= THE TREE
OO [e—
Volume 1 Issue No. 46 March 2013
TIST Uganda March 2013 News Letter
The tree" n'orupapura mv" amakurs
thandiidowa abo TIST uganda itaagirya
we: International Small Growp and Tree Plant
[) KUKORA KWAITH
wekigombe ekyehaireyo kwimutsya
ymutindo gw’abahingi abs Thansi
kiriknbongyeramu amazni gokurwanisa
wekyerembwe kw'chibim, ekwenjuna
pbwom nekymnda kitno Kyubhuriipe.
Dmukunywanisa esniungueks yenfuura
in akurumdnnn arWOYa arenmg emery ga
" omit. Mokonyunyota orwoya orabe
pry ome mwanya TI5T nehoens shahingd
ST Uganda Leadership Council: 2
best practice
Emit y“enzaarwa ¢yomugasho
omu uganda; omushambya
Vacado zinvzire kandi zine
ekirisal
Orukiiko rwobwebembezi rwva hist;
emilwarize ming.
Engyenderwaho fenvonryo za tist)
Obutumwa bwa edita.
Amakurn marungi gaba ekyomuhendo.
Ebibira’ amahamba gaitu meingi gahinguzibwe
gaikirizibwa aba E § ku abahingi baitu ba TIST
batandika kushashurwa sente zorwoya oru emiti
ertkukwata. Mube mugumisirize okuhisya
obukirakorweho.
Ara.
Great news is a pleasure.
Many of our SGs/ | groves were validated by E.5.Inc.
Our TIST farmers will in future be paid acccrding to
how much carbon has been sequestered by their groves.
Be patient for that great news.
Pe Lr
Useful Indigenous
Trees of
Uganda: Musambya
The musambya tree
(Markhamia hitea, Nile Tulip,
Bell Bean Tree) isa common
native tree in Uganda, It is fast
growing, and many farmers find
it to be a useful tree to grow on
their farms. It improves soil
and its long taproots help
prevent erosion. Musamibya
grows easily from seeds, 50 is
simple to grow in your own
nursery bed, using seeds you
gather, to get very good
seedhngs to plant on your farm.
Like many native Ugandan
trees, it does well with a
biannual rainy season and good
soils. Once establizhed in the
ground, it grows fast.
It’s a drought resistant tree.
Take care nol to over-water it,
as water logging causes root rot
In mizsambpa.
Musambysd once was once
common, but is quickly
disappearing from Ugandan
forests and fields because itis a
major source of firewood and
charcoal. In northwestern
Uganda, 1t is also used to cure
tobacco. lis poles are useful in
banana plantations, and its
flowers are good for bees
making honey.
Wood from musambya is fay
termite-resisiant and can be
used for furniture and boat
building, but is not
recommended for construction.
Musambya leaves are known to
have medicinal value.
The Borid Agro forestry Center
recommends widespread
planting of musambya to heip
in soil conservation, for use as a
windbreaker and to enhance
soil moisture.
Try planting some today?
Composting
Livestock Manure:
Here’s How!
Composting livestock manure
has many important benefits for
small farm owners.
& Compost improves the
health of both plants and
the soil.
&
+ Compost improves the
physical structure by
making soil more
porous, adds ferility
and increases the ability
of the soil to hold
moisture and nutrients:
® Manure provides the
owner with a free, rich
source of compost for
the yard, garden,
pasture, of gardening
neighbors that slowly
releases nutrients and
won't burn plants.
a It reduces flies and the
diseases they spread by
eliminating their
breeding ground
120,
o It reduces parasite re-
infestation of your
animals- the heat
generated in the
composing process kills
parasite cggs
= [i reduces pollution of
streams and ground
water since it limits
nmol of manure
® It reduces mud in your
confinement aren, and
increases the life of
organic fooling material
» [it prevents some weed
problems since heat
from compost kills weed
seeds in themanare.
Tor get started, first; select a site
for your compost bins or pits.
You want to put them in a high,
dry area of your property, not in
a low-lying area or in anared
that receives surface flows.
Otherwise, compost may
become a soggy mess and the
putrients will be lost, A location
close to your stall and paddock
areas will make the chore of
cleaning up easier
Mext, decide on the number of
bins or pits needed. Ax least two
bins ave best for 1 103 large
animals. Pile manure and
organic waste in one bin. When
that bin is full, allow it 1
compost and start filling the
zecond bin. Once the material
in the first bin is decomposed,
you can start using it
If you have more animals or
want more storage capacity,
ex
consider using a three bin or pit
system. This allows you to have
one bin where daily waste can
be stored, another bin which is
full and in the composting
stage, and a third bin for the
finished compost to be stored
for when you need it.
After you have decided where
‘to put your compost bins, and
hiew many bins you need, it is
time to gather or purchase
materials. Compost bins can be
made of something as simple as
‘wood pallets placed on end and
nailed together, or of more
durable and aesthetically
pleasing landscape timbers.
Pits also work well, and do not
require additional material
purchases,
To make good compost, you
need to manage the amount of
water and heat in the compost
through tarping, tuming, and
watering. Like all living things,
the micra-organisms which
break down the manure and
bedding require air and water.
Too much or too little of each
can cause problems.
