Apr 08

Don’t Let Me Starve ~ Teach Me To Fish

Conservation, Agricultural Assistance, Be The Change
Don’t Just Give Me the Fish, for When You Leave I Will Starve to Death. But Teach Me To Fish and When You Leave I Will Continue To Eat.

    Lebanon, Indiana … A big smile can be seen on the face of Ari Tello, an employee of L. T. Rich Manufacturing Company in Lebanon, Indiana, as she demonstrates one of the two new V-Tractor prototypes that are ready to go to Malawi in the next 40-foot trailer currently being prepared for shipment.

    The V-Tractor is a concept piece of equipment to aid in agriculture for villages and plot style farming for developing countries. Developed by L.T. Rich Products of Lebanon, Indiana with the help of Richard Stephens of the Malawi Project, the tractor utilizes simplicity and reliability.

    Powered by a Hatz diesel, the tractor utilizes a unique three wheel drive hydrostatic transmission utilizing two independent pumps and three wheel motors.

    The tractor also has an 11 gpm auxiliary hydraulic pump to power attachments. The current tractor can power a 30 gpm water pump, 10 kw generator set, and cement mixer. A wide variety of attachments can be developed for additional applications. In field repairs can be made easily with a small tool kit. A simple forward reverse pedal engages the tractor with no gear changes or clutching.

    These tractors have been a number of years in design and creation and they have been prepared especially for village needs on African small plot farms.

SPECIFICATIONS:

    * Engine: 22 hp Hatz twin cylinder air cooled
    * Transmission: Hydro gear BPD 21-16-11 gpm gear
    * Weight: 2052 lbs
    * Width: 72”
    * Length: 91”
    * Ground speed: 6.7 mph forward, 4 mph reverse.
    * Cultivator:
    * 4 row shovel. 30” row centers. 1 to 4” shovels
    * 2 row chisel. 30” row centers.
    * Water System:
    * Water capacity: 70 gallons
    * Pump capacity: 30 gpm (can fill tank from any water source or use as remote pumping system)
    * Planter:
    * Yetter ground drive planter. Two or four row.
    * Generator:
    * 7.5 kw or 10 kw output @ 1800 rpm. 50 htz. Hydraulic drive.

For additional information about this revolutionary creation go to: www.vtractor.com

 

Below Tom Rich, the inventor of the V-Tractor gives information to Shola Ajiboye of the Indianapolis African Center about the capabilities of this revolutionary tractor,  and the inventor tests its capability in shake down trials before the units are shipped.

 

    

Mar 30

Lake Begins New Program For Handicapped

Conservation, Drip Irrigation
    Salima, Malawi … On the road to Senga Bay, Malawi the observer will quickly see the recently constructed lake or large holding pond for rainwater that is located northeast of the Salima Trading Center. The purpose of the lake is to collect water during the rainy season in order to have irrigation capabilities during the 5 months when not a drop of rain falls from the sky. The program is the result of the work of the Kuthandiza Osayenda Disability Outreach (KODO) in order to help the handicapped of Malawi.

    In a recent update on the progress of the program Mr. George Chimpiko Banda, the Director of KODO, reports, "We have dug a 20 by 40m Dam. This Dam is to be used for irrigation. You can see it in the photograph. We hope to harvest enough rainwater this season for our irrigation farming. Maize harvested from this area will be distributed free to the disabled members .We plan to build a Vocational Skills Training Centre for the Disabled as soon as funds are available."

    Two trailers filled with medical, educational and supplies for the handicapped have just arrived at KODO from the Malawi Project in order to assist the handicapped. A third trailer, this one with 550 wheelchairs, is expected to ship to KODO later in the year. 

Jul 04

Malawi Plants Its Future

Conservation

On the Slopes Near Dedza

        The problems keep coming, and the delay in getting away from Blessings means we will be late getting to the office of the Minister of Forestry for the nation of Malawi. I hate being late to any meeting, but to be late to a meeting with a government official is doubly uncomfortable. When we arrive at the offices of the Forestry Department we are immediately ushered into the office of Kenneth M. Nyasulu, the Minister of Forestry, along with his Deputy Secretary of Forestry. Beside them are seated Gilbert Mtsendero, the assistant Director of Forestry, and Mrs. Myula, the District Forestry Officer for the Lilongwe District Office. Napoleon, Suzi and I take our seats. No one seems to notice, or even care, that we are late arriving. The customary greetings, introductions, and conversation continue for an hour. It is all part of the Malawi tradition and custom of getting to know you, and what you are all about, before getting down to the business at hand. Malawians are masters at determining character, and they will size you up in short order. After the time of greeting five of us get into a Nissan Patrol 3.0 Di and head out of the driveway.
The sun is climbing high in the sky, and the customary fog on distant mountains is already burning away. The green landscape from the recently ended rainy season still punctuates the landscape as we scoot hastily south through the countryside. Family plots of ripe maize spot the landscape brown, and white clouds drift slowly across the African sky. Cassia Spectabilis trees topped with beautiful blossoms of yellow warn of the coming dry season.

They Appear To Tear Long Gashes In The Clouds

        Within fifteen minutes the changing landscape begins to roll the road into a slow rollercoaster of curves and hills, and the distant mountains move in to surround us. The farther south we ride, the higher the peaks, and it appears they are tearing long gashes in the

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