Ricks update below Just about sums up day 1.....
I really enjoyed giving a lesson on small intensive systems, most villagers only have a very small plot to work with and an extra intensive kitchen garden is what is required!!

Day three.

Dealing with the effects of climate change. The wet season comes, you plant, the wet season finishes, you harvest.

The system has worked well for generations. Now the rain is inconsistent.

No skill sets for storage and irrigation have evolved as there was never a need.

Developing strategies to hold water in the soil,to direct water to key plants and to capture water off hard surfaces will increase the resilience of Rwandan cropping systems.
Strategies taught were terracing,swales,net and pan systems,stone walls boomerangs, banana circles,logs across the slope,swenches,roadside diversion and wicking beds and pottery gardens for the freedraining areas.

The class then set about implementing most of these techniques on a difficult slope. Unbelievable work speed. Slope completed in one afternoon.
Still have to do a bit of tidying up as the Mayor is coming to visit at lunchtime tomorrow. We've finally sussed out the photo problems so be patient.