Women's Community Gardens in Niger

There is no electricity and little infrastructure in the village of Tirboye and the community struggles to feed itself. Located in one of the least food secure regions of one of the poorest countries in the world, Tirboye is hard to access by road and so, in spite of its need, it receives little aid. RAIN has partnered with the Tirboye community to establish a school market garden to achieve greater food security in the area.

Through technical and financial support, Tirboye has become home to two drip irrigation systems which allow fields to be productive during multiple seasons, rather than lying fallow for three quarters of the year. The community has also been trained in using bio pesticides. As a result, the community is able to grow produce including tomatoes and lettuce and has mango, guava, lemon and Sahel apple trees. The garden is tended by women in the community who volunteer their time to this effort. Such community support is vital to the success of these garden programs. Each participant contributes revenue from cash crops to finance the system’s maintenance; they work together to tend not only to the field but to operations and sales as well. 

In addition to supporting the garden and themselves, the women use their funds to support local schools. Between the nutritional and economic benefits of the garden, school enrollment in Tirboye has increased by 25%.

While the garden has proven to be a success thus far, the community continues to struggle with food shortages. With your help, the women and children of Tirboye can continue to benefit from the garden’s nutritious produce, they can continue to learn about sustainable agriculture techniques and develop the garden through ongoing training, and they can care for themselves and their community with the profit reaped from cash crops.