a certain area of the land.  she explained that now it is starting to 'spoil' and they have started to use a new area.  she also said they were beginning to dig a big hole as well.

upon listening to her simple explanation, i thought about the practical reality of their lives.  it's very close to Nature.  it's peaceful.  it's respectful.  it's clean.  and it's sustainable.  they aren't flushing gallons or litres of clean water many times a day as we are.  they don't use cleansers to wash a toilet and then more water to rinse it away.  they just keep using undug areas in an exclusive area for their waste to nourish the soil.

i showed this young woman, Katrin, the book.  she was so incredibly happy to receive it, even if it was only to be borrowed.  she is interested in learning new techniques for this aspect of their lives, as well as gaining knowledge about the science of it all (carbon and nitrogen ratios for example).  it was a divine confirmation to get up out of my home and connect with another family in this way.  i will continue to share the book with other families once she is finished with it.

i admire families who live simply and sustainably.  it is something i'm always striving toward.  but what i love is how i can live and be so different from the families that are around me and yet it doesn't matter.  we are all learning from each other and sharing that invisible and most magnetic bond of love..all in the spirit of simply being neighbors. :)

"permaculture: a quiet revolution"

i am not a permaculturalist.  but i know it's the solution for the world's ecological, economic and social crises.  it's rooted in honoring and supporting Nature's systems, protecting its particular diversity within each region, channeling its forces, designing our structures and systems based on its principles, conserving vs. wasting energy and money, and creating environments in which food production and sustainable ways of living are enhanced.

there is a short film called, Permaculture: A Quiet Revolution, that is a great way to introduce oneself to the vital necessity of transforming our lives and communities to conform to permaculture principles.  to me it's the most exciting sign of a new world civilization in the making.



girls in the Northern Province of South Africa benefitting from a permaculture project