Togo

A local river will provide water for needed irrigation, using a system of cisterns, a motorized pump, and movable piping.

This project is being carried out under the direction of Peace Corps Volunteer Christine Remein.

Sitchope Cooperative is located in the village of Kologan on the outskirts of the county of Agou, Togo. The cooperative decided to use sustainable agricultural practices in their planting and irrigation, and settled upon a method of agroforestry that will provide for their needs while maintaining the quality of the soil.

Community members are primarily cultivators. The village suffers from deforestation and poor soil quality. As population increases, rainfall and farmable land decrease. Despite daily efforts of the community members, particularly women, to feed their families, malnutrition is a reality.

The cooperative has thus far prepared for the cisterns that will be installed, bought cement for the cisterns, and also planted the tree nursery. In the weeks to come they will build the cisterns, tend to the tree nursery, and buy piping for the irrigation.

Project funds will be used for the purchase and transportation of seeds and the construction of the irrigation system. The community will provide the labor for the project.

This project will benefit a community of 1,000 people.

A sustainable system of agriculture is invaluable to the beneficiaries of this project. Their livelihood depends on their capacity and ability to yield food from their farms and also make a profit. The system makes good use of the available water, as it closes the nutrient cycle of the soil.

This project has now been funded, through the generosity of Six Senses Resorts & Spas as a part of their Clean Water Projects initiative.

Any donations using the Donate button below will go toward additional water and sanitation projects in Togo.

This project has been finished. To read about the conclusion of the project, CLICK HERE.

The Moringa tree, commonly know as the “Miracle Tree”, is seen to be an important tool to help combat malnutrition. Its leaves are extremely high in nutritional value, and almost every part can be used for food or for some other beneficial use. The seeds can be used to filter pollutants from water to make it potable.

The cultivation of the Moringa tree also plays a very important role in the management of land and the control of the water cycle. Reforestation reduces the erosion that pollutes waterways. The root structure of the trees helps preserve the moisture in the soil, and aids in building a clean ground water supply.

Due to a lack of financial means and the arid climate, the northern part of Togo suffers the most acute problem of malnutrition throughout the country.

This project is to start a Moringa tree plantation in a small village in the Savannah region of Togo. The objective is to introduce Moringa leaves and powder into the local market on a grand scale, and ultimately to alleviate the acute malnutrition that is common to the region.

Mango and Leucena trees will be grown alongside the Moringa trees, in an effort to aid in the reforestation in the region, and for additional nutritional diversity.

In addition, a literacy program will be undertaken as a subsidiary project, with profits from the sale of Moringa trees used to fund an annual training program.

By starting a Moringa plantation, the community will be presented with an affordable option to ensure their dietary needs. The plantation, run by a large number of village women, will become a visible model of what can be accomplished.

Once the trees are planted, women will be trained to manage the distribution and business side of the plantation. The business will function as a nonprofit organization, with all revenues returning back to the community.

Project funds will be used to purchase all the seeds, tools, and supplies necessary to start the plantation.

The community will contribute to the project by providing the labor necessary to get the plantation underway.

The project will be managed by two local trainers, with the active participation of 100 village women.

Once the harvest begins, the women will be responsible for directly transporting the leaves to the market for sale.

Direct beneficiaries will be the women participants and their families, totalling over 600 people. In addition, there will be the indirect benefit to the people in the local communities, numbering in the thousands, in making available the significant dietary benefit of the Moringa tree, and thereby impacting on malnutrition.

The plantation will be a stepping stone to the widespread use of Moringa. The education in the use of the moringa in the family diet, the business training, and the literary program, serve together as a tremendous opportunity for the empowerment of local women.

Upon approval of this project, William immediately reported:

I just got a chance to go to our regional capital today to make the preliminary purchases for our nursery. The women in my village are ready to work.

This excellent project fits directly within the Water Charity model in that we were able to be instrumental in getting a well-planned project underway at once. It will have impact far beyond the financial amount needed to start the project in its impact on the public health of the region.

This project has now been fully funded, through the generosity of Six Senses Resorts & Spas as a part of their Clean Water Projects initiative.

