Report prepared for the Ouelessebougou Alliance
In my position as Director of Operations for Feed The World, I
visited the Ouelessebougou Alliance project in Mali to evaluate the project and
make recommendations for improving the food security of the people in the area.
This was a very brief visit, so my observations and recommendations are based
on that small snapshot of time. Further study and evaluation should be
conducted before full-scale implementation occurs.
Feed The World has
developed very successful programs for teaching and mentoring poor rural
farmers, giving them the tools they need to provide for their own nutritional
needs and improve their economic situation. This report reviews my observations
and recommendations on how the Ouelessebougou Alliance can use some of Feed The World’s
techniques and materials to improve the lives of the poor in Mali.
 |
| Part of the Ouelessebougou Team and Lonny |
Observations:
The Ouelessebougou
Alliance has been blessing the lives of the people in Mali for over 20 years.
Currently they work in 25 villages, but they have worked with over 50 other
villages where they still have connections. They have developed strong
relationships in the communities and garnered the trust of the people in the
villages where they work. This relationship of trust gives them the ability to
teach the villagers efficient farming practices that will drastically improve
their nutrition and economic situation.
Farming can be a risky business, so changes to long-standing traditions
can be very difficult. Because the local farmers trust the Ouelessebougou Alliance, they
are more likely to implement these new techniques that will drastically improve
their production. As these principles spread throughout the community, the
whole community and eventually the entire country, will benefit.
Religion and Political Stability:
The country of Mali is approximately 95% Muslim. Overall, there is a
sense of helping each other among the people. The government is stable, and has
a peaceful transition to new leaders every five years. Even though the main
political offices change, that doesn’t necessarily mean that all positions
change. In fact, most of the lower level government positions are stable and
stay consistent in personnel and policy. Mali has a huge range of political
parties, but that seems to work well for the country.
On the local level, Mayors are elected by the constituents, but in the
villages, the position of Chief is passed on from father to son. It appears that there is little interaction
between the chiefs and the elected government officials. To implement a
successful project, the approval of both the chiefs and the elected officials
is very important. Before beginning a project, both should be educated on the
purpose and scope of the project.
The Mali government does have agriculture extension officers, and there
is agriculture research being done. However, most of this support and
information does not trickle down to the villages. Often what the extension
workers are instructed to teach is too complex for the village farmers. The extension
workers feel that they are wasting their time going to the villages, and the
village farmers don’t see a lot of benefit in what the government people have
to say. If the extension workers are trained on teaching a simple model to the
village farmers, they will see quick results and gain respect in the eyes of
the villagers. The villagers can implement the simple training and have
success.
 |
| An example of the research being done in Mali |
There is little terrorism in Mali except to the far north. This stable
environment provides a rich base where progressive change can be implemented.
It is critical that the rural villages improve their nutritional situation and
economic status so that they do not fall prey to terrorist organizations that
promise prosperity in exchange for loyalty. By teaching these simple yet life
changing principles, the country becomes more secure and stable.
In summary, the conditions are good for an agricultural program to be
implemented in Mali. The political climate is stable and the systems are in
place that could quickly take the Feed The World model forward. Implementing an agricultural
program would require acceptance from the leaders and cooperation in the
villages.
Current Cultural Practices in Agriculture:
Nutrition:
The diet of the rural Malians is very poor and consists mainly of
millet, maize, and okra. In some cases, only one or two meals per day are
eaten. There is very little or no milk, eggs, meat, or other sources of protein
eaten on a regular basis. A few villagers grow gardens with a small range of
vegetables. Consequently, the typical Mali diet is deficient in several key
ingredients for proper growth and development.
Young family with twin babies: Good
nutrition for the mother and babies is critical
Dr. Paul Johnston and his students have studied similar diets in Africa
and South America and have developed very good training materials for schools
and communities. His work is the basis for the Feed The World nutrition
component. Dr. Johnston is anxious to help in these developing countries, and
looks for opportunities for his students to learn with real world
situations.
Crops:
In most of the areas that we visited, the farmers raised only a few
staple crops. These were usually rice, maize, or millet. The crops are the
basis for their diets, and proceeds from these crops are occasionally used to
purchase vegetables and fruits to supplement their diets. The prices that they
are paid for the crops are usually low because of the large supply that is
grown and the fact that most people sell at the same time. The price for
vegetables and fruits, on the other hand, is high because of a low supply and
high demand. By raising their own vegetables in local gardens, the farmers
would gain a double benefit. They don’t have to buy vegetables in the
marketplace, and any surplus they had could be sold for good prices.
