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June 28, 2005

Seed Distribution in Djibo

Now is the time for planting, but millet seed in the market is expensive. The solution: buy up seed and give it away to those who need it most.

Here are a few photos of yesterday's work. As always, click on an image to enlarge it:

This is the Red Cross committee charged with organising the distribution of seed in Djibo - a challenging task in a town of 15,000 needy people
	With representatives from each of Djibo's nine sectors, they sat down and worked out who were the poorest of the poor - giving preference to the old, the disabled, widows and carers for orphans
The people chosen were then given a day to come and be registered - they brought their identity cards with them, which show their name and how many children they are responsible for. One farmer was official carer for 51 children.
	Although people had already been selected, many more turned up on the offchance of being registered. They surrounded the table, waving their identity cards and clamouring 'Winndu kam' (write me down) or 'Yurma kam' (have pity on me).
Today was distribution day. People came with their Red Cross card and an empty sack and queued up outside the seed store.
	Some people from far outside Djibo had heard about the distribution and come to town - including this seventy year-old man from Mali. His name was not on the list so he had to wait till the bitter end to see if there was any left over.
At the entrance to the seed store people presented their cards showing how many tins of seed they were entitled to. Each person received between 6 and 12 kg, depending on the size of their family.
	All of the seed given out today was bought by you - the visitors to 'Voice in the Desert'. Thank you once again for your generosity.
The Red Cross 'volunteers' are mostly students from the lycee (picked for their writing skills). This is Oumarou, who measured out the tins of seed.
	Millet seed can be eaten. There will be a temptation for those who received seed to eat it tonight rather than plant it tomorrow. Idrissa stood on the door, reminding those on their way out, 'This is seed, not food'.
All in all, 1800 people received seed. We had a good rain last night, so the ground is soft and ready for planting. There will be a lot of people going out to their fields tomorrow morning.
	Those who received seed today will hang on to their Red Cross cards, because there is a food distribution coming up soon - millet, oil and Danish lentils, provided by the World Food Programme. That too will be much appreciated as people start to cultivate.

If you would like to contribute to similar relief work in Gorom-Gorom, Keith is busy organising something over at Under the Acacias.

Posted by sahelsteve at June 28, 2005 03:06 PM