Food production in western Sudan
This particular work has now been completed, but learning from these projects continues to inform our work. We continue to work in Darfur: for the most recent information, please see our project news or read more about our Reducing Vulnerbility programme.
Harvesting pools water resources
Water is lifeblood to people living in western Sudan's regularly drought-stricken North Darfur State. A key element of Practical Action's food security programme has focused on involving local communities in improving water-harvesting techniques. The aim is retaining as much of the rain that does fall in parched North Darfur for as long as possible to provide water for irrigation and domestic use. Only five per cent of surface runoff water is currently used for crop production in the region.
Dams
Practical Action Sudan is helping communities tackle this situation through various methods including using earth dams to capture increased amounts of rainy season floodwater from streams. During 2002, dams at Shangil Tobaya and Azagarfa were rebuilt by local people with Practical Action Sudan providing technical advice and some materials.
Despite low rainfall, the water caught and retained by the dams helped irrigate increased amounts of surrounding land for growing vegetables and cash crops. Plants cultivated or naturally grown nearby provided animal fodder. Water captured by the dams was also employed for domestic uses. Digging of shallow, sub-surface wells saved local people, particularly women, from travelling long distances to find alternative water sources.
An Practical Action Sudan project assessment report on Shangil Tobaya dam's rehabilitation revealed that local cultivated land areas rose eleven-fold to 5,090 acres as a result. Beneficiaries of the improved irrigation increased from under 300 families to 800.
Local farmers reported an immense productivity growth for vegetables and cash crops. This led to community-felt benefits including increased employment opportunities, securing family food supplies and health needs and safeguarding children's education by meeting school fees.
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Building Small-Scale Water Harvesting Dams
The experience of ITDG North Darfur State, Western Sudan This manual reflects Practical Action experiences, specifically in the building of dams, and demonstrates the quick impact that dams can make on people's livelihoods.Download manual (PDF, 6.3Mb)
Terraces and reservoirs
Practical Action Sudan has introduced terrace cultivation to cut water runoff and improve crop productivity. In 2001 and 2002, around 1,000 local farmers were trained in terrace building. They constructed terraces that helped them grow vegetables, including okra, eggplant and tomatoes, which can be harvested up to five months after the rainy season. Now more people are replicating this successful idea.
In addition, five water reservoirs (hafirs) for domestic use have been excavated.
Water infiltration
The increasing use of animal drawn ploughs in North Darfur has cut time and labour involved in ploughing by 50-80 per cent and boosted the amount of cultivated land by 100 per cent. It has also increased water infiltration into the soil, which improves plant growth.
Over the last year, 120 Practical Action Sudan-trained blacksmiths produced and sold about 400 ploughs to local farmers. Over 4,000 have been sold during the project's lifetime.
Water relief for family
Increased irrigation has proved vital to the welfare and future prospects of Nima and her three sons and two daughters.
Five years ago, her husband died and she was left alone to look after her family.
Her family's land at Shangil Tobya village in Elfashir province covered five acres, of which only three received a reasonable quantity of floodwater for irrigation.
Nima managed to cultivate 1.5 acres with vegetables, tobacco and sorghum, and also sold dry products including meat, okra and chillies. But her hard work still could not cover the needs of her school-age children and she had to borrow from neighbours and receive assistance from relatives.
However, Practical Action Sudan's work with villagers on refurbishing the local dam and boosting the amount of irrigated land has worked wonders for Nima.
With relatives and neighbours helping with farm work, she has been able to cultivate around four acres of different crops, particularly tobacco and chillies, and increase her net income.
This has allowed her to repay part of the money borrowed to meet the farm's running costs, secure her family's food needs for one year, send her elder son to Elfashir University, visit the Sudanese captial Khartoum for medical treatment, and hire premises for a catering business.
Practical Action in western Sudan
Sowing future seeds of life
Seeds and tools are vital for farmers to do their job. Practical Action Sudan has established 11 village development committee-managed centres in North Darfur State to help facilitate these needs. The centres provide seeds and tools for farmers through cash purchases, credit or loan arrangements. It is part of Practical Action Sudan's food production programme, which covers around 30,000 beneficiaries and helps farmers to sustain biodiversity and to produce drought and disease-resistant crops.
Ploughing improves family prospects
Learning how to use a plough proved a productive, rewarding skill for Kaltoum Mohammed Abdalla.
Married with four children, and with her husband working away in central Sudan, the 25-year-old relied on farming and labouring on housing projects in Kebkabyia town to support her family.
But the she then received training from Practical Action Sudan in using the plough, and managed to buy one of the implements. Using the plough, her cultivated area of land doubled to 5.4 acres, productivity rose steeply, and she started growing cash crops.
Kaltoum said her family life became more stable and secure. Her husband returned from labouring, started helping with farm activities and became a crop trader between Kebkabyia and other neighbouring communities.
From the sales of products from their land, the couple bought ten goats, three beds, clothes, luggage and a second plough. They managed to send two of their children to school, paid their annual fees, and also contributed to school construction and teachers' initiatives.
Kaltoum said another great benefit of her husband's help with the farming was that she had time to participate in other activities, including literary classes and village committee meetings.
Securing food supplies
When food can be a scarce commodity, how can you try to ensure your family has enough to live on in the hardest times? Practical Action Sudan continues working in North Darfur to offer technical training on food processing and preservation.
During 2001/ 2002, 1,182 women attended such training courses. Sixty-two of these went on to become trainers on food processing and preservation themselves. Food processed by participants was sold out of homes, by personal vending, at sales exhibitions and through retailers.
Five shops were established by women's groups to sell food products processed by their members.
