This project has been completed under the direction of Peace Corps Volunteer B. Saver. To read about the beginning of the project, CLICK HERE.
This project was to create a fruit tree nursery to facilitate the growth of reforestation trees. The trees were to be planted in the mountains and at the source of water to protect the water supply for the participating communities.
PCV Saver reports:
The goals and objectives of this project were to create a locally run fruit tree nursery that would be maintained by a group of community members. These members would control all aspects of maintaining of the nursery as well as the management of the affairs of the nursery up to the selling of the trees to other community members.
The members of this group cleared the land, put up the fence, found the seeds, filled bags with dirt in which they planted the seeds, watered all of the trees, checked for pests, and told other communities when the different types of trees were ready for sell.
The project built capacity by training 7 workers in the skills necessary to start and run a fruit tree nursery as well as raising awareness among the community of the benefits of planting fruit trees in their houses and farms. The workers learned skills such as how to germinate and successfully plant different types of trees, how to care for seedlings, how to perform different grafting techniques, and how to work as a group to begin a small business.
The community members will be able to use their learned skill of grafting to continue to graft the trees in the nursery as they come of age and will have the ability to continue to germinate and plant seeds in the nursery. The group will be able to cover recurring costs by putting a percentage of the profits they receive from selling the trees into a fund for the nursery.
The project achieves its ultimate objectives over time, when the seedlings are planted and serve the various functions of protecting the water source and improving land use by preventing erosion, and increasing the availability of healthful produce in the marketplace.