Agriculture
Among all of the countries in southern Africa, Zambia has the highest rate of malnutrition with 59% of all Zambians suffer from chronic malnutrition. It is estimated that this causes 50% of the children under age five to have stunted growth. The malnutrition problem and its effect on vulnerable communities has been exasperated by the HIV pandemic. Better nutrition could prolong and improve the quality of life.
One way that the STS agriculture project tries to alleviate these needs is through the use of Moringa. The Moringa tree is a very fast growing, hearty tree of which every part is useful. In India it is said that "Moringa prevents 300 diseases". Pregnant mothers who eat Moringa have larger, healthier newborns. A nursing mother produces more milk. Eating Moringa leaves has been effective in killing intestinal worms, a common problem for many children in the area. Vitamin A is typically reduced by the presence of HIV and a lack of it is a known cause of blindness – Moringa leaves have a large amount of vitamin A.
Leaves can be eaten fresh, cooked, or dried into a powder that has a six month shelf life. For nutritional purposes, it is added to the main staple, enshima. Moringa roots, flowers, and the branches are also useful.
Growing Moringa is like growing multi-vitamins on trees. Nutrients found in Moringa include:
1. All of the amino acids usually found in protein from animal products such as meat, eggs, and dairy products.
2. Vitamin A (4 times the amount of carrots)
3. Calcium (4 times that of milk)
4. Potassium (3 times that of bananas)
5. Vitamin C (7 times that of oranges)
After an STS team documentary was televised throughout Zambia on ZNBC, the agriculture team has had many open doors. Time has been spent in Zambia with orphanage managers, agriculture experts, physicians, pastors, and local villagers. The STS team typically introduces the benefits of Moringa and demonstrates the step-by-step process from seed planting through harvesting and consumption.
In partnership with Enfys orphanage, the STS agricultural project has:
The seeds were obtained through ECHO (Education Concerns for Hunger Organizations) ECHO, Inc. is a non-profit organization with 501 (c) (3) status (www.echonet.org)
Moringa nutrition information is from www.treesforlife.org/moringa
One way that the STS agriculture project tries to alleviate these needs is through the use of Moringa. The Moringa tree is a very fast growing, hearty tree of which every part is useful. In India it is said that "Moringa prevents 300 diseases". Pregnant mothers who eat Moringa have larger, healthier newborns. A nursing mother produces more milk. Eating Moringa leaves has been effective in killing intestinal worms, a common problem for many children in the area. Vitamin A is typically reduced by the presence of HIV and a lack of it is a known cause of blindness – Moringa leaves have a large amount of vitamin A.
Leaves can be eaten fresh, cooked, or dried into a powder that has a six month shelf life. For nutritional purposes, it is added to the main staple, enshima. Moringa roots, flowers, and the branches are also useful.
Growing Moringa is like growing multi-vitamins on trees. Nutrients found in Moringa include:
1. All of the amino acids usually found in protein from animal products such as meat, eggs, and dairy products.
2. Vitamin A (4 times the amount of carrots)
3. Calcium (4 times that of milk)
4. Potassium (3 times that of bananas)
5. Vitamin C (7 times that of oranges)
After an STS team documentary was televised throughout Zambia on ZNBC, the agriculture team has had many open doors. Time has been spent in Zambia with orphanage managers, agriculture experts, physicians, pastors, and local villagers. The STS team typically introduces the benefits of Moringa and demonstrates the step-by-step process from seed planting through harvesting and consumption.
In partnership with Enfys orphanage, the STS agricultural project has:
- planted hundreds of Moringa trees.
- given thousands of Moringa seedlings
- given many pounds of Moringa leaf powder to the orphan food bank
- started thousands of trees in planting bags to be ready for planting at the beginning of the next rainy season (November ‘09)
- built a shade house with a misting system. It is large enough for about 2,000 planting bags.
- installed an irrigation system for a one acre garden plot. This will be used partly to grow vegetables for the orphan feeding program and partly as a trial plot for intense cultivation of Moringa. Currently over 200 orphans are fed daily through this program.
- 100 chickens are being purchased each week for eight weeks. Enough will be sold each week to maintain the program while adding chicken to the diets.
- helped with materials for raising pigs.
- bought enough seed corn to plant 15 acres. This is being used to make the enshima, a corn meal cereal that is the main staple in the daily meal given to local orphans under the supervision of Pastor Joseph. Soybeans, as a cash crop, will be rotated with the corn.
- bought a mill and had the electricity run to it so that Pastor Joseph could grind the corn. Hopefully, profit can be made from grinding other people's corn so the project can be self-sustainable.
The seeds were obtained through ECHO (Education Concerns for Hunger Organizations) ECHO, Inc. is a non-profit organization with 501 (c) (3) status (www.echonet.org)
Moringa nutrition information is from www.treesforlife.org/moringa