The new V-Tractor which was donated to Namikango Mission by the Malawi Project in February of this year has already been making it’s mark. With 90 acres of land, 10 acres of which is farmland at Namikango, there is a great need for mobility and transportation of goods, not to mention taking care of the land itself. The V-tractor has provided both. Although planting season and the need for plowing will not come until the end of the year, it is harvest time in Malawi right now, and we have efficiently and quickly been able to harvest the maize that we have here on our campus due to the mobility given to us by this tractor. Work that otherwise would have taken weeks to finish, ferrying maize to and from the field to the storage facility, has taken a couple of days.
Furthermore, we have a coffee/macadamia orchard that is in it’s early stages on the far end of our property. The drought that Southern Africa is experiencing right now has made life hard for so many residents of Malawi, not least of all making the availability and transport of water a difficult task. The tractor, along with it’s sprayer tank has made it possible for us to irrigate our crops more effectively during this difficult year.
While the tractor is of great value to the Mission, the plans for its use have always been to benefit the community. Plans are being developed as to how we will best be able to do that in the coming months as we look ahead to the next planting season in November. In the meantime, we would like to convey are deep gratitude for this very generous gift, and to the Malawi Project for making this possible.
By Ben Hayes – Director, Namikango Mission, Malawi