Objectives

This pilot programme should allow, through the support of farmers families, to test different options that would enable the most vulnerable farmers to increase their resilience capacity. They are exposed to multiple and reccurent risks (land access, low productivity of soils, cattle mortality) that make really difficult the improvement of their living conditions and their food security.

The programme intends to:

• increase and diversify crop productions in family gardens
• launch a reforestation dynamic in the area
• improve animal health

Intervention areas

Departement of the Centre, in the commune of Hinche, communal sections of Juanaria and townships of Boucan Carré and Thomonde, and communal section of Balandry.

Activities

1) Diversification of food crops for family feeding

Inter Aide supports:
– The introduction of new drought-resistant yam varieties and planting techniques that allow families to diversify and increase their production, but can also represent a new source of income.
– The introduction and dissemination of market gardening to diversify the nutrients in daily meals and thus fight against chronic malnutrition in children.
– The planting of fruit trees, thanks to private nurseries installed with the support of the program.
– The establishment of mills to increase the self-consumption of locally produced cereals.

2) Improving the profitability of the bean crop

In collaboration with local actors, Inter Aide is also organizing:
– The establishment of a seed bank that facilitates access to bean seeds at an advantageous interest rate of 28% (compared to 100 to 150% usually).
– The strengthening of a private irrigation services by facilitating the purchase of pumps by local providers who offer their services to farmers wishing to increase the area planted during the dry season.

3) Improving family capital

…through animal husbandry by:
– The establishment of an animal vaccination service for chickens and pigs that dramatically reduces animal mortality, allowing the preservation and then gradual increase of family capital.
– The improvement of cattle and goat feeding through the planting of fodder with an expected impact on the reduction of animal rambling, which destroys many crops.

…through the fight against erosion thanks to:
– The establishment of private nurseries for reforestation. Technically supported by Inter Aide, they allow the production of fast growing tree seedlings for wood production.
– Soil protection works to complement the contribution of trees in reducing erosion. Families will be trained in soil protection and conservation techniques.

Partners

The activities are conducted with family of farmers who are interested by such support and proactive for a collaboration, and emergents groups of farmers or already established ones. As for all Inter Aide’s programmes, local actors, and as much as possible local leaders, are included at each step of the programme.