Fi and Andy’s excellent Xhosa adventure

Fiona Kenyon and Andy Greer

After a very bumpy drive we arrived at the village of Camama to a warm welcome reception that involved most of the local members of the shearing shed. Once the formalities were completed we were introduced to village life by our host families. This friendly village although spread out, was fairly well equipped with a shop, tavern, a pre-and primary school and a house to care for disabled people and most houses had electricity. It was very refreshing for us to see that the main focus of village life is still very much with the benefit of the community in mind, in particular, with regards to the animals, communal grazing helps to share the workload with everyone lending a hand when required. However, the lack of an ability to keep rams separated from the ewes means that mating, and consequently lambing, does not always occur at the desired time of year. As a result, lamb mortality is extremely high (up to 70%) due to a majority of the young being born during the dry winter months when feed and water is often restricting. This is an aspect of communal farming that could be easily addressed and would provide a considerable financial benefit for all involved.

The shearing shed at Camama

The first job the following morning was to dip the cattle for the control of ticks. Before walking to school the children gathered all the cattle from the surrounding hills which were then run through a communal dip (the cattle, not the children). After that it was time for examination of sheep for the PARASOL project to begin. All of the farmers that had animals involved in the trial walked their sheep to the shearing shed where they were sorted into their groups and treated accordingly. Most of the animals were in good condition and reasonably healthy. Unfortunately not all of the trial animals were present due to losses from Jackals and theft. With the numbers of helpers available a fairly rapid system of assessing the animals based on condition score, dag score and FAMACHA was soon into full swing. Faecal samples were also taken and vacuum packed so that they could be posted to Pretoria for processing. What was most impressive to us in this community, was the ability of the local school children to carry out these tasks, with a handful temporarily removed from school to demonstrate their skills. It was clear to us that although the main aim of the PARASOL project was to improve animal health and productivity, it also provides the ideal environment for teaching the younger generation how to care for and handle their animals. This aspect was encouraged and greatly assisted by the NWGA advisors (Mr Danga and Mr Gongxeka) and is certainly an intangible benefit of the PARASOL program in these communities.

The school children at Camama showing their skills

Early the following morning we left Camama for Valbank, another community involved in the PARASOL project, where there was a newly built and very grand shearing shed. Unfortunately a recent storm had left a gaping hole in the roof for which there was no money available for repairs. Again the animals appeared healthy and were clearly well looked after. Of particular note was the level of interest from farmers in the community who did not have sheep directly involved in the PARASOL trial. This level of enthusiasm and thirst for knowledge from the farmers is very encouraging and is sure to provide many benefits in the future. With well in excess of 20 helpers, including many women from the community, the animals were all assessed quickly. The villagers used a very efficient system where the animals were brought in rapid succession to dedicated persons for FAMACHA and condition scoring.

Condition scoring at Valbank.

From Valbank we moved on to Deberrha, which was to be our home for the next two nights. This village has been patiently waiting for electricity and running water that has been promised for the past 10 years but is yet to materialise. After a warm welcome we were shown to our accommodation and after a quick tour we enjoyed a hearty meal. After breakfast the following morning, we headed up to the shearing shed where we proceeded with the PARASOL program. Due to it being a Saturday we were assisted by many children who, just like those from Camama, were only too happy to demonstrate their ability to handle the sheep and perform the necessary measurements. Again there were many sheep missing from the trial that was a result of predators and theft. The sheep appeared to be healthy and in a fair condition but were small with a fully grown animal only 40kg max. Farmers are currently in two minds what to do as they can see the benefits of selecting animals for their wool but they are also wanting an animal that had much better growth rates. Due to the cloudy day there was not enough light to complete the FAMACHA measurements, and they were left to another day. We were invited to a gathering to commemorate a member of the community who had previously passed away. The a memorial ceremony So, From mid morning we joined the rest of the villagers and set down to do the official work for the day which was to eat an ox that was slaughtered in memory of the deceased. After a belly-full of meat we left for a tour of the community that included hill areas that are used solely for grazing and flatter land that is designated for growing Maize. One of the desires of farmers is to get enough money for fences that will assist in the grazing management of the hill areas and protect the Maize crops. While it is clear to see the benefits that camps will have on the ability to effectively and efficiently manage the land, any such improvements will bring a major change to their farming methods. In particular, the management of the camps will rely on the continued compliance of all the land users in the community.

Mr Denga weighing sheep at Deberha while Mr Gongxeka looks on

Fi enjoying some ox with the ladies

Andy enjoying a traditional Xhosa beer

Following the tour we were invited to attend an official community meeting that was called because of our presence. During this meeting we discovered that we were the first white people to have stayed in the village, the significance of which was not overlooked by the community. Consequently, they took the opportunity to air some of their grievances that included the lack of financial support for initiatives such as the aforementioned fences and the provision of a crèche and the lack of electricity, clean drinking water and sanitation. Although these are outside the scope of how we may be able to directly assist as part of the PARASOL project, this wish-list of the community clearly includes items that would be viewed as basic essentials of people living in a westernized country.

After the community meeting we returned to another feast of the ox and a taste of traditional Xhosa beer. Just before dark we were shown the nearly completed sheep dip which has taken six months to build and will provide an excellent resource for the control of sheep scab. Before too long it was dark and time to return to our rondawel.

While our visits to Camama, Valbank and Deberrha provided an eye-opening experience for us, it also leaves us with very fond memories as we were very well looked after. We found the communities to be some of the friendliest people that we have had the pleasure of meeting, and we would like to sincerely thank them for their hospitality. We would also like to thanks the NWGA advisors, Mr Danga and Mr Gongxeka for their help and support.

Community visit -  Xhosa FA (PDF, 376 kB)

All Pictures: © Fiona Kenyon