Aaron kaah yancho
The difference between despair and hope in Agriculture can
be as slim as a small animal or tree in the grass field of Cameroon.
It is not these small
animals like goats and pigs, dairy cattle that have given some farm families,
hope but their abilities to put their knowledge, into use within their
community. It is thanks to knowledge received during Heifer international Cameroon supported trainings that these farm families
how to adjust to the changing agricultural times. It all started when members
of this group benefitted Heifer Cameroon trainings in integrated livestock management,
composting, care for land, tree planting
and sanitation alongside a
donation of 2 animals each in 2014, members of this group looked beyond these
animals to shine their dreams into reality and to be at the front role of
farmers combating the effects of climate changes in the grass field of
Cameroon.
The novel farming technology with compost manure was
particularly good news as most farmers if not all in this communities and groups
depended upon chemical fertilizer to grow crops as a result of the barren soils
and the burning of compost in the fields to cultivate food crops added to their
woes -the changes in this seasonal uncertainties made food crop production a
tedious task. For many farmers who live
in this community life was hard, simply not only because of these obsolete
farming skills they practiced but the change in rain fall and unpredictable
seasons. Like almost every member of the community wanting to survive this low
food crops yields and harsh farming climate, some 22 farm families turned
around to try something new like combating the effects against climate change. They
concerted and the idea to form the Maraicher self help group was born. “It was
good for us to put our heads together but we didn’t know exactly what to do
next” Djeutieu Jean Felix the president of the group recalled. As the years
went by no noticeable changes were observed in this group.
Despite their best efforts these farmers ignorantly burnt
valuable grass deposits in their farm fields at the detriment of the soil and
environment. This lead to barren soils and constant erosion and these poor
farmers turned to chemical fertilizer which they could not afford. A cycle of poverty ensued within the group and
community. “The evidence was hardship and poverty”. Djeutieu Jean Felix said. Next the group members dived to animal
rearing as a means of survival but the rearing of animals in open free ranges
and ground floors attracted air and land pollution, environmental degradation
and farmer grazer conflicts. Limited knowledge of what good species to keep and
the total absence of ethno-vetinary skills destroyed the efforts of these
farmers. The ability of the group to overcome poverty and the consequences of climate changes became
a very complex issue according to Jean Felix.
In 2013, when Heifer Cameroon came to the assistance of the
group with animals and new skills, the
members paid immediate and particular action to fixing these farming
challenges. These farmers saw in these donated animals a ready source of dung
which according to all of them is a rich food crop fertilizer. “Our priorities
were to set our farming records straight” Jean Felix remarked. From the onset
these farmers constructed barns with raised floors contrary to the past. “The
pay back was immediate”. Madou Rose one of the group members said. The raised floors provided a possible means
for members of this group to collect manure and to start compost farm projects.
“We began collecting animal waste and food crop residue to fill the barns in
readiness for the farming season” Jean Felix said. Some members of the group
began experimenting with compost by starting gardening projects. His solution
to their farming worries like land degradation and erosion was sort. “I could
not believe how much we were missing” Mathew said. These families cultivated
less hours and reaped triple fold from the same pieces of land where they had
farmed with chemical fertilizer.
“Onlooker said we had entered a secret society
but the secret was our hard work because we were
cultivating seriously with
animal manure and compost” Mathew said. This new wave of farming soon became a
model for members of this common initiative group. With food crops members of
the group satisfied their feeding desires and this gave them causes to jubilate
over their successes. “We took surplus to the market and immediately our living
conditions changed” Madou Rose said. Annual
household incomes within the group had risen from 250.000fcfa to 800.000 as a
result of the high food crop yields .The value attached to animal waste began
changing for the best unlike before when it was considered a huge source of
pollution in the community. “Members of this group collected this dung very
tactfully on daily basis to store in bags in readiness for use”. Jean Felix
remarked. This effort helped not only to keep the barns cleans but to keep the
environs neat.
To consolidate the
popularity of compost manure, the group members began contributing corn and
food crops in exchange for animals waste with large scale poultry and pig
farmers within their region. This manure was distributed to farmers following
the proportion of their contributions. “This cheap and affordable manure had
enabled the group to start a tree nursing farm and the revenue earned from the
proceeds helped to buy emergency needs like books, tables and chairs for the
group” Jean Felix said. Farming with trees had also greatly repaired the soil
for these enthusiastic farmers unlike in the past when these trees were
considered obstacle in their food crop cultivation. These tree leaves provide
shade for these farmers, help like wind brakes in the fields as their leaves fertilized
the soil, at the same free attracting bees, pollinators of food crops. This also
necessitated high food crop yields. Apart from the fact that these trees
mitigated the climate change impact in this community, they provided fodder for
animals and fruits for man. According to Kadji Jean Paul each farmer had
planted an average of 50 trees in the last one year.
Another cheap affordable approach practiced by members of
this group is the now rearing of their animals in raised floors. “The hygiene
component of it is what we enjoy most” Mathew said. These raised floors enable
this group of farmers to be able to collect waste, and to keep piggeries and
barns clean. The group is also encouraging members to share their various
experiences with one another in a bid to foster their wishes in this project.
“I have planted over 8 species of medicinal plants which provide a remedy for
my 23pigs” Jean Felix said.
The
sharing of these experiences to other farmers through hands-on training and
group organized training sessions has overwhelmingly pulled these communities
out of poverty and ignorance. Today members of these groups have hopes that
with the passage of time they will continuously be creative agents of change in
their community in the apex of the climate changes.
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