KARKAYE, Krim Krim, Chad — In the vibrant fields of Karkaye, a village in southern Chad, Eunice Mbernodji, a mother of nine, is turning once-barren, dry land into a lush garden. As she tends her crops, she reflects on the transformation: “This land was just a distant hope. Now, it’s the foundation of our future.” Access to land for women in Chad is a significant challenge due to deep-seated sociocultural constraints. In a country where agriculture is vital, ensuring equitable land access is crucial for fostering fairness in rural development, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization. Women, who constitute more than 60% of Chad’s agricultural workforce and more than half of the nation’s population, require reliable land access to maintain control and autonomy over their farming activities. The AgriJob Booster Chad project (AJB-C) is one initiative aimed at addressing women’s access to land. Led by the Dutch NGO, Woord en Daad, in collaboration with local partners, the project is making a meaningful impact in Karkaye, located in the Guéni department. By providing land to groups led by local leaders, the project allocates 5-hectare (12.3-acre) sites divided into 2000-square-meter (21,500-square-foot) plots for each participant, enabling year-round vegetable production, which was previously limited to the rainy season. Forty percent of its participants are women. Eunice Mbernodji says the project improved year-round farming but water scarcity remains a major challenge. Image by Robert Bociaga. “Programs like this project designed to provide women with access to seeds, fertilizers and agricultural equipment are crucial…This article was originally published on Mongabay
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