In the lowlands by the river, rice is grown because of the availability
of water by flood irrigation. The Malians have about 14 varieties of rice
available to them. The farmer that we talked with uses three of those
varieties. The rice is harvested and left resting in bundles on top of the rice
stalks for several days to dry. Portable rice processing machines travel around
the area pulled by donkeys. Small gas engines power the small machines that
thresh the rice from the rest of the plant. The rice is bagged up and sent to
be dried, hulled and sold. The rice stalks are often burned near the edge of
the field, and the ones that are not burned are used as animal feed. Feeding
the stalks to the animals and using the manure as fertilizer is the best way to
use the stalks. The animals’ digestive systems break down the fibrous stalks
into readily available nutrients for the plants. Stalks that are not needed for
animal feed should be reincorporated back into the soil as composted organic
matter, rather than being burned.
 |
 |
||
Maize (corn) and millet are grown further away from the river because
they do not require as much water. They, along with rice, are the basis of the
Malian diet. The maize and millet stalks are treated much like the rice stalks,
with many of them being burned. This is a waste of nutrients and is harmful to
the environment. However, it is apparent why the farmers do this, since burning
the stalks is much easier than plowing them back into the field. Without the
understanding of how valuable this organic matter is to the soil health, the
farmers do not see the need to go to the extra work of plowing it back into the
soil. Here again, feeding the stalks to the animals is an even better
alternative because they are quickly turned into valuable nutrients. In some
cases, farmers allow pastors to bring their animals into the fields and graze
after the crops have been harvested. This is a very desirable practice, adding
value to the soil.
Maize (corn) fields
Vegetables:
Most vegetables can be grown very easily in Mali. The soil is good in
most places, and the climate is favorable. Outside of the community garden and
Anounou’s garden, I did not see many vegetable gardens being grown. Teaching
and encouraging the local people to grow vegetable gardens can very quickly
improve their level of nutrition and surplus harvest could provide an
additional source of income that can be used for school fees, clothing,
medicines, etc. The community garden would be a good place to start this
training.
Community Garden
The community garden in Ouelessebougou was doing very well. There was a
wide variety of vegetables being grown and sold to people from the surrounding
area. Several deep wells in the garden area provide a near constant supply of
water so that the vegetables could be grown year round. The women that were
working in these gardens should be encouraged to plant similar gardens near
their homes, and teach their neighbors how to grow vegetables.
Participating families at the
community gardens
To improve the program, I would recommend that raised beds be built in
each person’s assigned area, and that better soil preparation and planting
techniques be used to increase the quality and quantity of the vegetables
harvested. As the raised beds are built, organic matter such as stalks, leaves,
and manure should be mixed into the soil to increase its fertility. The organic
matter also acts as a sponge to help retain water so that it is more readily
available for the vegetables.
Fruit:
There are a large variety of fruits available in Mali, and some of them
are cultivated, while others grow wild. I am familiar with some of the fruits
such as mango, papaya, and banana, but others I have not heard of or tasted before.
Here are some of the new fruits I was able to experience:
● Zebon is
about the size of a lemon, and very sour. The outer shell is cut open to reveal
fruit resembling a brain, with fruit surrounding large pits. To eat it,
villagers suck the fruit off of the pits and spit them out. It is like eating
the sour patch candies, both sweet and sour.
Tongue fruit
● Tongue
is a small round yellow fruit, about the size of a bing cherry. It grows on
bushes in the wild. There is a large pit inside and the fruit is somewhat sour.
● Shea is
a medium-sized fruit that looks like a small light green pepper. Inside the
fruit is a large nut that is a little smaller than a pecan. The nut can be
hulled or peeled and the meat has a sticky milky substance. The oil is used in
lotions, and the nuts can be roasted and eaten. The fruit was not ripe, so I
could not tell what it would taste like. It was like a very young green apple.
● Cashew
is a funny-looking fruit about the size of a green pepper with the cashew nut
stuck to the end of it. The fruit itself is bright yellow and very fibrous. It
is extremely juicy and drips all over you as you eat it. The cashew nut has an
acid inside that can burn the skin. The nut has to be roasted before it can be
consumed. (Side note: Before Anounou told me about the acid, I tried to bite
open the cashew to see the nut inside. After he told me about the acid that can
burn your hands if you are not careful, I went and washed my mouth out several
times. About half an hour later my lips began to burn. I rinsed them several
more times. Later that evening they felt numb and were a little sensitive when
I touched them. The feeling was similar to the feeling that I feel when the
deadening agent that the dentist uses is wearing off.)
