Despite the organisation being a boys home, farm duties are part of every boy?s life at Sunbeam. Older and Intermediate boys will be scheduled to assist with the maintenance and monitoring of the input and output of the project. The keen eyes and ears of the smaller boys will be utilised as part of the monitoring process. The group will also include the neighbouring home for girls.
Members of the Farm Board Committee participated in development of this proposal by firstly coming up with the concept and then offering time and advice in the development of the proposal. Going forward feedback and assistance will be gained from them as they are from the community in close proximity to the Home. Community farmers who do not have this facility will be invited to donate animal wastes (pigs, cow, goats etc) as input to the project especially while our pig stock grows.
Community Members complaints will be facilitated by logging complaints as they are received.
Policy Influence
No government policy has been influenced (for change), however the activity support the Government?s initiative to develop innovative ways in the energy sector. We hope that other private child care facility will replicate this technology of converting animal waste to energy. This could also generate addition income/savings for the facilities.
Capacity - Building Component
One of the key component of the project will be training of work force, training and sensitisation of Community farmers
Emphasis on Sustainable Livelihoods
The implementation of this project will add value to the farming experience at Sunbeam. It will serve as a means to improve awareness of staff, boys and visitors in the advantages and processes involved in recycling as a measure to protect our environment while saving.
The continuity of the project can be guaranteed as long as farm animals, in particular pig, are reared and domestic waste is being generated. Although income may not be earned directly from the project savings will be achieved in critical cost areas.
At the close of the project the sustainability of the organisation would not be threatened but instead would have improved as a result of savings achieved.
Promoting Public Awareness of Global Environment
The media through which the project results can be communicated are Community Development Committee (CDC) Meetings, RADA/Farmers Meetings, Spring Village Newsletter, Old Harbour Expo and other service club meetings. Invitations to Scientific Research Council will be issued to attend meetings and to conduct training workshops with farmers. Sunbeam will include the bio-gas project as part of its exhibit at the annual Old Harbour Expo to raise awareness and interest at the local level.
Reports which will be designed to capture necessary information and discussions will be had at all levels ? Board, Management and Staff. Information will be disseminated through the Bushy Park Community Development Committee at their monthly meetings.
Linkages gef projects
This project was independent of all other GEF projects. This project, due to its possibilities for expansion, can be implemented elsewhere as best practise for animal farmers. With the collection and conversion process of the bio-digester environmental pollution emanating from animal waste and waste generated from butchering.
This project could be up-scaled to a medium sized GEF project where the focus would be utilization of solar energy initially to cut the cost of electricity and later to sell to the grid. Presently explorations by overseas partners are being conducted to move the Home in this direction.
Project sustainability
With the Government?s thrust to have us ?eat what we grow and grow what we eat? we will continue to seek out grant funding to assist with the continuation of the project. However as the pig stock expands, pigs will be sold to also provide funding for the care of stock and the replenishing of stock to prevent inbreeding. To date pigs have been sold which have generated income of over $200,000 which has been used to purchase feeds and supplies
Another component of the waste to wealth project will be to expand out usage of solar energy to cut the cost of electricity and use biogas in the processing of chicken and pig meat. With the installation of the solar lighting and the security fencing of the farm crop cultivation and poultry production have expanded and has thus been one of the key drivers to the sustainability of the project.
Project Results
The project?s object was to converting 100% of livestock and poultry waste into usable bi-products (i.e. bio-gas, fertilizer) on a weekly basis. This NGO is home to 40 boys (minorities and with disabilities).
Completed activities included: Construction of two (2) bio-digester, drying bed and pond, extension of seven (7) stalls to the existing piggery unit used for furrowing and weaning, construction of security fence, installation of solar outdoor lights, raining in Operation and Management of Bio-digester and Community Awareness were conducted, where 40 persons were trained including 27 of the Sunbeam boys (ages 9 ? 18), 14 adults (5 males and 9 females). The boys participated in all activities. A sign was also designed by one of the Sunbeam boys
With the training of the boys in piggery care and management they under the supervision of the farm supervisor carried out the maintenance of the unit and cared for the pigs. When the farm supervisor resigned, it was the boys, who managed the unit under the supervision of the Superintendent. They were able to feed, clean wounds, castrate and immunise the animals
This project was conducted in an area adjacent to a housing scheme. There were no complaints from the community or neighbours about any foul odour emitting as a result of the project. This resulted from the boys learning the proper way of cleaning the pig sty and caring for the pigs.
Through the project, the organisation was able to expand it piggery stock from 5 pigs to 72 pigs (adults, weaners and piglets) from which some were sold to generate an income of $200,000 to date. As the stock expands, more pigs will be sold. We also look forward to butchering for Home consumption. With achievement jobs were and are being created in various areas of pig rearing and to a larger extent agriculture.
Lessons Learnt/Challenges
1.Adverse weather can be a blessing to projects implementation phase. Rains from Hurricane Sandy helped us to identify how flooding could affect the project adversely hence corrective measures were implemented e.g. remedial structural work was done on pre-existing pig stable to prevent excess water entering digester #1.
2.More involvement of our boys and staff during construction phases could have reduced labour cost as well as provided skill training opportunities for the boys.
3.Close monitoring of project averted a massive cost overrun during construction phase.
4.Ensure that each activity is complete before another is started when using the same contractor.
5.Projects of this type (agriculture/environmental/construction) require personnel with specialist knowledge during project development and implementation in order to identify possible approaches/strategies which can be taken.
