Project procedure

• A proposal to launch a project generally comes from a Third World country, a village or an organization.
• After evaluation by the project managers of T@D, a local partner is chosen to take care of the project and to assure the follow-up. That local partner also provides a financial contribution.
• Some of the projects are sponsored by Belgian or international partners.
• A project manager of T@D visits the project site to get acquainted with the project idea. If the local circumstances are concerned appropriate, the project manager comes back to the project site to assist the project launch. During the process, another visit is planned to succeed the project.
• At the end, after three years, the manager and the partners make an evaluation of the obtained results. At the same time, a plan is made up to continue and apply the obtained knowledge in new realisations.

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Objectives

• Combat poverty and improve the living conditions of the population
• Optimise the plant growth and improve soil conditions
• Water use efficiency
• Suppression of desertification
• combination of the traditional methods with new technologies (capacity building).
• Gather respect for nature and the value of the ecosystem (trees, CO2-reduction,...)

Coordinator: Eric Beel
Collaborator: Donald Gabriëls, Dino Galbusera, Davy Ottevaere, Daniël Somers

Interested? Mail to Eric Beel

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Core projects & project execution

Core projects

• School gardens
  In a school garden, children learn to apply traditional agricultural methods, as well as new practices concerning compost, manure and soil improvers. Differtent kinds of fencings are taught, and the children learn how to use water in an efficient way. Special attention is given to desertification risks and the importance of the vegetation: trees must be replanted and respect for the vegetation is demanded. Thanks to the school garden, the school meals will contain more vitamins, which makes that girls are sent to school more easily.
   
• Community gardens for women
  In a community garden, a terrain is marked for each participating woman. On this terrain, she can grow her own vegetables en fruits. If there’s no well available in the neighbourhood, one or more wells can be placed. A fence is placed around the garden. As a barrier, we prefer a hedge with prickly or poisonous plants: cattle is inhibited to enter the garden and in the mean time, this hedge is contributing to reforestation. Other plants can be chosen for their economic surplus. During the tillage practices, the soil is, if necessary, treated with a soil improver or an equivalent or complementary system. The objective is to acquire a high yield due to efficient water management. The harvest can be used to feed the family, but the vegetables can also be sold at the marked. If desired by the community of women, we can encourage them to persist and, e.g. constitute a business (a shop, a little soap factory, ...). To constitute this business, women can count on microfinancing. The objective is to make their enterprise autonomously.
   
• Reforestation
  In reforestation projects, the local population cultivate indigenous species of trees. The selection of species also depends on the economic value. In the reforestation projects, the local community is educated to learn how plantations contribute to a sustainable environment and possibly to employment.
   

Project execution

• Basic project
   
• Realisation of infrastructure if not available
• To provide water, energy and other natural resources
• Mobilization of available manpower
• The project must have perspectives for continuation (sustainable)
• T@D insures the transfer of technology

• Integrated project
   
• Combination of school and community gardens
• Start up activities such as agricultural undertaking or stores
• Give education and management training for local responsibles
• evaluation of the plots and application of improved planting techniques
• Financing by micro-credits which leads to ‘independent life skills’

• Macro project (if the required funds and the necessary engagement are available among all parties concerned)
   
• Large-scale projects which create incomes (biomass production) for the local community.
• Concluding an agreement with the local population or the national authorities

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