Cucumbers of Hope

Pierre Faye - Posted on February 16, 2009

The TIPA (Drip Irrigation) project is in its second year. Forty-five days after sowing the cucumbers, the time has come to enjoy the fruits of dedication and hard work with the harvest the expected 50 tons.

This project, supported by World Vision and Israel Embassy, is playing a key role to avoid the farmers to embark in rural exodus which robs villages of their best potential and manpower. During the last years, many people have left to go to big cities looking for jobs. Thanks to this project, many farmers can stay in the village and have enough income to take care of their families.

The sun shines on a fresh December morning. It’s not hot at this period of the year compared to the average temperature during the warmest periods of the years. In the midst of the five green hectares (12.5 acres) of cucumbers and okras, more than 50 farmers are harvesting the plants.

In this atmosphere, characterized by happiness, the farmers enjoy the fruits of their efforts. They are concentrating on the harvesting of the cucumbers they sowed 45 days before. The system they use in their garden is an innovative technology. It is a drip irrigation system that saves water. This is a blessing for the farmers in this part of the world where water is scarce.

Monique Dione, a sponsorship supervisor holds in her hands the cucumbers she has just freshly harvested from the plot of land assigned to her. “You see, we never imagined to be able to grow vegetables in the village. Now, it is possible thanks to World Vision. The results are beyond our expectations,” she says.

Fresh cucumbers, like the ones Monique holds in her hands, the okras and the other vegetables that the farmers will plant in the next rotation in the coming days will make vegetables available for everybody in the village.

On one hand, their income will be substantially increased and in the other the food given to children will be richer in nutrients. Most of the time, children are fed basically with cereals without vegetables because cereals are easier to store for consumption during the dry season and most families cannot afford to buy vegetables to supplement their children’s diet.

The five-hectare garden has been split in two, one hectare and a half for the cucumbers and the rest for the okra. Local traders are the ones who buy the harvest in bulk so as to supply big markets in the big cities.

“We are indebted to World Vision for the training and the support they have provided to help us sell the products. This was the most challenging thing. We are thankful now we don’t have any problem to sell our products;” Biram Loum, the President of the farmers says.

The approach developed by World Vision was that even though it is a community project; everyone has to work his or her own plot. This has boosted a kind of positive emulation and has greatly contributed to the success of the project. Everyone involved in this project is proud for the success which is the rewarding for these hard-working farmers.

“We work very hard and we pay attention to the smallest details regarding the advices we received from the technicians. We follow what we have asked to do,” Biram adds.

In this arid part of the world, in the midst of dry land, this project is like an oasis in the desert, green plants rise as a symbol of hope. World Vision wants to see this experience replicated in other areas. This is also an effective response to the failure of classic farming due to lack of rains which needs greater support for the partners.

Working hand-by-hand with dedicated farmers will change the future of the children of Tattaguine area. Giving to their parents an opportunity to work on their lands and to take care of the education and health needs of their children is a great contribution to the vision of World Vision to give life in its fullness to all the children.

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