Farmers’ Club Cabinda
Start: 2013
Participants: 1170, 903 female
Location: Cacongo, Buco Zau
Farmers’ Club Cabinda was launched in 2013 and successfully concluded in 2016. Over the relatively short lifetime of the project, many improvements and changes were made in terms of agricultural practices, crops grown, attitudes towards work and cooperation, health, nutrition and sanitation and, of considerable significance for those involved, gender. An independent final evaluation report found that the project’s goals had been achieved and surpassed, and that between five and six thousand neighboring farmers had benefited from the new knowledge, techniques and technology introduced at club members’ farms and club fields.
The 20 club committees assumed responsibility for maintaining the clubs, continuing and developing activities and encouraging members to adhere to the lessons learned, both in terms of farming as well as health and nutrition.
Water Assistant students from EPP Cabinda collaborated with the project, helping with the maintenance of rope pumps and gaining essential practical experience in the process.
“...the concept and implementation of Farmers' Clubs methodology should be considered not only as an alternative approach to agricultural extension work and sustainable community development, but as a participatory approach that focuses on improving the analytical capabilities of farmers (men and women) in order to empower them. In this context one would hope, and it is recommended, that the Farmers’ Clubs Program be included as an integral part of the sectoral approach to agriculture in Angola”.
From the external evaluation of Farmers’ Club Cabinda, carried out in 2016