Day Two
8.2.17
It was amazingly hot getting out of the truck as Gary and I settled in for a long day.
The east side of the fence is complete. The stakes for one greenhouse are finally up. I was happy to see Tapha, a tractor driver from Kebemer, tilling in the grass where we were to put the first greenhouse. Gary went right at the fence, and I rounded up Barama, the farm manager, to help me bring one greenhouse kit down to the lower area where Tapha had tilled.
The instructions for the greenhouse were confusing and difficult to decipher. It took a lot longer than I anticipated to construct the base, but it was all the more satisfying when things started coming together.
After substantial progress was made on the greenhouse, we joined Gorgui and his sister, Nogai, for a much-appreciated lunch that consisted of Yassa, a traditional West African chicken dish.
We then loaded a 100-pound bag of horse feed onto the truck and went to get fuel. I weaved through the children, old men, old women with bags on their heads, motorcycles, trucks, and a boy with one rollerblade on.
The kids came up to the window with their hands out. I’ve learned to tease them with my eyes until they smile. They are trying so hard to look sad and impoverished. It’s fun to crack the facade by staring them in the eyes until they turn away, grinning.
The second of two shipments of sustainable farming equipment has arrived in Senegal! And Our Farm In A Box Program Manager Chris Newhouse is hard at work with Gorgui Dieng of the Minnesota Timberwolves to expand access to health in the player’s home country. This journal entry is part of a series that depicts Chris’s personal experiences as MATTER and the Gorgui Dieng Foundation dig in and begin constructing a Demonstration Farm for sustainable agriculture outside of Kebemer. The project will save lives, improve community livelihood, and help build a sustainable future for Senegal.
Want to dig into MATTER’s Farm in a Box Program?
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Chris Newhouse, Farm in a Box Project Manager
chris@matter.ngo
