Enhancing women’s economic resilience through market gardening in the Savanes region of Togo
Located in northern Togo, the Savanes region faces extreme poverty, harsh climatic conditions with long dry seasons, and limited access to water and agricultural inputs, which hinder productive farming and force many households—especially women—to rely on unsustainable income sources such as firewood and charcoal sales. In the village of Tossiogue, where women attempt small-scale vegetable farming on unexploited lowlands, lack of water and tools makes their efforts precarious and unprofitable.
In 2022 Avenir des Jeunes Filles de Dapaong (AJFD) and Association pour la Promotion du Développement Intégral de la Femme (APDIF) organised a meeting with a local community to understand the needs and challenges of the women living in Tossiogue and identify appropriate solutions. As such, responding to the needs expressed by women themselves, the project will establish a solar-powered borehole and irrigation system, provide tools, seeds, and training, and strengthen women’s cooperative structures through capacity-building in management and marketing. By transforming subsistence farming into a viable income-generating activity during the dry season, the project aims to boost women’s economic autonomy, improve household livelihoods, reduce rural poverty, and foster community resilience while promoting sustainable agricultural practices.
Budget
€ 59,837
In partnership with
The project will begin with a half-day launching ceremony to present project objectives, expected results and key activities with local partners and beneficiaries. The event will allow all actors to get an overview of the project and clearly understand their responsibilities for effective implementation.
To secure sustainable water access for market gardening, a borehole will be drilled on-site and equipped with a solar pumping system for water distribution and crop irrigation. Technicians from the water department will oversee the technical specificities and implementation, and will work directly with the women farmers to ensure proper use and durability of the system.
Once the drilling and installation of the water distribution system have been completed, the project team will focus on preparing the market garden site in accordance with agroecological requirements in order to facilitate the land preparation activities and allow women to start their production. Technicians from the regional agriculture department (ICAT) will provide technical support and define the development plan for the parcelling and distribution of the plots on the site. To carry out this activity, AJFD and APDIF will identify a company to carry out the development work. Through community outreach, the project will also mobilise beneficiaries and ensure their participation in the stump removal, as well as clearing and ploughing work.
To further support the cooperative, basic agricultural tools such as watering cans, hoes, wheelbarrows, gloves, and other essential equipment will be provided, along with improved seeds for crops including okra, onions, tomatoes, chillies, lettuce, and cabbage. A management and maintenance system will be established, with guidance from ICAT technicians, to ensure the durability, proper use, and availability of equipment throughout the market gardening season. A selected company will supply the tools and seeds according to technical specifications, advise on their distribution, and provide training on the correct use of inputs, while the cooperative’s management committee will oversee maintenance and proper functioning of all equipment.
To enhance both the quantity and quality of vegetable production, women will receive comprehensive training covering all stages of crop management, from selecting high-quality seeds to preserving and marketing their products for greater profitability. The agroecological training will include modules on the preparation and maintenance of the soil, integrated fertility management, composting techniques, nursery establishment, bed preparation, transplanting and staking, crop watering, proper harvesting and stock management. The training will combine theoretical and practical sessions to allow the trained women to apply their skills directly on the gardening site.
Women will be trained in administrative, financial and entrepreneurial management, focusing on accounting, business skills and the principles of cooperative management. To further support the operational and financial viability of the market gardening activities the trained women will be supported to develop appropriate and tailored tools and systems for the financial management of a cooperative.
Prior to the market gardening site development, the group of women will be supported to officially register their cooperative with the Ministry of Agriculture and ensure compliance with legal and administrative requirements. Technical support will be coupled with a practical training covering modules on governing a cooperative, principles of organizational management, and legal and administrative compliance for cooperatives.
To further foster sustainability, women market gardeners will establish a site management committee of five members elected at at the cooperative's general assembly. The committee will be responsible for mobilising community support, site monitoring and managing the maintenance and repair of the equipment provided. Committee members will receive dedicated training to increase their understanding of their roles, responsibilities, and coordination mechanisms.