• About
  • Our Work
  • Join
  • Partner
  • Media
EMAIL SUBSCRIBE
DONATE
SUBSCRIBE TO NEWSLETTER

Sign-up for monthly updates on Winrock's work around the world.

Volunteer Blog

VOLUNTEER BLOG

Rippling Outward

The Transfer of Knowledge Helping to Empower Women and Feed Families

  • SHARE:
  • Copy

Posted on March 7, 2018 by Michael Bassey, F2F Nigeria Country Director

In the summer of 2017, Awakening Nigeria for Agricultural and Agro-Allied International (ANAAI) participated in training held by Winrock volunteer Anna Snider, working with Farmer to Farmer’s Agricultural Education and Training Program (AET).  The training focused on homestead vegetable gardening using sacks and containers to help farmers, and others currently not engaged in farming, to embrace vegetable farming.

Volunteer Anna Snider with Members of ANAAI

ANAAI works with mostly female farmers in the Kaduna State of Nigeria and is dedicated to helping rural and urban poor boost their agricultural strengths which in turn enables them to better feed their families. In most parts of the state, lack of available land and socio-religious beliefs, some women aren’t allowed to come out in public thereby depriving such women of the opportunity to participate in food production, to receive useful and current information, and educational opportunities and technological innovations that could be of help to them and their families. This lack of opportunity put many mothers and children at risk of malnutrition.

Sack gardening allows for space maximization, water conservation, and ease of practice while keeping financial requirements low, and improving nutrition, food security, and income. Many of the at-risk women have enough space within their fenced premises to grow food to support their families as well as earn some income by sacks/container farming. This helps empower women to take an active role in feeding their family while also interrupting the cycle of malnutrition, which especially hurts children and women who are pregnant.

ANAAI took to sack gardens with great enthusiasm, establishing their own and spreading what they had learned:

“This training has opened up our mind, now some of our women who don’t have land to farm can grow their own vegetables; above all we now know the importance of eating right and eating vegetables. We shall give this training to other women. We are glad we had this training.” Yahaya Hamman, farmer.

Fast forward to January 2018, when Nigeria based Winrock International staff visited Kaduna on a routine impact survey. During the survey process, ANAAI informs the program staff that one of their member organizations, Thinkers Children Foundation (TCF), who had participated in the training on vegetable sack gardening went on to introduce and train school students and their families.

Thinkers Children Foundation (TCF) was founded in 2015, with a vision to give free primary education to children from internally displaced families, orphans, and the underprivileged. As part of TCF’s corporate contribution to national growth and development, it educates children and spreads awareness on the dangers of illiteracy. From 3 pupils in 2015, TCF has expanded to 80 pupils actively attending classes.

TCF students on the floor of their school

On that chilly morning in January, F2F staff arrived at TCF, where nearly 80 pupils were present, seated on the cold concrete floor in their makeshift school. They greeted the visitors with smiles and a chorus of ‘good morning’s. Inspired by the pupils and their enthusiasm, F2F staff pulled together their personal resources and donated 25 school desks to the foundation, complemented by 12 dozen notebooks.

Desk Delivery!

The F2F team was told that many of the pupils were practicing sack gardening at home.

TCF pupils hold up the victory sign and show off their container gardens

Of the many pupils practicing sack gardening at home, one such practitioner was 8-year old Abdulhakim and his 5 years old sibling (Abubakar), who took the message home and taught their mother. In an interview with F2F staff, Abdulhakim’s mother told the team that she is not only practicing sack culture but that she has trained three other women who are also actively practicing sack culture. She noted that adopting the sack and container culture has resulted in improved nutrition and savings in the cost of food for her and her family. She also reported that more and more women are making inquiries about how they too can grow vegetables in sacks and containers.

“I used to think that it is only when you are in the village and have land that you can farm. Sack farming is so easy to practice, requires minimal space and water, does not require rainfall; the benefits are just unthinkable. I no longer buy vegetables for my family and as a matter of fact, I give some of our daily harvest to our neighbors and will begin selling soon. This is exciting and pleases my husband so much.’ Maimuna Ibrahim, mother to Abdulhakim and Abubakar Ibrahim.

To see a video on how to make a sack garden, check out the Winrock Volunteer’s Facebook Page! 

Posted in AET, Africa, Nigeria | Tagged AET, agriculture education & training, Farmer-to-Farmer, international women's day, Nigeria, people-to-people exchange, Winrock Volunteers, women
ABOUT FARMER-TO-FARMER WINROCK VOLUNTEER ASSISTANCE

SUBSCRIBE TO POSTS

Loading

ARCHIVE

  • March 2023
  • February 2023
  • December 2022
  • October 2022
  • September 2022
  • August 2022
  • March 2022
  • February 2022
  • December 2021
  • November 2021
  • October 2021
  • September 2021
  • August 2021
  • July 2021
  • June 2021
  • April 2021
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • November 2019
  • September 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • October 2016
  • September 2016
  • August 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016
  • May 2016
  • April 2016
  • March 2016
  • February 2016
  • January 2016
  • December 2015
  • November 2015
  • October 2015
  • September 2015
  • August 2015
  • July 2015
  • June 2015
  • May 2015
  • April 2015
  • March 2015
  • February 2015
  • January 2015
  • December 2014
  • November 2014
  • October 2014
  • September 2014
  • August 2014
  • July 2014
  • June 2014
  • May 2014
  • April 2014
  • March 2014
  • February 2014
  • January 2014
  • December 2013
  • November 2013
  • October 2013
  • September 2013
  • August 2013
  • July 2013
  • June 2013
  • May 2013
  • April 2013
  • March 2013
  • February 2013
  • January 2013
  • December 2012
  • November 2012
  • October 2012
  • September 2012
  • August 2012
  • July 2012
  • June 2012
  • May 2012
  • April 2012
  • March 2012
  • February 2012
  • January 2012
  • December 2011
  • November 2011
  • October 2011
  • September 2011
  • June 2011
  • May 2011

CATEGORIES

  • AET
  • Africa
    • Ghana
    • Senegal
  • Asia
  • Bangladesh
  • Cuba
  • El Salvador
  • Ethiopia
  • Field Staff
  • Guinea
  • Kenya
  • Latin America
  • Mali
  • Myanmar
  • Nepal
  • Nigeria
  • Postharvest
  • Rural Livelihoods
  • Senegal
  • Spotlights
  • Volunteer Feedback
  • Volunteer of the Month
  • Winrock Staff
WinrockIntl
Tweets by @WinrockIntl
Follow @WinrockIntl

204 E 4th Street | North Little Rock, Arkansas 72114

ph +1 501 280 3000 | fx +1 501 280 3090

2451 Crystal Drive, Suite 700 | Arlington, Virginia 22202

ph +1 703 302 6500 | fx +1 703 302 6512

  • Contact
  • E-News Signup
  • Low Bandwidth
  • Code of Conduct
  • Winrock Privacy Statement
  • Site Map
  • Terms of Use
Copyright © 2015- Winrock International
DEV ENVIRONMENT