top of page

OUR 

WORK

Explore Pabalelo Trust's initiatives, which support year-round environmentally-sustainable, climate-friendly food security and livelihood development within the Okavango World Heritage Site.

Conservation Ag

CONSERVATION AGRICULTURE (CA)

THE BASICS

Conservation Agriculture is rooted in 3 principles:

IMG_5173 med_edited.jpg

1) Minimum Tillage

Reduced soil disturbance prevents erosion, conserves soil moisture, and increases efficacy of manure applied.

IMG_4697 med_edited.jpg

2) Soil Coverage

Soil cover is achieved through mulching, cover crops, and agroforestry. It reduces evaporation, suppresses weeds, recycles nutrients, prevents erosion, and builds soil structure.

intercrop med_edited.jpg

3) Intercropping & Crop Rotation

Intercropping and crop rotation improve water and nutrient use, reduce pest and disease risk, and return nitrogen to the soil.

HOW PABALELO TRUST SUPPORTS CA

We work with farmers to find methods to achieve these principles while considering traditional agricultural practices, erratic rainfall patterns, and competing demands on farmers' time and resources. Pabalelo Trust offers:

  • Practical training on CA, including soil health, field preparation, pest management, etc.

  • Field support and troubleshooting for CA farmers

  • Material support through use of equipment and provision of trees for agroforestry

  • Organizational support for farming clusters 

  • Connecting farmers to markets for their crops

  • Monitoring, evaluation, documentation, and research

IMG_5256 med_edited.jpg

WHERE WE DO CA

Untitled.jpg

Pabalelo Trust works with farmers throughout the Okavango Panhandle, including five clusters in Samochima and one in Mohembo East.

WHO WE DO CA WITH

Screenshot 2021-11-11 at 11.27.42.png

We primarily work with women farmers and their families to grow food and earn income in an environmentally sustainable way. 

WHY CA?

Food production in the Panhandle region poses many challenges, from drought and erratic rainfall, poor and sandy soils, to livestock and wildlife interference. Because we partner with community members who largely depend on subsistence food production as their primary livelihood, most do not have access to expensive solutions such as mechanized irrigation and fertilizers. Conservation agriculture offers a way of improving soil health and water retention, and thereby crop yield, in an environmentally sustainable, climate-friendly way, without expensive equipment or chemicals. 

Backyard Gardens

BACKYARD GARDENS

THE BASICS

Pabalelo Trust works with gardeners to design solutions that are based on traditional knowledge and wisdom and pull inspiration from:

DSCN4160 med.JPG
IMG_4186.JPG

1) Permagardening 

By building soil health through double-digging beds, applying compost and manure, companion planting, and practicing crop rotation,  gardeners can repeatedly use the same land for food production.

3) Sustainable Solutions

We work to increase gardens' viability through composting, natural pest management, greywater recycling, and companion planting. 

DSCN4023.JPG

2) Water-Wise Gardens

Using methods of zaii holes, greywater recycling, drip irrigation, container and sack gardens combined with mulching and other methods of increase water retention, we help gardeners overcome drought and unreliable water sources.

harvest natural resource.JPG

4) Natural Resource Utilization

Pabalelo Trust is exploring income generation opportunities, particularly for women, through the sustainable gathering and processing of the abundantly growing fruits, leaves, nuts, and roots.

HOW PABALELO TRUST SUPPORTS GARDENING

We team up with existing and aspiring gardeners, schools, and NGOs to establish sustainable gardens that meet their needs. Support includes:

  • Training on permaculture, including design, bed preparation, planting, pest control, and soil health

  • Planning and digging gardens

  • Linking needy families with resources such as seeds and shade nets 

  • Advisory site visits 

  • Connecting gardeners to markets for their produce

IMG_3656_edited.jpg

WHEN WE GARDEN

Screenshot 2021-11-11 at 11.29.38.png

We and our partner gardeners produce food year round. However, our peak season begins with training and bed preparation in April.

WHO WE GARDEN WITH

IMG_6265.JPG

We partner with families, especially woman-headed homes, to design and support gardens that meet their needs.

WHY GARDENS?

Though food production is a primary livelihood in the Panhandle region, various reasons prevent many community members from engaging in dry-land agriculture. Changes in land use policies have relocated agricultural fields far away from village centres. Household demands, particularly for women, can further disincentive them from engaging in dry-land agriculture. Backyard gardens offer an opportunity for year-round food production, as well as income generation, at home.

Demoplots

DEMONSTRATION PLOTS

WHY DEMONSTRATION PLOTS?

The farmers we work with face many challenges including erratic rainfall, drought, wildlife conflict, couch grass (Cynodon dactilon) infestation, poor and sandy soils, free-roaming cattle and goats which result in shortage of crop residue for mulch, and a variety of desert climate pests. Still, their courage, resilience, and dedication inspire us. Though we work alongside farmers to find solutions, we also pilot new methods to address these challenges and identify marketable crops in our own fields and gardens before bringing them to our communities.

THE BASICS

We aim to find solutions for small scale farmers and gardeners that work with the environment and culture of our region. Some of our pilot projects include:

  • Greywater recycling for small home gardens

  • Natural pesticides (e.g. Neem, marigolds, lemongrass, garlic etc.)

  • Drip line irrigation in backyard gardens

  • Integration of animals with farming for manure harvesting and insect control

  • Zaii hole gardening

  • Velvet beans to fight couch grass

  • Chili plots for hot sauce

  • Chili elephant-bombs

  • Companion planting/intercropping

  • Keyhole gardens

  • Liquid manure

  • Living fences

  • Agroforestry for green manure (e.g. Faidherbia albida and Tephrozia trees)

  • Conservation Agriculture variations (e.g ripping, furrowing, basins, cover crops)

  • Medicinal plants (e.g. Moringa harvesting)

  • Drying of greens (e.g. traditional foods including Amaranthus species)

Youth Programming

YOUTH PROGRAMMES

WHY YOUTH?

At Pabalelo Trust, we know that to achieve a future with sustainable food security and sustainable livelihoods, we must invest in our youth today. We take a holistic approach to youth development through two programmes:  

Environmental Education Club

Working with Samochima Primary School and SAVE Wildlife Conservation Fund, Pabalelo Trust leads a weekly Environmental Education Club for 40-50 students ages 10-14. Members are able to explore our environment, learn about soils and gardening, and engage in activities to conserve our ecosystem in the Okavango Panhandle. Not only does this help students foster a sense of responsibility for their environment and the livelihoods it supports, but it also supports the development of confident, mindful leaders for the future.

Out of School Youth

Pabalelo Trust, through an endowment from WildCard (Netherlands), and in partnership with Samochima Village Development Committee, Village Extension Committee, and the local Councilor, are supporting youth who were school drop-outs to enroll in a tutoring program to repeat their Junior Certificate and/or General Certificate of Secondary Education. In addition to financial support and transport, Pabalelo Trust is providing life skills training in the areas of conservation agriculture, permagardening, auto maintenance, and other topics and mentoring these youths to successfully adhere to the programme and overcome the challenges young people face in rural Botswana.

bottom of page