A small contribution to the kids' education: Consultation Paper 3

Answers to Questions raised in the previous Consultation Paper

Each rice plot can be harvested 2 times in a year depending on the species. According to the technicians interviewed, the best rice species is WATT and is harvested after 5 months. There will thus be 2 seasons: plantation is in July and February.

The rice field project is technically possible and feasible not only because rice is a secular crop in the region, but also because local people are almost specialists in managing rice fields. The principal risks are especially down to weather fluctuations, especially times when it does not rain at the expected times ; sadly, the harvest is seriously affected in such situations.

Please see the approximations of the jobs done on the rice fields and the cost thereof in the table below: (Unable to load the table on the blog! and all money in local currency: £1~1,000 FRW)

1. Leasing one rice plot par season 50.000
2. Digging 2500
3.First plot prepartion 2400
4. Second plot preparation prior to planting 2400
5. Irrigation of plot* 1500
6. Seeds purchase 1500
7. Plantation* 3200
8. First sarclage 4000
9. Fertilizers N.P.K 20 kgs/enough for entire plot 500
10. Pesticides 1000
11. Second sarclage 4000
12. Second fertilizers 10 kgs/1 plot 400
13. Second pesticides 1000
14. Maintaing irrigation channels throughout 1500
15. Third and last sarclage 3.000
16. Harvest 2000
17. Purchasing pesticide pumps 25000 (hiring is cheaper).

According to the technicians interviewed, when one sac of ? .....(= rice strait from fields) weighing 100 Kg produces in average 70Kg of ?… (= rice ready to cook); and in total 700kg of the former type (strait from field) is harvested par plot of rice field .

So, each rice field produces in average 490 kgs of ...?(= rice ready cook) but this yield can increase of decrease depending on the climate conditions.

COST/BENEFIT ANALYSIS

The project is in a negative balance if all the jobs planned are paid from the village project purse (fund).

However, if the beneficiary parents offer to do the jobs on a voluntary basis, such that only lease of rice field [50,000]; Irrigation* [1,500], seeds [1,500]; plantation* [3,200]; fertilizers [400; 500]; pesticides [1,000; 1,000] are paid for, then the benefit is huge.

The cost would only be 59,100; and the benefit would be 87,900 ; nearly the double of the invested money.

NB: Jobs with asterisc are not to be paid for absolutely, instead they are either tidious to do by a non expert (plantation) or they need constant surveillance morning and evenig (irrigation).

CONCLUSION:

Following the analysis kindly collected by Mr...., it appears the rice field option is only viable if the parents of the beneficiary children are unforcebly willing to do the bulk of the work on a voluntary basis.

Therefore, the next stage of the project should be to offer guidelines on the selection of the children, then talking to their parents to see whether they would agree with the above arrangement before the season rice kicks off in July. Although not compulsory, guidelines should perhaps also be worked out for a non compliant parent!

Furthermore, there is need to speak to the minister (pastor) of [...] parish to see whether the church would accept to allow the use of their kitchen and crockeries and whether some members of the church would be willing to come and cook the meal for the children. The church would also be encouraged to offer some financial imput (i.e. a weekly collection for this cause) as the church is really meant to be helping those children from miserable families.

Finally, Mr [...] will have to publish his contigent plan to supervise that the children meant to be eating do really eat and how he will prevent any acts of corruption and abuse of the scheme.

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