Local Farmers Reap the Benefits of Training
The incidence of COVID-19 has been fairly low in Burkina Faso, so the staff of local partner ODE has been able to pay monitoring visits. A few of the farmers open up here about their experiences.
Ms. Louta: We have been working on this maize field for years with meager harvests. But today, applying new farming techniques, the results are quite different. We know to feed our animals the stalks and to use their manure to enrich our soils. This year we’ll have maize for a good while.
Mr. and Mrs. Nadinga: Our sorghum field is producing better than the fields of our neighbors who did not plant in zai holes. The improved cowpea we planted is so plentiful we think we can give a little of our harvest to the displaced people our community welcomes who are fleeing terrorists in the East.
Ms. Zenabou: Our fields are now regenerating because of the environmentally friendly techniques we use. We no longer cut down trees, but use the shade and leaves to our advantage.
Pastor Luka: We are witnessing many difficulties for which we thought we had no solutions, such as an unpredictable climate, food insecurity, degraded soil and crop pests. Now we know how to use our resources to their full potential, such as making liquid fertilizer from animal manure.
Mr. Dahandi: We used to waste our efforts and resources and got little in return. Today, in a small, well-managed area, we can take care of our family’s food needs and also improve the quality of the field. What we get at the end of the harvests allows us to cope with the lean season. We are all very grateful for the training and support.
Burkina Faso Gnagha Program
Led by Mennonite Central Committee and Local Partner ODE