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Donations designated for Reliable Water Source for Women’s Community Garden in Benin will be used to build a well at the community garden in the village of Ikémon. During the dry season, staples of the Beninese diet, such as tomatoes, okra, and greens, become scarce and expensive. In Ikémon there are no large-scale producers of vegetables, and one can go weeks without finding a fresh tomato at the market during the dry season.
Last year, Annie and her counterpart learned of underutilized land in the village with a current of water running through it, owned by a local school director. A small cooperative of gardeners was formed and the director graciously agreed to loan them the land, free of charge, and signed a renewable contract. The small co-op of mostly women set to work to clear the space, dig beds, plant vegetables, and water their plots. The group has grown along with the garden and now boasts over 25 members.
The current water source at the garden is a small man-made watering hole that is dug deeper throughout the year as it dries up. It is difficult to maintain and often runs dry in the evenings when all the women are drawing water for their plots. Since the current water source is barely sufficient for the existing beds, there is still half an acre of unused land. Building this well will allow both the garden and the co-op to continue to grow and stabilize as a year round source of nutrition and income. The women and their families have already committed to providing a quarter of the materials needed to build the well as they know it is essential to the continued growth and success of their garden.
Annie and her host community in Benin, were awarded a PCPP grant during her service, but upon Annie being evacuated the grant was dissolved.
NPCA invests 85 percent of the total donations directly to support this project and 15 percent where needed most to support service administration and our overall mission.
