Unfortunately, as Mr. Phiri points out, the majority of the trees he gives away die when people do not implement rainwater-harvesting techniques before planting. He propagates his trees in old rice and grain bags near one of three open wells near the bottom of his property. Mr. Phiri describes the open wells with another analogy. Water is like blood-it is always attracted to the wound. Gullies are wounds.
Blood goes to the wound to coagulate and heal it.
It does this with gabions and swales where the gully is filled with fertile soil. The soil is his catchment tank. Except for one well, which is lined with a hand pump for household water use, all are open and lined with unmortared stone. The water comes and goes as it pleases, for you see, in my land it is everywhere. In times of severe drought , Mr. Phiri will draw from these wells to water annuals in nearby fields.