We encourage others to continue to donate using the Donate button below, and we will notify Peace Corps Volunteer William Vu of your donation. Additional funds will be used to fund the next project by William and/or those of his counterpart PCVs in Togo.

This project has been completed. To read about the conclusion of this project, CLICK HERE.

There are no public sanitation facilities, and very few families have private latrines. Therefore defecation largely takes place in the open.

This project is for the development of community latrines to serve the population and visitors to the area.

This project was developed by the community’s development committee, which came to the conclusion that improving the health-related infrastructure is the highest priority.

The project is being carried out by the community under the direction of Peace Corps Volunteer A. Landis.

The community will contribute the land, wood, water, sand, and manual labor totaling 28% of the project cost.

Sustainability will be ensured through nominal charges to non-residential users, with the revenue used for maintenance.

The success of this project is expected to greatly reduce the incidence of gastro-intestinal disease in the community. In addition, it will show the rest of the township that a community-managed project can be successful and sustainable.

This project has been funded, through the generosity of Six Senses Resorts & Spas as a part of their Clean Water Projects initiative.

Any additional donations using the Donate button below will be used to fund other projects by this PCV and/or other PCVs in the host country.

This project has been finished. To read about the conclusion of the project, CLICK HERE.

Water Charity believes that the extensive cultivation of the Moringa tree throughout developing nations will play a key element in reducing malnutrition in the world in coming years.

The objective of Moringa Ride will be accomplished through the efforts of Peace Corps Volunteers and Togolese counterparts. Eight Volunteers and eight Togolese will ride bicycles to thirteen selected villages and towns in the northern Savannah region of Togo.

At each community, they will teach the villagers the benefits of the Moringa tree and instruct them in the cultivation of the plant. They will disseminate seeds and help with the initial crop.

The trip will take three nights and four days, covering 30 to 40 kilometers each day. It is being led by Peace Corps Volunteer William Vu.

The Savannah region shares some of the same Sahelian semi-arid climatic conditions as its neighbors Ghana, Burkina Faso, and Benin. It is ranked as the country’s poorest region with 90 percent of the population, more than 650,000 people, either unemployed or earning only a fraction of the average $360 per year annual income. Malnutrition is prevalent in this area.

The Moringa tree is often called the “Miracle Tree”, as it is so high in nutritional value. Almost every part can be used for food or has some other beneficial use.

The leaves are a significant source of beta-carotene, Vitamin C, protein, iron, and potassium. The leaves can be eaten fresh, cooked. or dried and crushed into a powder.

The Moringa seeds yield a useful botanical oil. The seed cake that remains may be used to purify water, and can also serve as a fertilizer. In addition, the bark, sap, roots and flowers all have beneficial uses

The presentation to each community will include an explanation of the importance of proper nutrition, and how Moringa fits into overall health. The usage and preparation of each part of the tree will be taught.

Each village will be given 200 Moringa seeds to start a tree nursery. This will jumpstart the community to grow its own Moringa trees, and will leave a sustainable legacy from the ride.

This effort includes a large undertaking on the part of the communities that are visited. Each will provide a selected parcel of land to start the first Moringa nursery. Local villagers will be responsible for the upkeep of the planted trees as well as sharing the technology with others in the community.

It is estimated that at least 100 people will participate in this project in each of the 13 villages, so 1,300 people will directly benefit.

We are extremely pleased to play a part in this great effort. Hundreds of people in 13 communities will benefit directly from the ride, but the significance of the undertaking far surpasses the immediate result. It will demonstrate a methodology for continuing to spread the concept of the beneficial use of the Moringa tree to the rest of Togo, the other African nations, and the world.

This project has now been fully funded, through the generosity of Six Senses Resorts & Spas as a part of their Clean Water Projects initiative.

We encourage others to continue to donate using the Donate button below, and we will notify Peace Corps Volunteer William Vu of your donation. Additional funds will be used to fund the next project by William and/or those of his counterpart PCVs in Togo.

To read a progress report on this project, CLICK HERE