Paxafricana

Tag: farming

  • Promoting Self Development in Rural Communities

    Promoting Self Development in Rural Communities

    The seasons are changing, the rainy season is here and nature is preparing to sprout and to blossom. The first days of March coincided with the first days of rainfall. Famers are busy with preparations of their farmlands for cultivation.

    A Visit to one of the Local Farmers

    Several weeks have passed since EDEMCS (Ewu Development and Educational Multipurpose Cooperative Society) gave out microfinance loans to the local farmers in the Ewu Community. Collectively we thought that it might be time to visit the women, to see the progress they have made and to hear their stories. Hence, a group of EDEMCS representatives set out to see these seven farmers in their homes and on their farms. Listening to the people is one of the key features of Participatory Action Research, based on the integral research model that forms the theoretical framework of EDEMCS community development approach.

    A couple of birds currently owned by the benefiary
    A couple of birds currently owned by the beneficiary
    A female beneficiary at work
    A female beneficiary at work

    Upon arrival the EDEMCS reps were welcomed in a very hospitable fashion, the women were excited to see and talk to them.

     

     

    Crops and Animals Farming Essentials

    The majority of the farmers are planting cassava, yam, tomatoes and peppers. It is now a very intensive time for them. The money from the first grant was mainly used to clear the fields. Since this is done by hand and not with automated machinery, it is a time-consuming and expensive task. This means bigger farmland for planting can be prepared.

    Upon questioning if they would apply for a loan again all of them said yes, however, they proposed to increase the amount of money. This proposal will be taking into consideration for the next round of financing but is also dependent on how the end result will look.

    Some of the women are cultivating poultry – turkey and chicken to be specific. They buy chicks, raise them until they are matured, and then sell them on the market. With the loans, they increased the number of chicks and it remains to be seen if this will be something they can sustain and hence profit from it in the long run.

    One beneficiary (left) with EDEMCS representatives
    One beneficiary (left) with EDEMCS representatives
    A nursery for tomatoes owned by the benefitiary
    A nursery for tomatoes owned by the beneficiary

    The overall experience of seeing the farmers and how excited they are about this development effort was very positive.

    Of course, we are only in our starting phase and not everything is perfect yet, but a solid start has been made and hopefully we will further develop in the future in order to be a sustainable initiative.

    Written by Amadeus Stickl

  • Empowering Local Women Through Microfinancing

    Empowering Local Women Through Microfinancing

    Since the inaugural meeting of EDEMCS (Ewu Development and Educational Multipurpose Co-operative Society) took place more than a year has passed. The organization has mastered many stages ranging from the official registration with Edo State, the cultivation of interest and trust in the village up to the engagement of the community.

    Fortunately, the King of Ewu, Father Anselm Adodo (OSB), the St. Benedict Monastery and Paxherbals enjoy a great amount of respect in the community, making it easier to align the interests of the local individuals. Hence, EDEMCS was able to tackle its first project: empowering local women through micro financing.

    It was agreed that women should be the focus of the first round of financing for various reasons: First and foremost, women in Ewu are more reliable when it comes to paying back loans and secondly it is important to nurture the process of emancipation in the community in order to start the transformation. In that sense, the stage was ready for the first act of financing.

    First Subvention for the Local Farmers

    microfinancing check presentationOn January, the 23rd  2016 on a hot dry-season day the local farmers, those that were selected by the EDEMCS committee, gathered at the palace of the King of Ewu. The purpose of this meeting was one of a positive nature: the first check in the young history of EDEMCS was presented to the local women on that day.

    The money was given out to 7 farmers, each representing one of the seven communities which compose the Ewu-Kingdom and each check was worth N50,000. An agreement was reached, that there should be two payments over the course of 12 months with an interest rate of 10%, culminating in N55,000. The 10% interest rate is unheard of in Nigeria since normal interest rates for micro financing banks start from 15% and go up to 25%.

    The local farmers are accompanied by EDEMCS throughout the whole process of cultivation. They are tutored in traditional farming techniques to ensure the survival and spread of indigenous knowledge. Frequent consultations by EDEMCS ensure that this first batch of financing is a successful one and only one of many more to come.

    The Next Step

    While the women are cultivating their first crops with the help of EDEMCS, the next round of financing is being negotiated with Sterling Bank, so that many other farmers can benefit in the foreseeable future.

    written by: Amadeus Stickl