The establishment of community gardens complements the training provided by CAAS, which prepares women for independent small-scale farming. Since 2023, the CAAS has therefore supported the creation and equipping of ten such gardens in the Mandé region. Five more are to follow in the next two years.
Benkadi in the villages of the Mandé
The graduates of the CAAS courses are highly motivated to become self-employed farmers and the establishment of community gardens is a logical addition to the training, which prepares them for independent small-scale farming. Above all, the skills learned by the women should have an impact in the wider rural area and not just in the immediate vicinity.
Women in the Sahel come together in groups, “benkadi,” for many different purposes: to gather, plant, weed, harvest, dry or process food. These groups play an important role in social life and are something of a life insurance policy for women. On the one hand, they offer protection, but on the other, they also demand discipline. Gardens are one of those things that people do together, which are beyond the strength of an individual.
Solar fountain with water tower in the community garden in Siby
Ten such “Benkadi” associations have already emerged from the CAAS courses and have founded community gardens with the help of CAAS support.
These not only serve the family’s own needs, but also provide a source of income during the long months (six to eight months) of the dry season by selling vegetables.
The women’s radius is primarily determined by housework and childcare. While the fields, which are mostly cultivated by men, are often located kilometers away from the village, the gardens are close to the villages.
The most important requirements: Water and fences
The groundwater table is much lower today than in the past. Water-bearing layers are only reached at a depth of 50 meters or more. For a community garden, you ideally need a drilled well, a solar system with a submersible pump and a small distribution network with four to six taps.
It is also important to protect the garden with a fence. For three months during the rainy season, the cattle are entrusted to shepherds who take them out into the bush. For the remaining nine months of the year, cattle, sheep and goats roam freely and eat whatever is green. A garden requires an enclosure with high wire mesh. The traditional combination of hedges (euphorbia) and mats is costly as it is susceptible to termites and needs to be replaced or supplemented every year.
Planning and laying out the gardens
The CAAS has the expert staff to determine the needs, check the soil, plan and prepare the land. The initiatives must negotiate and present the rights of use for a plot of land in their respective village themselves.
The gardens supported by CAAS are about one hectare in size. If you deduct just under 40% for the traffic areas, each of the 40 women has a garden area of around 150 m2 (about eight small beds). That corresponds to a farm garden in our case.
The costs for drilling the well and installing the distribution network for the water, fencing and preparing the area (clearing, plowing, etc.) and initial equipment of tools amount to around 800 to 1000 euros per woman. Investments of this magnitude would be unaffordable for the women in the region and the risks of horticulture (pests, water failure, etc.) would not be bearable for them if the investment were made on a loan basis. It would be like falling into a debt trap. The establishment of the gardens is therefore an investment that cannot be earned, a donation from CAAS to the community. After the first year, the groups themselves are responsible for the seeds and the necessary reserves for maintenance.
