One Million Cisterns for the Sahel

The women, their families and local masons were trained to build cisterns for year-round water storage. The cisterns hold water harvested from a collection area such as the rooftop of a hangar or shed.

The beneficiaries and masons were paid for their work while the farmers received training in climate-smart agricultural practices.

Guilé says she and the other farmers have learned several new things from FAO and its partners, such as how to draw up a gardening plan, how to set up a nursery, and how to keep the soil and plants healthy. “Now we can do everything by ourselves.”

Guilé has noticed local families are healthier, in part, because they regularly eat higher-quality food that is produced locally, year-round, using natural and sustainable techniques.

The programme has also empowered women financially. Through the farmers’ association, the women have created a fund with proceeds from their market sales.

Each woman is able to withdraw money to meet household or personal expenses before paying it back at the end of the month. This also means that their children get to stay in school.

“There are women who could not even take care of their children when they fell ill. The fund of the association solved this problem. It enables us to support each other.”

The farmers are now looking to the future by pooling their profits to extend their growing area, something that would have been unthinkable of without water.

By providing access to clean water and investing in people’s livelihoods, FAO is empowering them to take action and be a part of the global goal to achieve Zero Hunger.

*SOURCE: FAO – UN Food and Agriculture Organization. Go to ORIGINAL. 

2018 Human Wrongs Watch