Cover each of your bins to
prevent your manure piles from
becoming 100 SGpey oF 100
dried cut. A tarp also prevents
the mutrients you are trying to
‘save from being washed out.
Turning the piles allows oxygen
tor get to the bacteria and
organisms which break down
the manure into a soil-like
substance. How often the pile is
turned, determines how quickly
the compost will be ready. Keep
the manure pile as damp asa
wrung oul sponge. Water the
pile every time you add a
wheelbarrow of new material
and when you turn it.
If you follow the above
guidelines, your compost can he:
ready as soon as 21 days.
Depending on how often you
turn it and whether it stays
damp, composting usually takes
between | and 3 months. You
will know when your compost
is ready when the material
Tools evenly textured and
erumbly like sail.
It is easy to make and use this
livestock manure compost for
its goodness to our gardens.
Together, we can.
(Adapted from Washington
State University Stewardship
Gardening Extension)
Avocados are
delicious and
nutritious!
Avocados are a very usefil tree
to grow on farms for TIST
farmers, producing fruits that
are valuable bath for home and
market. Avocado fruit has
fantastic nutritional vale,
Some people avoid avocados
because they have a higher fal
content than most fruit.
However. most of the avocado’s
fat is mono-unsaturated. Mono-
unsaturated fiat is the healthiest
kind of fat. Although it has the
same amount of calories ay any
other type of fat, mono-
unsaturated fat has been
strongly linked to reducing
cholestere] and in reducing
heart disease: -
Other benefits include:
s Gives you a feeling of
fullness
+ Nourishes the skin and
joints
= Soothes the gut and
digestive system
» Ayocados are one of the
highest progein fruits
Mot only are Avocados pagked ot
with healthy fats they are also
high in vitamins and minerals,
making them one of the most
nutritionally dense foods
around. Avocados are abundant
in anti-oxidants: vitamin E,
beta-carotene, dnd vitamin C.
Plant more avocados, they are
good for our health, and can be
aold to increase household
income.
By Sarah Nankunds,
TIST Uganda
Leadership Council:
a new best practice
TIST Ugands is learning from
best practices from its
neighbors to improve service to
TIST Uganda fomners; we
started a new system of
Leadership Council. This
"Leadership Council is
composed of 12 members, one
of whom is elected leader and
another one as co-leader.
In the leadership council, we
will build the strengths of more -
TIST members to serve TIST
farmer members well, improve
SH
oe
traimng, and help TIST Uganda
best practice of rotational
leadership. After serving for 4
months, the co-leader becomes
leader, and & new co-leader is
selected by the quantifiers. The
selection was among trainers,
quantifiers and office staff. The
members were chosen from the
three districts of project areas of
Kanungu, Kabale and Bushenyi
to represent all of TIST
Uganda's members. In the
future, strong group members
will also serve and share their
strengths.
The role of the leadership
council is:
¥* To sensitize and train
farmers about TIST
program.
¥ To ensure more regular
payments of small
groups
¥» To ensure hetter
understanding of the
farmers* problems, build
the bridge between the
US team, the farmers,
office and the
Government,
» Bring good ideas and
implement them for
better program,
demonstrate TIST
values.
# Building vp one another
with mutual love and
understanding.
# To motivate the
communities with good
insights for the future,
The first 1.C calls upon every
TIST member to work hard as a.
team and keep TIST values for
great results. Together, we can.
By Hakim Bachwas.
TIST VALUES
To begin, we want to remind
you about the TIST Values.
Tazy are the foundation and
heart of the TIST Program:
Without them, the program and
the work that all of us do will
not thrive.
This will help all the TIST
participants have a better
understanding oft Who we are,
how we do things that other
people can see; what we do and
what we create. This is how we
can contribute to the well-being
of our families, our
communities and to the
sustainability of the TIST
program,
Whe We Are
1) We are honest,
7) We are accurate.
3) We are {ransparent
4) We are servants to each other.
5) We are mutually accountable to
each other.
How We Do Things that other
people can see
1) We are volunteers.
2) We do the work ourselves in
small groups
3) We develop and use bast
practices
4) We use our head and hands.
What We Do
1) We plant a variety of trees for
the long—term.
2} We find ways to improve our
health.
3) We practice Conservation
Farming.
4) We do other projects and
businesses,
5) We sell carbon credits,
What We Create,
This is different from what we do.
When we have these values and as
we live and do business the way on
Ti
Projects, we create
something that was not
there before.
These include;
1) We create Team
Work—by doing things
this way; we end up
working like a team.
2) We create Capacity—
we create organization,
strength, and a system
that is strong,
3) We create
Enjoyment—we see
results, we accomplish
big things that we enjoy
4) We create Big
Results—Big results in
planting trees. Big
results in Conservation
farming, energy saving
cook stoves and from
other projects and
business that we do.
5) We create Low
Administrative costs,
vet we achieve big
results. If there are
things that are
confusing or that vou do
not understand about
the TIST Values, please
ask questions so we can
serve you better.
By Sarah Nankunda.
. wr ' i i ¥ ¥ : Tq
rar Te fre | PEE EE "i
TIST Leadership Council Members in a meeting - Kabale.
Fre. Lo» Ndagin =i
TIST trees being planted around land boundary.
LL