Songhai Farming Chain, A Model For Africa

DONATE

SUPPORT WWW.JOLLOFNEWS.COM

Songhai Farming Chain, A Model For Africa

Monday, 24 October 2011 00:06

(Feature) - In the southern tip of Benin’s official capital of Porto Novo , sits a farm that Agricultural architects, if there are anything like that would call, a self contained farming village. You live in the farm; grow crops there; harvest and market it there; make farming tools there; generate your own energy there; teach student s there and export your products and entrepreneurs from there. That is Songhai. But do I hear you asking what has this to do with The Gambia., I will explain.
But, first things first. I was in Benin between October 8 and 14th attending a youth Conference and fair organized by the International Fund for Agricultural Lamin_Cham

Development, IFAD and US based international youth organization Phelps Stokes. They partnered with the International Press Services, IPS, who invited us journalists to follow the exchanges and deliberations of some 60 youth agricultural entrepreneurs from across the globe and report on it as well as get some training ourselves on Agricultural reporting.
IFAD is keen to see that agriculture remains an attractive engagement for youth s especially in the poor rural communities and therefore called the Cotonou meeting to give youths a voice to exchange ideas and come up with recommendations from their own deliberations for transmission to both IFAD and other Policy formulators. To achieve quality and effective participation, IFAD dragged in the expertise of youth organizations like the Phelps Stokes group in the United States and the Global Youth Innovative Network GYINs, who helped to select the final list of participants from out of some 3000 applicants.
There were divided into four working groups who deliberated on various topics ranging from innovation to leadership and motivation and ended the conference with a field trip before meeting President Yayi Boni with a bunch of recommendations.
One of the places the young farmers and youth entrepreneurs visited was the Songhai Farm, based in Porto Novo, the headquarters of the Songhai chain now present in over a dozen African states.
Founded in 1985, Songhai, named after a fifteen century African empire, grew from a basic idea to an international NGO with branches in 12 African Nations.
Sitting on a vast piece of land measuring kilometers, example the size Banjulunding and Yundum together; Songhai is perhaps one of the World’s best example of a complete cycle of farming, offering the visitor insights into the entire process of agriculture from conception to harvesting and marketing of products, all in one location, Songhai, What is more, Songhai has tuned up to the modern day realities of the global agenda; climate change. It produces its own biogas by using plants mixed up with animal droppings to clean and reuse waste from their staff toilet as gas to power its irrigation machines. ‘’Nothing is wasted here. Even maggots that are naturally attracted to animal droppings are put into good use; they are food for the many varieties of fishes in the Songhai ponds,’’ Sesso Leone, a senior official and tour guide explained as we watched a poll of cat fish being fed. Not more than 50 meters away we encountered a rabbits’ warren or so to speak only that this time they are not under ground and cannot burrow away from prying eyes. They rattled their long ears but being no strangers to onlookers they kept their cool and watch as Sesso explained how they are reared, fed, bred and later killed for dinner tables across the country and beyond.’ ’They are very popular delicacies for people around the world and we get orders continually during ceremonies such as yours,’’ Sesso said.
Lamin_Cham_2

Songhai’s strong features as a model farm are premised on its providence of multi-sectoral agricultural training, manufacturing of farming implements and exporting of novel ideas to over 12 African nations. ‘’We have a furnace here which is fed with scrapped metals collected from the streets to manufacture farming tools such hoes, savers, winnowers and other s. These are even imported to our sister branches in other African countries,’’ Sesso said as he led me around a giant metal grinding machine. Waste from processing palm kernel oil, used in soap making, is collected and used for feeding the many varieties of animals kept in the Songhai animal husbandry.
Chickens reared to lay eggs and rabbits and other animals are regularly fed with food and other amenities from materials processed on the farm. We are completely independent. We produce what we need, using our land, tools, human resources and technogical expertise,’ Sesso to me.
Songhai’s reputation as a model farm based on solid achievements grew rapidly around the world turning it to an educational center for young African agricultural entrepreneurs. ‘’There are currently 50 Beninoise and a handful of Malawian students on our scholarship studying and living in this complex. Annually, we receive students from almost all our sister branches in Africa and beyond who come to form their basic skills from learning our experience,’’ Sesso said. Well, while Sesso could only give a sample of what obtains in this great farming centre; his compatriot; who would only like to be called farm, told me that even though the Gambian has not yet adopted a Songhai chapter, there is already a concept that is a readymade launch pad for a Songhia type of project and that, according him, is the Presidential Back to the Land Programme. At the mention of this Gambian project, I showed even greater interest as the Songhai official singled out President Jammeh for possessing the solution to the problems of the youth. “If all African presidents get directly involved in agriculture as Jammeh, the Shonhai philosophy will extend to all corners of the world,” said the Songhai famer.
Not surprisingly the visit made a profound effect not only on me but the young delegates as well. ‘’Songhai seems to give me the answers to all the anxieties and the hopes I have in agricultural entrepreneurship. I now know that I do not even need large sums of money to start something. Crucially too, I discovered that everything on is useful in one way or the other. This experience I would not forget,’’ commented a youth entrepreneur from Mozambique.
The visit and its rich findings undoubtedly influenced the outcome of the recommendations eventually laid before President Yayi Boni that evening. The President welcomed the youths and outlined the many steps taken by his government and donors in helping youths to be self sufficient and focused on positive areas. ‘’ I must thank IFAD, Phelps Stoke and all the partners who made this possible in my country,’’ he told the youth entrepreneurs.
Written by Lamin Cham recently in Benin