Irrigation Systems for Fruit Trees in Africa

At the beginning of November 2021, I joined the High Atlas Foundation (HAF), which organized a week of training for youth development in cooperation with the United States Forestry Service. We received information about the participatory approach and its characteristics and how it can affect community members by creating progress and improving their lives. We were grateful to Dr. Ben-Meir, HAF President, who shared with us those methods that bring people together by using the participatory approach. This personally opened me to a new version of development and trying to be useful toward any community to show them how to be creative and to help them somehow. This theoretical way led us to be in the field with the HAF nursery caretakers in different places.

Once in the field I felt that I belonged to nature and the soil. I learned how to plant, to irrigate, and to protect the plants. All we learned was part of what we call sustainable development. HAF tries to have an impact on every single person in the society (women, men, children) by showing them the importance of planting trees to improve their incomes, to not discriminate against others, and to encourage them to pass it onto the next generations.

The second part of the training was on December 8, when Dr. Ben-Meir asked me to join the Soil to Sky Webinar as part of the Kiss the Ground meeting. The meeting was about the soil, nature, water, and the relationship between these and human beings, especially as humans can affect the uses of water resources. This was my first time meeting with a global team and different people from different countries around the world; joining HAF has had a great impact on my career.

The host Mm Ba Minuzzi and guests Mr. Doug Willmore, Mr. Engelhart, and Mr. Grenier shared their experiences with the land and soil in relation to the farmers’ market. Those farmers all over the world who are still suffering from deprivation need to be supported.

According to them, money is a tool for building a good life on the planet, raising awareness of the importance of soil and protecting the land and water from pollution. They shared with us references to a group of organizations to learn more about protecting the soil and nature in general.

Renewable energy in Morocco is like a newborn, in the relatively early stages of development. It has become more popular in the last two decades as a step to overcome the huge expense of electricity as well as a way to decrease greenhouse gas emissions. 

Thanks to the High Atlas Foundation and Germanwatch, the renewable energy project has made a difference in the El Youssoufia Province (in Douar Lkdirate in the Chamaia community).  This province is known as the richest part of the Marrakech-Safi region, but unfortunately some areas still have limited earnings coupled with a shortage of underground water from which the community can profit. They depend on the limited agriculture there, so these types of projects are well received by the people of the village with open hearts and hands; they know that this is a new beginning to enhance the agricultural prospects and improve economic opportunities and livelihoods.

The project includes plenty of benefits for the community by supporting tree planting. The community needed this opportunity to be realized, and so they have contributed their lands to it, created a nursery with various types of plants, and connected the village with drinking water. A first well has been dug in the village, but seeing as the water is insufficient for the project and that the area suffers from ongoing water shortages, the team is considering digging a second well to cover the shortage and help the project succeed.

At the same time, the HAF team used the participatory approach with the women in the Douar,  by creating a cooperative and scheduling technical training by experts. Through these actions, they will contribute to the project’s progress and improve living conditions, improving income generation.

The village will have solar panels installed to pump water from both wells for irrigating the nursery plants and also for clean drinking water, with 15-20 tons of storage. Every house will have a counter installed for regular management and to save water as much as possible. At the same time, water will be treated for bacteria and salt. Laboratories specializing in water treatment have been consulted and specialists will make periodic visits to monitor the quality of the water to be used for drinking and irrigation.

Using renewable energy will provide a well-organized irrigation system for the planting season and also play a big role in the community, especially with women who will take care of the nursery, and serve as an example of what could be done in the future.