Dear Friends,
If you saw our December newsletter, you may have gathered that we are rather busy with our seven potential solutions to Tiko’s problems, especially crew members who are working on a computer (including me). For me to delegate our tasks, we need a number of Tiko crew to have computers…and Wi-Fi. But in reality our crew work part-time to save money on lunches for the crew, with crops having been caught by inflation, and they need time off to work in the fields; we don’t have enough laptops and our Wi-fi often doesn’t work; our computers are agonizingly slow and it can take 20 seconds to open a Facebook message.
It is now the fourth year that I am not travelling, which makes it all the more important to tell you that we still exist and that all your money and efforts in the past have not been in vain. Tiko is definitely on the way forward.
Here we go!
SOLUTION No.1 DONORSEE Programme
Martha happily showing her new glazed windows from DonorSee.
The DONORSEE programme has become our saving grace for the bad hunger period. Thanks to Rey in America who works as the project officer and has put his own money into it in a big way, nearly all of our now 61 members have had a private need fulfilled and we have over 40 fully funded projects!
Jane with her brother. Jane now has a plot of land thanks to DonorSee and will soon move to a Tiko house with her mother and 14 year old niece.
Now we are going for ROUND TWO as the boss of DONORSEE asked us for more videos. Mainly the requests are for practical or physical things such as bedframes, mattresses, roofs or windows and some people have asked for money to buy a plot of land or much needed school uniform for children. You can see how wonderful it is for our crew members and what a difference it makes to their lives.
For me however, the main idea is still for the Tiko crew to have income-generating activities at their homes for their family members e.g growing their own vegetables. Bikes have been asked for, to make money as a bike taxi but there is now big competition in this business.
Rey with Doris and Tisauke.
Please click here to see all our micro projects available to fund at DonorSee.
SOLUTION No.2 Global Giving
Last week, you hopefully saw that the current Global Giving project was eligible for their ‘Little by Little’ campaign. By using social media more effectively (via Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram which was new for us), and our wonderful network of Tiko friends worldwide, we raised about 1,600 EUR in only four days! We are now at 35 % of the project funding goal!
As a reminder, the goal of this project is to fund our ‘Steps out of Poverty’ programme, supporting communities in Katete to adapt to the effects and challenges of climate change. We plan to deliver seminars to women’s clubs teaching the principles of permaculture or climate-smart agriculture, and demonstrating them in Tiko’s field and gardens. The activities and learning then will be reported and extended to many more farmers.
Please visit the website to help us reach our fundraising target: Tiko program: Preventing hunger and malnutrition – GlobalGiving
Christoph from Germany works hard to promote Tiko with the social media channels, website and donation platforms/projects like GlobalGiving.
SOLUTION No.3 Nico, One of the Future
The planting season is nearly over and many seeds have drowned from almost flood-like conditions. However, there is still time to plant sweet potato to make up for that loss. If we could get $5 from a 40 people, almost all of our crew who have fields and space could be given a bag of sweet potato vines to plant.
Nico is about to open a new NGO especially for NGOs like us who are struggling. It is called Tribuntu and you can visit the new Tiko section of the website here: Tikondane – Tribuntu.
We are working out the last financial transfer details and might make it a ‘European partnership’ for Spain and Germany. This could help to save money by reducing the transaction costs … more to come. Thanks to Nico, Fredrick, Francisco and many more.
SOLUTION No.4 Federico and Otto 8 Per Mille
Our project with Otto per Mille itself has finished now, but we are still profiting in many ways, one example:
The Otto per Mille funded Production Unit produces chicks from eggs and chicken feed from maize corns.
New grant application for computers
Federico has written a new grant application to Otto per Mille, to help us buy computers, tables and chairs, so we can teach children in grades 7, 9 and 12 to type and use computers. The government decided a while ago, that exam papers have to be completed on the computer, which of course is not easy for village children who may not even have seen one.
SOLUTION No.5 Special visitors
We will never be able to mention everybody, sorry, pepani. Here are just a few: One long-term visitor was 19 year old Max, and a promise to a better world. He made friends with everybody and worked constantly. He especially helped me with a difficult online grant application about our black soldier fly project (see Solution 7). He made two videos and was especially touched by the problem of young people here. He started teaching them about the problems of drugs and alcohol, and spoke to our young men about men’s mental health. He also played with the preschool children, a true treasure.
Max presenting to the crew about men’s mental health.
The most important visitor was Kate from Melbourne, a volunteer at ROUNDTRIP, Alan’s NGO. She made two contacts which have just now come to fruition. She found a researcher in the University of Lusaka, who worked with supplements for malnutrition. We visited in December and he was delighted, but we did not hear from till end of March. Then he sent an analysis of our powder, which favourably compared with a similar powder, and 3 weeks later he promised a draft proposal to be sent to the Ethics committee of the University.
The hope is for Tiko to produce ONENEPA for all the hospitals in Zambia and even in pharmacies for malnutrition and as a means to complete rebound after disease – it will need a big factory. First of all, however, the ethics committee will at best allow a trial run in hospitals, and for that we will need money – Zambia sure does not have money. But our friend in Zambia University or the Ministry of Health may have contacts with big groups who see the importance of preventing malnutrition, so we won’t worry yet.
Kate from Melbourne with Martha.
Kate also introduced Kombe to us, who is a marketing specialist. She lives in Lusaka, but will come to Tiko to discuss which products are worth sending to Lusaka for sale and how to go about it.
SOLUTION No.6 Greenhouse for hydrophonic fodder
It is working and the chicks laid more and bigger eggs! Now we are checking like hawks, whether that is truly due to getting part of their feed as this hydrophonic fodder.
Our successful hydrophonic fodder.
SOLUTION No.7 Black soldier fly project
Wonderful volunteer Max helped me to write a grant application to UNDP (UNITED NATIONS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME). We have a problem with the black soldier flies – the eggs. Susan and Christine are showing us above are not eggs of ‘our’ flies, but come from local ones who decided they like the smell in our shed. Their larvae don’t grow as fast and as big as ours, and the eggs only turned up when it was hot. Our winter has started now and we hope UNDP will help us build the right houses for mass egg production.
So dear Readers, what do you think? Whatever the worries and the compassion with those suffering in wars or in political turmoil, we can only be grateful for the wonderful help we receive from so many sides. Please, write to me at tikoeducation@gmail.com with information from your end that we should know about – not having travelled for a long time, I love receiving letters and more – and please accept our heartfelt gratitude.
Hoping you had a wonderful Easter,
Yours ever
Elke and the Crew
Tiko online!
Just in case you haven’t seen them, here are the links to our Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and even Linkedin.
And all information about visiting, volunteering and rooms on our website: Tikondane.org
– For donation information please have a look on ‘Support Tiko‘, Global Giving, our fundraising page at DonorSee or Tribuntu –