Abakar Adam Maloum harvested more onions than he could store this year. Photo: LWF/S. Youta Nchoutnsou
In Chad’s Mamdi department, LWF’s agroecology work helps a father provide for his family
(LWI) - In the heart of Gambia village in Chad’s Mamdi department, 40-year-old Abakar Adam Maloum is now running a thriving farm. Married and a father of eight, he grew up working the land. But despite years of experience, he struggled with low yields, frequent losses, and little access to modern techniques.
That changed in 2024, when Abakar connected with The Lutheran World Federation (LWF). Joining a farmer field school, he received farming tools and a variety of seeds, including onion, okra, maize, lettuce, carrot, and cucumber. More importantly, he learned practical skills: how to improve production methods, make organic fertilizer, and use natural biopesticides – techniques that were entirely new to him.
Now my crops are more resistant to insects.
Abakar Adam Maloum
“Before, I had never used biopesticides. Now I see how valuable they are. My crops are more resistant to insects,” Abakar said.
New techniques, immediate results
On 1.5 hectares, he now farms alongside his wife using these new methods. Together, they produce compost from black soil, livestock manure, ash, straw, and poultry waste, all local resources. This self-reliance in soil fertilization boosts the sustainability of their production.
The results were immediate: better yields, lower costs, and improved living conditions. Abakar can now send all his children to school, cover their healthcare, and meet essential family needs.
This year, onions have been his main crop, bringing a good harvest. His success brought a new challenge in storing the vegetables, as production exceeds his capacity to preserve the onions. Still, his growing reputation draws buyers directly to his home.
“I don’t even have to go to the market. Many people come to buy from me to resell. That’s my greatest luck,” he said proudly.
Storage needed
Encouraged by his progress, Abakar is planning to expand his cultivated area and hopes to acquire transport to reach more markets.
“His story shows how targeted, sustainable support – based on knowledge sharing – can strengthen small-scale farmers’ resilience to climate change, while promoting gender equality and economic empowerment for rural families” says Ngolsou Keting, LWF country representative in Chad.
The farmer school described in this story is part of the project “Climate change adaptation based on a gender transformative approach”, funded by Global Affairs Canada and Canadian Lutheran World Relief (CLWR), and implemented by the LWF country programs in Cameroon and Chad. With a budget of 9.5 million EUR over three years, it indirectly benefits more than half a million people.
Together with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, LWF has begun preparing communities for natural disasters, equipping them to reduce the impact of such crises.
