Siti Mohamed is the Monitoring and Evaluation Officer at Dahari. Her role is to identify relevant indicators to demonstrate Dahari’s impact and to track the results of each initiative carried out in the field. As the first half of the year draws to a close, she provides an update on developments in 2014.

Introducing agricultural innovations that can improve yields is one of Dahari's priority objectives – there is a lot of experience from other countries that can help the Comoros. During the ECDD Project, we introduced successful innovations such as drip irrigation, sowing under plant cover, improved cattle enclosuresIn 2014, the NGO continued to introduce new techniques in the Comoros; three main innovations are noted:

1. The establishment of shops selling agricultural inputs in the target villages

Thanks to funding from the Franco-Comorian Co-development Program, six shops selling agricultural inputs have been established in various villages, with the goal of improving access to high-quality supplies—located nearby and offered at affordable prices—for our beneficiaries. These shops were provided with an initial stock consisting of plant protection products, chemical fertilizers, and vegetable seeds. The existence of these shops is the result of a close collaboration between Dahari and the private sector (the shop owners).

One of the added values ​​of this innovation is the training that shopkeepers receive on the use and dosage of the products, which enables them to provide sound advice to farmers. For the shopkeepers, it also saves time in sourcing products and serves as a source of profit through sales. A drawback, however, is the difficulty in maintaining a regular supply to the shops, which depend on suppliers from Anjouan and Grande Comore. This leads to periods of scarcity—often referred to as "lean periods"—during which products run out in the shops.

The success of these shops relies primarily on the empowerment of the owners themselves and their progressive reinvestment into the businesses. Currently, the reinvestment rate ranges from 150% to 250%, and two shops have already achieved self-sufficiency.

2. School gardens

A school garden is a plot of land near a school designed to teach students the basics of agriculture. The school garden concept is a model developed by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), which served as the inspiration for Dahari to implement this initiative in three priority villages: Adda, Outsa, and Ouzini. The gardens were established with funding from the European Union. This activity is carried out with the participation of various stakeholders, including the commission in charge of education and its school-life facilitators, members of the school council, the NGO Maeecha—which provides pedagogical guidance—and, of course, the students themselves. The students contributed by bringing cuttings to create a living fence around the plot; each student provided one cutting. The students will receive both theoretical and practical training related to the school garden. All those involved in the project work on a voluntary basis, with the sole aim of supporting the school. Any proceeds generated will be used to cover school expenses, such as the purchase of desks, benches, chalk, and other supplies.

For the time being, Adda’s garden has already borne fruit. Tomatoes, eggplants, and lettuce have been harvested. In Outsa, tomatoes have been planted, and onions have been sown in a nursery. In the final village, Ouzini, the project is in its launch phase.

3. Irrigated areass

To facilitate agricultural activities (market gardening and food crop cultivation) and improve farmers' yields, Dahari has established irrigated areas in zones with high agricultural potential. Specifically, low-cost irrigation systems have been set up at two "Intensive Development Sites" in Adda and Ouzini. The project is funded by the Franco-Comorian Co-development Program. We provided financial and technical support in partnership with the Union of Water Committees of Anjouan (UCEA) and local village-based organizations. Participating members contributed approximately 5,000 KMF each. Choosing to work with a local technical partner like the UCEA helps keep project costs reasonable while also boosting the Comorian economy.

In the village of Adda, the work is nearly complete. With the construction of the cistern already finished, the installation of the distribution network can now begin. 16 farmers will benefit from this water. In Ouzini, the water catchment system is already in place and the cistern walls have been built, but work is still ongoing.

The positive results from these new projects encourage Dahari to continue innovating. We remain on the lookout for technical improvements that have proven successful in other countries and could benefit the Comoros. To this end, we work with our international partners—most notably CIRAD—to identify the most relevant innovations, and with our local partners to scale them up beyond our current area of ​​operation.