A second training course on the management and maintenance of the equipment of the perimeter drip irrigation system was done from 20 to 22 January 2020 to enable the beneficiaries to ensure the sustainability of the system installed. These trainings were followed by a sensitization of Ramitenga market gardeners on the use and proper management of phytosanitary products and their packaging on January 23, 2020. The trainings were organised under the #TonFuturTonClimat initiative (Your Future, Your Climate), which GWP West Africa is part of. An initiative funded by the Quebec Government and implemented together with ISW, CWP Burkina, CWP Benin and Eau Vive Togo.
The first training was attended by an agent from the Loumbila town hall. It provided the participants how to manage sustainably the actions of their association (associative life) and the agricultural activities. It gave participants the tools and procedures relating to finance, administrative and accounting documents for the success of agricultural activities in a context of climate change.
The second training on the use and maintenance of the equipment was attended by 10 trainers, including 7 men and 3 women, all members of the Sidwaya Association. An agent of the town hall as well as a member of the Manegdbzanga Association also benefited from this training.
The company ETES in charge of the design and the implementation of the irrigation system carried out the three (3) day training which alternated theory and practice sessions on the perimeter itself. Beneficiaries learned about all the equipment of the perimeter, the daily watering schedule of each plot, the procedures for using and cleaning the equipment.
At the end of these training sessions, user guides were produced.
The sensitization of the market gardeners brought together the 16 members of the Sidwaya association and the market gardeners of Ramitenga. The session was attended by 29 participants including 11 women and a representative of the town hall of Loumbila and the Manegdbzanga association. The overall objective of this activity was to inform, educate and sensitize market gardeners on the management of phytosanitary products and their packaging in order to catalyze behaviour changes on this issue.
This awareness session was conducted by the Chief ZAT (Technical Support Zone) of Loumbila, member of the technical committee of the CLE (Local Water Committee) Massili. Participants learned about the harmful effects of phytosanitary products on health and the environment. It raised a great deal of interest among the beneficiaries who decided to apply the prescribed recommendations.
Words of beneficiaries
- Mr. Moumouni TIEMTORE, President of the Sidwaya association
For the maintenance of the installations, I can assure you that we have already discussed it internally and we are setting up a membership fee and thinking about establishing a system of payment of water by the users external to the association. This will allow us to bring in revenues to face the possible needs related to the maintenance of these installations.
- Mrs. Minata SODRE, women's representative and Sidwaya’s association treasurer
One of the significant benefits of the TFTC project brings for us women is that it gives us an opportunity to meet, to discuss, to take news of each other; even though we are from the same village because of our different occupations we do not have enough opportunity to see each other and this is a source of motivation for women.