Home gardens useful for women
As a Foundation, we invest in extensive community gardens for about 15 women each, and small gardens for one family. We have created over 180 gardens in the Tchaourou and N’Dali regions. Our two agronomists play a crucial role in this. They provide the women with the necessary technical support and explain when it is best to plant something and how to make the most of the gardens. They follow up regularly and can answer the women’s questions very precisely.
Some testimonials
In the village of Kakara, Bibi Adam, pictured below with a smile, proudly poses with the harvested tomatoes.
“My home garden has okra, tomatoes, and chili peppers. Whenever I want to prepare the sauce, I always have what I need at hand. I don’t have to go to the market to spend at least 500 CFA francs for the sauce. The garden allows me to save some money. Sometimes, when I harvest a lot of vegetables, we eat some and sell the rest. The whole family feeds well, and we regularly eat vegetables as advised. I have had my garden since 2018, and peace of heart because life is more manageable.”
Another woman testifies that the benefits of the hut gardens are enormous. When we didn’t have these gardens installed, every morning, we had to think about how to find money to make a modest sauce for the children to eat. With our hut gardens, we don’t have to worry about that anymore. A little tomato and okra, and the sauce is ready. Moreover, there are fewer discussions between my husband and me because to prepare the sauce, I have gradually become independent of him. I don’t necessarily expect him to give me money for it anymore.
The beneficiaries do not fail to underline the importance of the technical support of our Foundation’s advisors. Thanks to them, they don’t give up when things are difficult.
However, the lack of water during the dry season is the women’s major problem in maintaining their gardens.
In the future, the Foundation will continue to invest in smaller home gardens and extensive community communal gardens.