All of these fruits should be analyzed and possibly integrated into a
nutritional program. Working with nutritionists like Dr. Paul Johnston, diets
and recipes could be developed that would meet the needs of the rural families.
Chickens and other livestock:
Some of the Malians have chickens that they raise for eggs or meat. Most
of these chickens are just left to run free during the day and stay either
close to the home or inside the home at night. They are fed scraps or just left
to fend for themselves. Some chickens are occasionally fed maize, and they are
allowed to clean up if any grain is spilled. Consequently, these chickens are
much less productive and are more susceptible to diseases than they could be if
their diet was watched more closely. Because they roam freely, they can be a
carrier for passing diseases around the community. Proper care, housing,
feeding, and vaccination of the chickens would greatly increase their
productivity and would decrease the morbidity in both the chickens and the
families. The Feed The
World model has specific yet simple recommendations for managing chickens
that would be beneficial for production.
Oxen for plowing
There are other species of livestock that are used for meat, work, and a
financial savings device. I will not spend a lot of time discussing them in
this report. There are significantly fewer people that have these other
animals, and the cost for intervention is greater. In the Feed The World
program, working with animals is usually left until later in the program, and
we prefer to use the animals readily accessible and accepted by the community.
Marketplace:
Ouelessebougou has a large open air market every Friday. We went to
Selingue which has a large open air market on Saturday. It is similar to the
other markets that I have seen in developing countries. This one had small
shops with all sorts of food items both prepared and raw. These markets would
provide a good place for the villagers to sell their surplus vegetables. If
many of the villagers grew vegetables, the supply may exceed demand. In this
case, cooperatives could be formed to transport the surplus vegetables to other
markets. Another option would be to use the vegetables in food items sold to
the people visiting and working in the market.
Chofufu at the market place
We purchased chofufu, which were small deep fried balls of soybean
dough. They were very tasty. The little chofufu balls were made with a little
“tail” so that you could pick them up and eat them easily, and throw the tail
away so that your hands never touched the food that you ate. In the shops that
sold food in the marketplace, they often had ways of washing your hands before
eating.
In addition to all of the local products there were many vendors of
clothing, sunglasses, jewelry, CDs, and other imported items. The market was
quite dirty, and very crowded, but people were used to it. Transportation to
and from the market could be a challenge and should be considered. Several
neighbors could work together and take turns carrying the produce to market.
Education and support of primary schools:
The Ouelessebougou
Alliance supports 11 primary schools, about 75% of the students that start
finish all the way through 6th grade. There are secondary schools in
the area that have a similar completion rate of about 75%. These schools could
implement agricultural training programs and plant sequential vegetable gardens
that would be able to educate the children and provide additional nutrients to
their diets. I visited the Tamala School, and will use it as a model for my
recommendations on what could be done at the other primary schools.
Tamala school:
We visited the Tamala school to investigate the possibility of setting
up an agricultural training program that would include a garden area and
classes in nutrition and gardening. This is a very desirable program because it
infuses the students with a very practical education that will help them
throughout their lives and also give them skills that they can teach to their
families.
Open area between buildings at the
Tamala School
There is adequate area around the school to plant a garden. Setting up
the garden would require several steps. The more the students and parents are
involved, the more successful the project will be. They should feel ownership
of the school agriculture program, giving them more incentive to participate
and learn from it.
1. The
first step is to select an area for the garden. Right between the schools might
be the best place for it. If everyone is constantly seeing it, the garden will
get better care and it will become a source of pride for the school. There
could be a friendly competition set up between classes. If other schools are
involved, a friendly contest could be set up between schools.
2. The
selected area needs to be fenced off, and strict rules should be enforced as to
who can enter. Many trampling feet, and/or hungry animals can quickly destroy a
garden. The community can decide what kind of fence they want, and how they
will go about putting it in place. We have found that our projects are more
successful if some sort of work is required before we start the training.
3. I would
recommend that a water storage tank, fed by gutters from the school roofs, be
constructed. The school session does not correspond with the rainy season, so
the garden will have to be continually watered. (This is actually very good
because they will learn that they can grow food even during the dry season if
they develop their water resources.)
4. The soil
is very deficient in organic matter. The students should be recruited to bring
leaves, grass, manure, and any other organic matter that they can find to be
mixed into the soil. Without added organic matter, the soil does not have
sponge activity, and the water that is put on the soil either leaches through
or runs off. Bringing organic matter with them to school is a great way for the
children to gain ownership and to learn about composting.
