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Sustainability

Our farm produces nutritious foods for the Precious Orphans Children’s Home, Precious English Medium Primary School and Precious Leaders Secondary School. The sale of excess crops provides additional income to support our projects. By modeling organic and sustainable agricultural practices and holding workshops, local farmers learn to increase productivity and reduce the costs of their own farms.

Approach

Sustainability is a continuous process of improving various aspects of our impact on natural resources. For Precious Project, it will always include small and large projects where we can see measurable impact year over year.

Raising chicken and ducks for nutritious meals

Precious Project currently has 200 chickens and ducks. The chickens provide eggs for our residential children. We also sell the surplus eggs to fund the purchase of chicks. The chickens and ducks are supplementing our children’s diets, while keeping our food costs low.

Solar Panels provides energy continuity and saves money.

High-capacity solar panels power schools, homes, and campus facilities. A solar pump ensures water supply for the entire secondary site, facilitating irrigation. The completed solar project yields over 65% savings, equating to around $3,000 annually in reduced energy expenses for Precious Project.

Self-sufficiency Pays Dividends

Challenges

Undernourishment is prevalent in Tanzania, due to the poor food supply. Forty-three percent of children are stunted according to the World Bank. Many have serious vitamin deficiencies and health problems.  A host of problems hinder the productive farming of nutritious foods. Many families barely get by, farming small plots of land with poor soil and water, among other challenges.

Multi-faceted Approach

International efforts toward sustainable farming have helped to increase food production, reduce costs, save lives, and generate a revenue source, reducing poverty over the long term. Our approach is based on:
  • Adopting sustainable agricultural practices to grow more with less land, water, fertilizer, and other costs, minimizing environmental impact
  • Sharing sustainable farming practices with the community so they may benefit on their own farms.
Healthy Greens
The Precious farm grows spinach, chinese cabbage, kale, lettuce, and eggplant.
Growing Bananas
In addition to bananas, we are growing avocados, papayas, and passion fruit
Grey Water
Rainwater is being collected to reduce need for well water

“Permaculture invites us to protect intact ecosystems where they remain and help restore them where they're destroyed. It suggests that we take care of the earth while taking care of its people.”  
                                                                               Juliana Birnbaum Fox

Accomplishments

  • Chicken population feeds Precious community, provides fertilizer and is a source of revenue.
  • Organically-grown banana and avocado trees, as well as a variety of vegetables provide nutrition and revenue to the projects.
  • Water tanks capture and filter rainwater.
  • A well of clean water is now available to all villagers.
  • Gray water is used for crop irrigation.
  • Biogas system as a back-up to solar energy eliminates dependency on propane.

Project Leads and Contacts

  • Gil Williams, US
  • William Modest, Tanzania
For more information : gil@preciousproject.org

Newsletters

November 2023
The Climate Chaos in Tanzania: From Drought to Deluge
May 2022
A Solar Future for Precious
Generous donors help move Precious towards self-sustainability and reducing carbon footprint
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