Agriculture

Fragile supply chains, rising food prices and climate-related droughts are increasingly jeopardizing food security in many countries. We therefore train participants in how they can become self-sufficient using local resources and simple practices. A balanced diet is also important to us.

Community life and work in families, clans and village communities is deeply rooted in Africa. It provides social security and mutual support. However, it also places a duty on the individual to help when an emergency arises in the community. The development and improvement of living conditions can therefore only succeed in the long term if both the individual and the community are involved in the process.

That is why we attach great importance to involving the entire community in each project and training them together in groups.

Because we want our participants to be self-sufficient, we make sure to promote personal responsibility right from the start. This is done, for example, by the participants making part of their property or other resources available for the training sessions. They also often pass on surplus crops as seed for a new group, or give away the first litter of their goats.

The climate is obviously changing. And Africa is most at risk, even though it contributes the least to CO2 emissions. As a result, conventional cultivation methods often no longer work.

For this reason, we use climate-smart farming methods to save water, prevent erosion and produce organic pesticides and fertilizers. These methods can be implemented independently by the local population in their own context.

Where possible, we promote market access and thus enable participants to sell their harvest surpluses. This gives them a source of income to buy everyday products (e.g. soap, salt, school fees, etc.). We also convey a basic understanding of savings and investment activities in certain projects.