Farming for Survival in Eastern and Southern Africa

Farmers the world over face many common problems in the early part of the 21st century. However there are none so dependant on farming for their very survival than many smallholders in Africa, who often rely entirely on production from their limited land area to provide both staple foodstuffs and an income to purchase the bare necessities of life for themselves and their families. Over the last fifteen years on the initiative of a group of farmers in South West England, an organization has developed from humble beginnings to a main stream body, providing much needed assistance to vulnerable farming families in Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda and Ethiopia. The original concept of providing one animal on loan to farmers has been transformed to the provision of a sustainable farming package enabling the recipients of stock to better realize the potential of their limited resources. The history of this assistance and the manner in which it has evolved to enable small farmers 'living on the edge' to transform their lives and become respected members of their communities is described and graphically illustrated in this presentation.