DRC: Women farmers in Kasaï-Central learn new techniques in fields

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During the dry season, Marie Bamowe, a 52-year-old widow, spends her morning engaging in small trade outside her home as she waits for the rainy season to begin. With the rains, her agricultural activities will commence. She says, “Thanks to the new agricultural techniques I’ve learned, I now earn more than before. I sell part of my harvest to support my business.” Mrs. Bamowe, a farmer, also serves as the president of a group of nine women in Katende. 

Katende is a village in the commune of Ndesha, an agricultural region situated over 10 kilometers from the city of Kananga in the Kasaï-Central province of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

The members of Mrs. Bamowe’s group are learning new agricultural techniques to boost their yields. She explains that two years ago, the NGO Action Tuibakayi Kasaï Ketu, which promotes agricultural development, organized the women farmers of Katende into a collective. They received hands-on training in techniques such as row planting and seasonal planting. She says, “Action Tuibakayi Kasaï brought us together. Today, we produce during both the dry and rainy seasons.” 

In 2022, the group of women was granted two hectares of land by the NGO. This land now serves as both a training ground and a production field for the group. The land is divided into parcels for each member, allowing them to learn directly in the fields with guidance from trainers during agricultural work. Mrs. Bamowe adds that the members take turns helping each other with tasks like plowing and row planting. Mrs. Bamowe also engages in vegetable farming during the dry season. She grows tomatoes, cabbage, and amaranth, and thanks to these new techniques, she estimates her maize harvest at over one ton per season. She says, “The cooperative is very useful for us. Before, we couldn’t harvest even half of what we now earn.”

Nancy Kapinga is another member of the group who says the training has been invaluable. She explains that Action Tuibakayi Kasaï Ketu provided them with a week-long, hands-on training on effective planting techniques to ensure a good harvest. The practical approach, she adds, allowed her to fully grasp and apply the techniques they were taught. Mrs. Kapinga says, “Previously, we planted haphazardly, and the crops struggled to develop.” Mrs. Kapinga emphasizes that with these techniques, she optimizes her space, and her maize plants grow well.

Mrs. Kapinga admits that the yields obtained through the knowledge they gained have allowed them to expand their activities into pig and chicken farming. She says, “When I farmed alone and without training, my yield was poor.” 

Jean-Claude Kanku is the head of Action Tuibakayi Kasaï Ketu. He explains that his NGO supports farmers in several localities in Kasaï-Central. They are already helping 124 people in the villages, including 90 women. He says, “Our mission is to fight hunger in the region by training women from several villages in the Kasaï-Central province to farm and providing them with spaces to apply this knowledge.”

Thanks to the new techniques they have learned, the members of Mrs. Bamowe’s group now produce maize and vegetables year-round. This not only provides them with a steady income but also enhances the well-being of their families and community. They are committed to further increasing their production by utilizing the new techniques they have acquired. Mrs. Bamowe says, “We have fertile land, and we will do even better in the coming years.”

This story is made possible by the generous support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The contents are the responsibility of Farm Radio International and Catholic Relief Services, recipient of agreement and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government.

Photo: Participants of the cooperative in the field in DRC, taken by Fabrice Kabamba Ngalamulume, 2024