Sr. Toyin, the project's carrier, tells us

Thanks to the success of the collection from donors, we were able to initiate the project "Tilling the Land of Tomorrow".

It began with training in harnessed cultivation: the aim was to familiarise the beneficiaries with the use of the plough to facilitate the ploughing of their fields, this tool being new to them (they had been using the daba until now). Local services supported us through awareness workshops, and transport to the villages was provided by the community. We then went to meet the cattle owners to negotiate with them the price of the oxen. Thus, 5 pairs of oxen (10) and 5 ploughs were purchased for the benefit of the beneficiaries.We then proceeded to inform and sensitize the beneficiaries and their community on the seriousness of the implementation and monitoring of this project as well as on their involvement in the management of the oxen. This step was essential to us because the project was not only for the direct benefit of the identified and selected families, but also for the benefit of other people in the same community in a second stage.

As soon as the purchases were made, the animals and ploughs were made available to the farmers in the villages concerned. Now the families can exploit their fields in a more efficient way with much less erratic ploughing conditions. Advice was given to them for the good health monitoring of the oxen in order to optimize the benefits of their use and their yield.Discover the story of Lucien Diarra, 55 years old, living in Nouna and beneficiary of the project.

Lucien is a father of a poor family who finds it very difficult to feed his family and meet their needs even though he sometimes benefits from the charity work of OCADES (through the Human Solidarity Department) and the Daughters of Charity of St Vincent de Paul. Today, Lucien is a happy father, thanks to this beautiful project. He can now increase his maize production and generate a surplus that his wife will sell at the village public market. This income helps them to support their daughter's schooling and health care. Lucien never ceases to thank the Daughters of Charity and the donors for their generosity which has changed his life and that of his family. He promised to share his oxen with his community.

This project has had three impacts on the lives of the beneficiaries:

Social: the oxen benefit not only the beneficiaries but also other families in need. This has created a bond of solidarity, fraternity and integration between the members of the community.

Economic: thanks to improved growing conditions, beneficiaries are able to sell surplus crops and thus harvest some resources to meet their non-food needs.

Psychological: Beneficiaries who previously underestimated themselves because of their inability to contribute to community life have regained self-confidence thanks to this change of life. They have, so to speak, regained their dignity. 5 families are now benefiting directly from the project and about 200 people will benefit indirectly.

A huge thank you to all of you, generous donors who have changed the lives of these families

and strengthened the ties of this community in Nouna, Burkina Faso.