Replicating a Successful Garden Project

Pierre Faye - Posted on April 6, 2009

The drip-irrigation system is a revolutionary and successful project in Tattaguine. With 50 family plots and a possibility to harvest twice a year, the farmers are so thankful for the outcomes of this project. It is being replicated in another village, thanks to the support of World Vision. This twin project is just now beginning.

“When we saw a truck bringing the pipes and the materials to build the fence, I knew that World Vision is a trustworthy organization. Many people came before and we never saw them again,” El Hadj Faye, 45, a farmer, says.

The experience of the first-drip irrigation project has snowballed as the demand to participate is increasing every day. Many villages would like to benefit from this revolutionary technology.

In the village where the new garden is being implemented—the twin of the already set up one—80 farmers can’t wait to see the installation finished in order to begin working and, hopefully, harvesting.

“In the past, we worked so hard but we were deceived by tedious people who take the best things and run away,” says Raymond, 58 years old.

That’s why there were many people who did not believe anything would really happen when we met World Vision Program Manager, Michel Diatta.

“The [drip irrigation] project worked very well in the past, [but it wasn’t done in a sustainable way] and finally failed when it was supported by another [Non-Government Organization] NGO. This is a second attempt and I think it’ll be the last,” Michel Diatta, the manager says.

Helene is married to Samba. They have six sponsored children.

“We know that our life will be better when we will work on our plot. With the profits we’ll make, we will be to take care of our children. We have seen what happened in the other village where this project is installed, they have incredible outcomes,” Helene says.

Learning from the failure and the experiences in the past and looking at the success of the current project has helped in the planning of this one as well.

One of the big outcomes of the planning and reflection times was their need to solve the problem of having customers to buy the products they produce. “We will be prospecting markets to see even the possibility of exporting the crops,” Michel Diatta says.

In addition to the extra income another impact of the project will be on the improvement of the children’s diet, thanks to the additional nutrients their parents will now be able to grow off-season. In the past, they have not been able to produce any fresh fruits or vegetables during the dry season.

Before they had a lot conflicts as a community, but now the main outcome is unity and one of group identity.

The challenges they now face as a group are how to fund their own gasoline and manure in order to boost the yields.

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