5. Raised
beds should be constructed with wood, rocks, or bricks. They should be about 30
cm high and be 1.5 meters by 3 meters. The leaves, grass, manure, and any other
organic matter should be mixed with soil about 50/50 to create a fertile
environment for the seeds. This is also a great opportunity for the students
and parents involvement
.
6.
Training
for the students and teachers that will be working in the garden will then be
carried out so that they can start the project. Expectations should be set and
explained, and a plan for follow up should be set up.
The other part of the program that is critical is teaching nutrition
classes in the school. The students need to understand the importance of eating
the vegetables that they are growing. Acquiring a taste for some of the
vegetables may take some focused encouragement and good recipes.
The next generation of Mali
1. The
first step in the nutrition program is to do a 24 hour recall study with a
significant group of the students. This method includes the students telling us
what they have eaten in the last 24 hours. With this data, we can work with Dr.
Paul Johnston at BYU to determine the nutrient deficiencies in their diets and
put together a plan for increasing their level of nutrition.
2. It is
highly recommended that when the recall study is done, we take height and
weight measurements, and find a way to document the scholastic performance of
the children. This type of data will help parents and teachers to be convinced
that the gardening and nutrition program is helping their children at school,
and will help their children at home also.
3. With the
help of Dr. Johnston and his students at BYU, we can develop lesson plans for
the teacher that will be specific for their needs. The lesson plans need to be
translated into Bambara for the teacher to present them to the students.
4. It is
always helpful if the parents are included in the learning process. Classes
could be set up after school or in the evenings for parents to attend so that
the teachings are reinforced to both parents and students.
5. To
encourage the families to learn and implement the lessons that they are taught,
a home garden program with a contest and prizes could be implemented. A
successful garden requires a lot of work. An added incentive or competition can
make the work more desirable.
In summary, the Tamala school could greatly benefit from a nutrition and
gardening program. It would take work, but has the potential to yield great
results. Growing and consuming vegetables is not difficult, but it does take
education, effort, and a desire to have a better life.
NGO Resources Available
Non-Government Organizations (NGOs) are also working in Mali to improve
the malnutrition problem. One of these organizations, CTB Mali, has a
large project outside of Bamako that is teaching single mothers, widows, and
orphans how to raise their own food. They have garden plots set up with water
available at each site. There are experts on hand to teach classes, answer
questions, and encourage these struggling individuals. Networking with other
NGOs can extend your reach and increase your success.
Water stations for the garden plots
Research and University Support:
There are many additional resources for information in Mali. The Capital
City, Bamako, has university programs that teach agriculture, and there is a
large research station that includes farms, gardens, laboratories, and
conference rooms. The researchers communicate and coordinate with other West
African countries, and have ties with Europe and the United States. These
organizations can be a good source of information as the programs are
implemented.
We have found that partnering with the government’s agricultural
extension agents is a great way to improve the success of the training. We teach
the agents our simple model, and then encourage them to use it in the
communities where we work. Even though it is a simple model, it drastically
changes the villagers’ lives for the better. The agents get the credit, and
have more fulfillment in their jobs.
Recommendations:
This has been a great opportunity for me to see
the work that you are doing in Mali at the Ouelessebougou Alliance. Many
lives have been blessed by your service. Thank you for allowing me to visit
your operation in Ouelessebougou.
There are more great opportunities to bless the lives of others with
education and help them lift themselves out of poverty and malnutrition. Here
are my further recommendations:
1. Have
Anounou go to the School of Agriculture for Family Independence(SAFI) in
Malawi. This is a school that teaches the agriculture model to farm families
and government extension workers. It is funded by NuSkin’s Force for Good Foundation.
2. Prepare
a plan for how you would like to implement these ideas. I would be glad to meet
with your board to answer any questions.
3. Choose a
school and a village to be the pilot program. Present the idea to several of
them and let them compete for the privilege of being the first one. (i.e. The
first school to have their planter boxes completed is the one that will be the
pilot.) The more committed the people are to the program, the better it’s
chances of great success.
4. Develop
a simple system of rewards for good performance.
5. Evaluate
the results of the pilot program, and modify the program as needed. Implement
the new program in other villages and schools. Have representatives from the
village and school do the teaching with a mentor assisting them.
6. Celebrate
your successes, learn from your failures, and keep moving forward.
The winning team at the
Ouelessebougou Alliance in Mali
No comments:
Post a Comment