![[ map of Africa ]](../images/mapwater.gif)
Problem
There is a critical food shortage in Africa. Millions face the cruelties of hunger and starvation. The rainy season is very short and the ensuing dry season makes crops impossible to grow without being watered.
Solution
Reach the Children is helping create numerous new wells in Africa. Irrigation -- especially drip irrigation -- has the potential of solving many of Africa's water and agriculture problems. Additionally, Reach the Children's farm management experts coach farmers on irrigation, cash cropping and marketing.
Success
During the fall, a Reach the Children representative was in the process of setting up a demonstration farm that would teach local farmers the benefits of irrigation and the merit of planting high value crops. He had to temporarily return to the U.S. before finishing his demonstration. When he returned in January, he discovered that one adventurous African farmer had already decided to take the ideas and run. The farmer said he didn't need to wait for a complete demonstration.
The farmer lived in Eastern Kenya where the AIDS pandemic is especially severe and the orphan population is extremely high. In order to get irrigation water, he dug a 28-foot well by hand and installed an inexpensive treadle pump. He grew tomatoes, onions, cabbage and greens, and sold them in the local market. His entrepreneurial success allowed him to support his family plus eight orphans. He also delivered vegetables to a local high school in order to pay the school fees for one of the orphan girls.