By Katherine Kolios | Executive Director
Desertification and unpredictable weather patterns have worsened agricultural production, leaving Nigeriens with insufficient food. Families are forced to sell assets and ration consumption while their storage bins sit empty. These lean periods underscore the pressing need to increase food production and incomes.
To this end, RAIN is working to support access to clean water and nutritious food for over 4,000 rural and nomadic Nigeriens. This year, RAIN is supporting two communities in the Agadez region to expand their gardens (over 6 acres of land) and increase nutritional variety and profitability by planting 300+ fruit-bearing trees. This program provides ongoing agricultural and entrepreneurship training to 84 women and serves as an added technical resource for an additional 180 community members. Participants learn how to turn subsistence agriculture into sustainable business through the application of economic principles, for example, how to store produce to ensure availability of food during the hunger season while also earning a higher rate of return.
Harouna, RAIN's Program Manager, has described the communities' investment so far as "colossal." Last year, they grew more varied produce and saw greater yields (over 14,000 lbs of produce). This year, we plan to outdo last year's results! So far, the next round of planting includes 87 beds of zucchini, 6 beds of onions, 24 beds of corn, 34 beds of tomatoes, and some squash plants. Beyond these daily efforts, there is also evidence of increasingly community-driven strategy: including the effort to incorporate composting. A critical piece of what makes these efforts impactful, beyond the timeline of RAIN’s intervention, is for community members to develop not only the skills and confidence to implement what they’ve learned but the autonomy and ownership for the project to evolve beyond what RAIN’s Field Agents initiate. The composting initiative is a sign that the community of Betarmatas is not only succeeding in implementing what they’re learning but that they are thinking critically about how to lead and manage the garden themselves.
We can't wait to see what other initiatives this year brings!
The Enmikras Women’s Group shares the impact of RAIN’s support:
“Everywhere in our village and the neighboring villages we speak of the positive things you have brought. The entire community is delighted, and we are all ready to do whatever it takes to conserve and maintain these gains. We will never forget all the good that you have done for the future of our children, for our women’s group, and for the entire village and community.”
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