Covers activities that are necessary to start the program.
YEAR 1
ENVIRONMENTAL RESTORATION
Unit 6- Working at the watershed level.
Introduction to micro watershed management training shall be delivered to new vsla groups right at the start when they join the program
FFS Trials: This is something of a catch-all activity for much of the training that participants receive. After being given a two day theoretical training that covers core environmental curriculum, training groups (which are VSLA groups) are asked to establish a FFS. Farmer Field Schools are the platform from which participants receive all environmental and agricultural practical trainings. FFS’s act as outdoor laboratories in which groups can try out new techniques before adopting them in their own homes and fields. FFS’s are established by training groups, in locations that they pick, usually on a piece of one member’s land. Once established, Floresta TZ helps with the organization of various trials to be conducted there.
Tree Planting: This is something of a catch-all activity for much of the training that participants receive.
Groups will set tree planting targets for the year. These annual targets are set with the help of Floresta staff, but ultimately fall to the group leaders to decide. These groups are required to have parts of the local watershed that they are in charge of restoring through tree planting activities. Participants are trained in FFS’s on the best practices for tree planting, including the construction and use of barriers to protect seedlings from animals, and the best time of year to plant trees. Floresta staff also helps with the organization of tree planting campaigns. These campaigns involve advanced preparation and the encouragement and mobilization of the larger community to help plant large numbers of trees in the surrounding area
SPIRITUAL RENEWAL
Floresta TZ gives creation care training to School & Church leaders. Participants are are trained on inroductory topics toRedemptive Agriculture and Creation Care Training .
School & Church partinership formation.
Institution leaders &VSLA groups are introduced to ten principles of Redemptive Agriculture with units on how to care for all of God’s creation, how to care for the environement, and how to love and take care of one another, all with reference to the Bible. The units are as follows. Earth Ownership principle, First farmer principle, First Farmer Relationship principle, High Calling principle, Sacred Work principle, Dominion principle, Bounty principle, Stewardship principle, Diversity principle and Neighbour Love principle.
Leadership Development
Floresta Tz holds training workshops in leadership development with church leaders. These trainings are a way to mobilize church leaders to learn about the types of work Floresta does in their communities. Participants in leadership training are taught leadership and mobilization skills, as well as the environmental and redemptive agriculture curriculums, and are then encouraged to share this with their congregation. The first round of the training workshop shall cover module 1,4,& 5
ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT
Vsla Methodology (Emphasis shall be on group formation)
Participants receives training on Vsla methodoloy using specific modules, the training will focus on intergration with other activities aiming at holistic transformation of the watershed and man kind. Participants will know
– the criteria to use when selecting other members to form a group
– start screening and selecting individuals to form empowered groups with
lasting, dynamic and democratic processes
– know the qualities and functions of savings and loans group leaders
– be able to select group leaders that are capable of performing expected
functionsBe able to decided how often their group will meet to save and
disburse loans
-Know the importance of savings and the different savings funds that SILC groups can have
-Decide on the minimum and maximum savings that members will make to their groups
-Know the importance of credit and agree on a criteria to be used in will determine who should get loans and what terms and conditions will apply if they wish to borrow
YEAR 2
ENVIRONMENTAL RESTORATION
Unit 1&2-Soil conservation & Agroforest.
Agroforestry is a major sustainable agricultural training that participants receive. It is a system of agriculture that incorporates the planting of trees with traditional crops as a mechanism to restore soil fertility, protect damaged land, and increase crop production. The trees planted also provide beneficial yield in terms of fodder for animals, food for farmers, and timber. PWP provides training workshops, which mainly focuses on theory, but includes practical sessions that equip farmers with the skills needed to intensify the use of small plots of land in order to maximize crop yiels. These sessions go over the types of trees that are compatible with traditional crops and land management techniques that help farmers work on very steep sloped farm land
FFS Trials: This is something of a catch-all activity for much of the training that participants receive.
Tree Planting: This is something of a catch-all activity for much of the training that participants receive
SPIRITUAL RENEWAL
Module 1 & 5. Creation and Gods Owneship of land, Water conservation and use.
-Participants are taught and remind to remember that God is a creator and owner of everything in unirvese thus when doing their activities should reflect Gods will. -Participants are taught good practices of conserving water and water sources for sustainable use such as tree planting, fencing and restrict human activities around water sources. Also participants are taught water harvesting techniques such as contour cannals, build of tank, dams, wells and ponds.
ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT
Vsla Methodology (Emphasis shall be on Record keeping)
Participants are taught the importance of, and skills needed to accurately keep records for both economic and environmental activities. As they receive training on how to correctly fill out ledger books, participants are encouraged to use these newly refined skills to keep records on both VSLA information (bookkeeping and accounting) as well as environmental restoration and agriculture information (trees planted, FFS trial information, like yield, moisture, pest attacks, etc).
Participants are given, and taught to effectively use, FFS forms so that when they start a certain trial they have comparison data to see if new techniques are effective and worth implementing on their farm. Participants will know:
-what record keeping is and its benefits for vsla
-Know the different types of records that are needed for
vsla
-the record keeping responsibilities of Committee members
-Be able to take and interpret vsla records
YEAR 3
ENVIRONMENTAL RESTORATION
Unit 3- BIA
Floresta TZ works with participants to encourage the creation of bio-intensive production system, deliberately designed vegetable gardens. Participants attend theoretical and practical training workshops. These training workshops teach participants proper management techniques in order to increase vegetable production, and include lessons on proper seed and plant spacing, pest control, how to improve and maintain soil fertility, composting, and garden design techniques like double-dug beds and sack gardens.
FFS Trials
This is something of a catch-all activity for much of the training that participants receive.
SPIRITUAL RENEWAL
Module 4 & 6. Soil Fertility and Conservation, Trees and their Fruits.
-Participants are taught nutrients needed to maintain soil fertility, croping and farming practices that enhance soil fertility, crop rotation, the law of Sabbath rest for the land and how it enhance soil fertility. -Also Participants are taught importance of trees in farming, how the diversity of Gods creation can be maintained through use of tree, role of trees in creation and other benefits that can be obtained from trees including fresh air, climate regulation, nitrogen fixation, fruits, shed, timber, firewood and charcoal.
-Establishment of tree nursery and planting tree to institution as a way of puting into action the training provided to them.
ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT
Vsla Methodology (Emphasis shall be on share out & by laws)
Participants are taught about how to properly do end of cycle evaluation skills and importance of observing Vsla by laws
Participants are taught about Entrepreneurship skills how to develop a business idea, how to choose a project, market plan and how to deal with competition in the market.