Questions of authority

Questions of authority, Saturday 31 Jan

[This is one of the postings I couldn't get into the right format for putting in the blog last week. I think it still has some validity.]

Several times during my preparation period, people asked me if I wasn't scared. Scared of what? Of illness, of violent crime, of isolation? No. But scared of not measuring up? No, not significantly either. At every stage I have emphasised that I'm not an expert, a professional, a specialist. I have done some basic research on cultivation techniques and on nutrition. I have a few books and articles. I have web references, their usefulness limited by discontinuity of internet access, however.

Now I'm here it's being borne in on me what my questioners might have been getting at. After breakfast I got out my bag of seeds again. Francine is particularly curious about beetroot (which is being promoted by Send-a-cow in Rwanda, I know). In the bottom of the bag I found just 4 seeds of the yellow dwarf bean I've been growing at home for 15 year or more from saved seed originally given me by fellow allotmenteer Gordon Ellard, so Francine's garden seems a good home for them, where I've encouraged her to conserve seed if the plants grow successfully. Radishes and rocket are also unknown to Francine. Crook-necked yellow squash seeds were bought in the USA where they seem to be suitable for all 4 climatic zones, so I'm hopeful of germination and plant a couple (more widely spaced than F expected). So far so good. We mark the locations with short lengths of bamboo I find in the mulch round the shrubs bordering the path, and draw a labelled diagramme as an aide memoire.

The vegetable area of the garden consists of several raised but unbordered rectangular beds, about 1x4 meters, with bright orange soil, much more friable than mine at home despite last night's prolonged downpour, and basically weed free. A few onions are growing, and some healthy looking carrots. The only visible weed is oxalis, and not much of that.

I see no evidence of compost. When I was being shown the washing facilities on arrival yesterday I asked if waste water should be thrown on the garden and was greeted with a surprised giggle. When it had rained I saw there was no immediate need for irrigation! I haven't asked about fertiliser, natural or factory made. Later this morning Francine's brother sprayed all the fruit trees with something that smelled quite noxious. If these busy people have systems that work well for them, who am I to come along and unsettle them?

My second transaction of the morning was with Antoine Samvura, the head of the Friends school here. I shall write later about the French/English language issue. For now I'm focusing on another aspect of our conversation. I began telling A of the Growing Together project which is my main reason for being here and the conversation turned to what I had learned from literature and conversations about the Send-a-cow organic gardening projects. 'I have a cow, some cows, and some goats on a piece of land about an hour's drive from here', he said. 'Would you like to see them?' So far so good. I accepted the invitation. 'The people who work there have no training. Are you restricted to the Women in Dialogue project or would you advise them?' I articulate what may be becoming a mantra: I am not a professional.

Later I am reading the laminated sheets of instructions from Send-a-cow on making a compost heap, making liquid plant feeds from fresh leaves and from animal dung, and natural pesticides from plants. Francine sits beside me and studies them avidly despite her lack of English. These are early days.

PS Sunday 8 Feb. I went out with Antoine to his land yesterday. More about that anon.