Stories From The Field - DIG

A Field Report from Zambia by Catherine Magill

August 11, 2011

Sorry for the long absence from DIG postings. The summer thus far has been a time of activity, transitions, and changes. Volunteers Damian and Ali Schlereth arrived in April to help out with the work in Kafue until early 2012. A wonderful group of four DIG supporters joined us for two weeks in June. Volunteer Sarah Sahlaney finished her commitment here to begin preparing for graduate studies in agriculture and development at UC-Davis in the fall. In late June, DIG’s

Field Trips

My Dream of Africa Came True by Maggie Johnston

August 11, 2011

Maggie Johnston is part of the Birmingham DIG community. She is the director of Camp McDowell Environmental Program and joined DIG on this year’s Donor Trip to Zambia. As a young child, I would thumb through my father’s National Geographic magazines and dream of Africa. Can you relate? Wild giraffes, lions, zebras, elephants wandering across the plains. Half clad, dark skinned African people using primitive tools to make a living from the land. I have grown up in a world

History of Our Growth

Sunday Afternoon in Zambia

March 22, 2011

It’s an overcast, breezy Sunday afternoon, and I just finished chopping up a large pumpkin to make into soup. I picked it up from one of the vegetable stands on the side of the road between Kafue and Lusaka yesterday. It’s such a relief to get out of the chaos and traffic of the city, pass the giant Lafarge cement factory in Chilanga and the last pothole, and then be on the slightly rolling road back home, surrounded by green

History of Our Growth

Growing Opportunities-Co Founder Steve Bolinger is Moving on From DIG

February 17, 2011

Everything in life has an ending, which in turn creates new beginnings full of new opportunities for growth. When DIG was co-founded by Sarah and myself I knew with absolute truth this was what I was suppose to do with my life at that particular time. I also knew it would not be permanent and there were other challenges in life on my “bucket list”. With much thought I have decided to move onto the next stage in my life

History of Our Growth

One Month in Zambia-by Catherine Magill

February 17, 2011

One month can be an infinite amount of time in a garden. In one month, gorgeous green plants can disappear from the face of the earth. They can wither from lack of water, be obliterated by insect attacks, be mortally wounded by neglect of all kinds. However, one month also happens to be enough time for plants to quadruple in size, to go from flowerless to exploding with fruit, to overflow the boundaries of their beds, and to fill buckets

History of Our Growth

Zambia’s First Major Harvest

January 26, 2011

DIG’s Program Manager in Zambia, Catherine Magill has been a busy bee in the gardens. First harvests are coming in as the rainy season continues to bless the country with a long awaited drink. With a laugh and a curious attitude, participants are trying zucchini for the first time. They like it and sweet veggies are now disappearing off the vine. Railway’s morning harvest zucchini and patty pans As Catherine awaits the arrival of her new volunteer, Sarah Sahlaney

History of Our Growth

DIGging has begun in Zambia

November 1, 2010

Under a toasty sky, members of the Kafue District Hospital ART support group gathered on October 12th to begin breaking up the hard earth and imbuing new life into their vegetable garden. The previous year, completely on their own initiative, without support from any outside organization, the group had prepared a large piece of land for growing local vegetables as an income-generating project. They had a vision for strengthening their group through developing a variety of activities at and around

Field Trips

Zambian Beginnings

November 1, 2010

Welcome to Zambia!! We’re at five weeks and counting here. These days the sun is shining a bit more and the afternoons are slightly less chilly, and progress on beginning the gardens seems to be moving at about the same pace as the changes in the weather – slowly slowly. While this seems to be par for the course in Africa, somehow I managed to forget that – I arrived quite eager and energized to get started, get my

Field Trips

A few words from Ann’s volunteer trip.

November 1, 2010

I have never met so many people who were truly present, not distracted by the rush of life as we so often are in cities. I felt completely at home, every day, everywhere, even in the slums and in strange towns along the roads. Perhaps that was because Nasur, our driver, was the kindest human being imaginable, and completely dedicated to taking care of us in his world; perhaps it was because our group was so compatible and so forgiving

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