Siti Mohamed is responsible for monitoring and evaluation at Dahari. Its role is to identify relevant indicators to demonstrate the impact of Dahari, and to monitor the results of each action carried out on the ground. As the first semester ends, she takes stock of what's new for 2014.

The introduction of agricultural innovations that can improve yields is one of Dahari's priority objectives – there are many experiences from other countries that can help Comoros. During the ECDD Project, we introduced powerful innovations such as drip irrigation, semi-underplanting, improved cattle pens. In 2014, the NGO continued to introduce new techniques in the Comoros; three main innovations are noted:

1. The installation of shops selling agricultural inputs in the intervention villages

Thanks to funding from the Franco-Comorian Co-development Program, six shops selling agricultural inputs have been set up in the villages with the aim of improving access to a quality offer nearby and at acceptable prices for our beneficiaries. They obtained as starting stock phytosanitary products, chemical fertilizers and vegetable seeds. The existence of these stores is a result of close collaboration between Dahari and the private sector (the owners of the stores).

One of the added values ​​of this innovation is the training that shopkeepers receive on the use and dosage of products, which allows them to advise farmers well. For the shopkeeper it also saves time in sourcing products, and a source of profit thanks to sales. The negative point is that we encounter difficulties in regularly supplying the shops, which are dependent on Anjouanese and Grand Comorian suppliers. This results in lean periods during which products are finished in stores.

The success of these stores consists above all of the autonomy and progressive reinvestment of the stores by the owners themselves. Currently, the reinvestment rate varies from 150 to 250%, and two stores have already become autonomous.

2. School gardens

The school garden is a plot near the school intended to teach students the basics of agriculture. The school garden concept is a model from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations from which Dahari was inspired to conduct the experiment in the three priority villages: Adda, Outsa and Ouzini. The gardens were set up thanks to funding from the European Union. This activity is carried out with the participation of different stakeholders such as the police station in charge of education and its School Life Facilitators, the members of the school council, the NGO Maeecha which provides educational advice, and finally the students. The students' contribution lies in the cuttings to close the plot: each student brought a cutting. Students will benefit from theoretical and practical training around the school garden. To supervise them, everyone involved in the garden works voluntarily with the sole aim of helping the school. The profits will be used for school expenses: purchase of tables, benches, chalk, etc.

For the moment, Adda's garden has already borne fruit. We harvested tomatoes, eggplants and lettuce. In Outsa, tomatoes were planted and onions were sown in a nursery. In the last Ouzini village, the project is in the launch phase.

3. Irrigated areass

To facilitate agricultural activities (market gardening and food growing) and improve the yield rate of farmers, Dahari has established irrigated areas in certain areas with agricultural potential. On this, two perimeters were installed in two Intensive Development Sites in Adda and Ouzini, at low cost. The project is financed by the Franco-Comorian Co-development Program. We provided financial and technical support in partnership with the Union of the Anjouan Water Committee (UCEA) as well as village organizations. Profit shares were collected to the tune of approximately 5000 KMF per member. The choice of working with a local technical partner such as UCEA makes it possible to carry out work at reasonable prices, and to boost the economy of the Comoros.

In the village of Adda, the work is almost complete. The construction of the tank having already been completed, the installation of the distribution network can begin. 16 farmers will benefit from this water. In Ouzini, the catchment has already been done, the walls of the cistern have been built and the work is still in progress.

The good results of these new projects encourage Dahari to continue to innovate. We remain on the lookout for technical improvements that have worked in other countries and from which the Comoros could benefit. For this we work with our international partners and in particular CIRAD to identify the most relevant innovations, and with our local partners to scale them outside our current area of ​​intervention.