: FARM-Africa

Welcome!

By Global Women's Water Initiative Posted on Tue 19 Jul 2011, over 13 years ago

Welcome to PWX!

Wonderful work! Very excited to see organizations that are working on water from a food security perspective!

I wanted to know a little bit more about your model of development. When you say you help farmers and pastoralists to have access to sustainable water practices, can you tell us how you implement? Do you train? Do you fund full systems? What kind of engagement or contribution do you get from the target group?

Thanks! And good luck!

Gemma

Welcome!

By FARM-Africa Posted on Wed 31 Aug 2011, over 13 years ago

Hello Gemma

Support from the local community when implementing projects is key to how FARM-Africa operates. The first stage of a project involves dialogue with community leaders and local government and it is this sense of community ownership which obviously yields the most positive results.

We train farmers on how to dig and cite shallow wells. Our colleagues in the field use the lead farmer model to train enthusiastic farmers who in turn share their knowledge with other farmers within their community.

FARM-Africa enlists the help of professionals when citing and constructing bore holes. As is the case with shallow wells we train lead farmers in understanding the mechanics and maintenance of the bore holes and provide kits with which they can service the bore hole.

FARM-Africa always implements a full system but exactly what is put in place is dependent upon the funds available for the project.

As I mentioned above we always work closely with the community when implementing a project. The target group takes further ownership over the system by contributing basic materials and labour.

I hope I have answered your questions sufficiently Gemma.

With best wishes to Global Women's Water Initiative,

Hayley

Questions for FARM-Africa

By The Samburu Project Posted on Tue 26 Jul 2011, over 13 years ago

Welcome FARM-Africa Team! What an incredible project!

Most of my questions involve the implementation process of FARM-Africa:
1. How do you enter the communities? And how are you linked into these communities?
2. How long do you work with communities before implementing projects?
3. Please describe your methods of community mobilization.
4. How do you support the community after the project has been completed? Do you provide ongoing support?

Thank you,
Heidi

Questions for FARM-Africa

By FARM-Africa Posted on Wed 31 Aug 2011, over 13 years ago

Hello Heidi

So, in answer to your questions.

1. Not unlike many organisations that seek to build capacity in the countries in which we work FARM-Africa enters communities through enthusiastic community leaders and local government.

2. FARM-Africa starts a dialogue with communities at the proposal stage and spends the first six to nine months of a project in discussions with all levels of the community in order to lay strong foundations for forthcoming project work. Our projects rely on community ownership and the sharing of knowledge and skills to replicate positive work therefore it is in our interest to involve communities at all times.

3. In mobilising communities FARM-Africa does two key things. We strive to employ at least one individual who is from the region in which we aim to work and we recruit community mobilisers from within the target community.

4. As FARM-Africa's work is centered around livelihoods projects ideally need to be between 6 and 9 years in length to effect a self sustaining impact. Therefore we endeavour to ensure that our projects span more than 5 years, where possible, in order to cement our close work with local government and communities who can in turn sustain the momentum of our livelihoods work.

I hope we have answered your questions Heidi and wish you well in your work with the Samburu Project.

Bye for now!