Farming 101

Gene works for Baobab an organization that works in a variety of communities providing agricultural training and support to farming groups. Right now they are in the process of travelling to each of the communities to provide two trainings, one on raising goats/sheep and one on raising chickens. They generally take place on back to back days and depending on distance the two leaders may spend the night in the village. Just for you to get a sense of road conditions, our closest village is about a 25 minute drive away while our farther is 85 km away (which by North American standards is close however during the rainy season it is inaccessible).

On Thursday September 11, I had the opportunity of accompanying Konayal (the coordinator) and Jules (guest speaking veterinarian). My role was to translate for Gene (who is an MCC service worker who works for Baobab). Gene is very knowledgeable in agriculture however his French is limited. I had the task of translating from French to English so that he could understand what was being taught.

Koutou was the closest village and at only 25 minutes away it was mostly on paved roads. It is also the most prosperous of the villages that Baobab works with because of its close proximity to Moundou (meaning it can sell in the Moundou market). Also the area receives and keeps more water and therefore it is a better environment for things to grow.

Jules began his presentation with a review of proper management of group. You need elected members (not named) who are motivated and trustworthy to work. You should have a council- president vice-president, secretary, treasury, vice-treasury and two counsellors.

Next we began information on how to raise sheep/goats. In Chad, animals tend to be left to their own devices, to find their own food, water, shelter etc. This means that they do not produce much/any milk, they are often sick/die and if they are killed to be eaten they do not provide much meat. The goal of the presentation was to provide some basic farming information on how to raise sheep/goats. I decided that I would try to take some notes as well. Most of it I thought was common sense but it is still interesting to hear.

1) Lodging- you need it to protect animals from the heat, rain and cold. By having a home for your animals it allows you to use their manure, which will help the soils immensely. Make sure there is good aeration and a place nearby for sick and pregnant animals to graze.

2) Food- Grass is their main food, however it is very important that tan/dry out grass for your animals to eat in the hot season. Also it’s important to provide animals with clean drinking water (2-6 L per day). If animals are drinking in puddles/dirty water, they are likely to pick up parasites.

3) Reproduction- Make sure you are choosing healthy animals that are resistant to illnesses, and without any problems. This way their young will be healthier.

4) Sanitation- Unfortunately, we left at lunch time and so we did not stay to hear him talk about sanitation.

I am hopeful to be able to help out at Baobab as a translator for Gene from time to time. It is good practice for me and it allows for Gene to communicate with Baobab staff and for the staff to communicate with him. Overall it was a great day!