Project Report: Utilizing $300 for Planting 3000 Beans and Maize Cobs in Zai Pits with Improvised Water Boxes in N’djamena, Chad

By Usman Abdu Abubakar

Introduction

This report outlines the successful implementation of a sustainable
agriculture project in N’djamena, Chad, where $300 was effectively
utilized to plant 3000 beans and maize cobs. The project employed
innovative techniques using Zai pits and improvised water boxes made
from discarded plastic bottles. The initiative was supported and
executed by an orphanage, the children are aiming to promote food
security, environmental sustainability, and community empowerment.

Objectives

Promote Sustainable Agriculture: Introduce and implement Zai pit
farming techniques.
Environmental Cleanup: Utilize plastic waste to create water boxes,
reducing street litter.
Community Involvement: Engage orphanage children and local community
members in agricultural activities.
Food Security: Increase the production of beans and maize to support
local food needs.

Methodology

1. Planning and Preparation

Budget Allocation: Careful budgeting to ensure maximum utilization of
the $300 fund.
Community Engagement: Involving orphanage children and local volunteers.
Material Collection: Gathering plastic bottles from the streets of N’djamena.

2. Training and Education

Workshops: Conducted sessions on Zai pit construction and water box creation.
Demonstrations: Practical demonstrations for planting techniques and
maintenance.

3. Zai Pits Construction

Site Selection: Select a part of our Zai experimental Farm land.
Soil Enrichment: Used organic compost from kitchen waste to enrich the
soil in the pits.

4. Water Box Creation

Plastic Bottle Collection: Collected approximately 3000 plastic bottles.
Design and Assembly: Bottles were cut and assembled into water boxes
using basic tools.
Placement: Positioned water boxes in the Zai pits to ensure efficient
water distribution.

5. Planting

Seed Selection: Acquired high-quality beans and maize seeds.
Planting Process: Planted 2 beans and maize seeds per Zai pit,
totaling 6000 seeds.
Watering and Maintenance: Regular watering using the improvised water
boxes and monitoring plant growth.

Outcomes

Successful Planting: Planted 6000 seeds (beans and maize) in 3000 Zai pits.
Waste Reduction: Collected and repurposed 3000 plastic bottles.
Community Empowerment: Engaged 20 children and 10 volunteers in the project.
Increased Food Production: Expected yield to significantly boost local
food supply.

Challenges and Solutions

Plastic Bottle Collection: Initially slow, solved by incentivizing
collection with small rewards.

Conclusion

The project effectively utilized $300 to achieve its goals,
demonstrating a successful model of sustainable agriculture,
environmental conservation, and community engagement. The use of Zai
pits and improvised water boxes proved to be an innovative and
efficient method for enhancing food security and reducing plastic
waste in N’djamena. The collaboration with the orphanage for Humanists
not only provided practical agricultural skills to the children but
also fostered a sense of responsibility towards their environment and
community. This project serves as a replicable model for similar
initiatives in other regions.

Recommendations

Expansion: Scale up the project to include more community members and
larger planting areas.
Training Programs: Continuously educate on sustainable farming practices.
Sustainability Initiatives: Introduce more waste-reducing and
recycling projects.
Monitoring and Evaluation: Regularly assess plant growth and yield to
optimize practices.

Acknowledgements

We express our gratitude to the orphanage, Humanists, local
volunteers, Donors, HuMAN and community members for their unwavering
support and dedication to this project.