*****Blessing and Dillon have a new baby girl, Tatiana! Born by c-section December 27th! Pictures will come at a later date. Wish her well!!!*****
In true Blessing style, the day before she gave birth she sent us these photos along with her story:
Dillon and the two folks working in the tomatoes.
These tomatoes were grown without any fertilizers and this is my second harvest from a small portion we’ve grown in October. I harvested some tomatoes and I blessed my neighbors with them as a Christmas gift and it made me so happy. Until now I’m harvesting once every week, my home is full of nice, yummy and fresh tomatoes and whoever pays me a visit these days is being blessed.
One of the tomato beds that will be transplanted in two weeks.
A guy from the village, working in the farm in order to get some money to feed his family at the end of the day.
Space being cleared to transplant the tomatoes.
Tomato seed, Insecticides and fertilizers
I got a donation from a friend to support the project so I bought all the insecticide as I was advised by the agronomist, fertilizers and manure. I bought waterproof boots for the people to work with and tents to build in order to hide when it’s raining on the farm while they are working.
Rice paddy, this is grown by some women from the village. They come to ask for a portion in the farm in order to grow their rice, I encourage them to do it freely so that they can take care of their homes. It’s one of the aim of Blessing villages.
We planted a small area of tomatoes in order to test the soil and the tomato crops, before committing to doing a bigger space and the result is good.
Here is the last time I went to the farm , about two weeks ago and these are the two people that we’re working with, Michel and Kasongo. The vegetables you are seeing is covo and behind me are the tomatoes. It’s a common vegetable from Zimbabwe and it’s very nutritious. Congolese are not familiar with it and I didn’t know it until I met Dillon.
When I went to Zimbabwe, we’d eat it almost everyday with bukari (called sadza there).
We bought seeds and we came to plant it here. I can’t wait to introduce my fellow Congolese this yummy vegetable. I don’t know how it’s called in English but it looks a little like spinach. (Note from Kristin – it’s in the Kale family).
I did a very small area of green pepper and it showing good results.
The tomatoes are being removed from the bed to be transplanted.
Meeting before starting the transplant process.
Village Blessings 