The SAA Board Chair Prof. Ruth Oniang’o visited Mali from March 5-12, 2023 to meet and exchange ideas with national partners, donors, SAA intervention beneficiaries, farmers, and staff and management of SAA-Mali.

With the aim of strengthening the partnerships and exploring areas of collaboration, the Chair held fruitful discussions with partners including the National Directorate of Agriculture, the Ministry of Agriculture,  the Japanese Embassy in Mali, the International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC), Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), USAID, International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), World Vegetable Center (AVRDC) and the Samanko Agricultural Training College (CAA de Samanko).

Visit to the Embassy of Japan

Visit to the Ministry of Rural Development

Prof. Oniang’o also visited some of the SAA target intervention regions in Mali including the SAA-supported women's garden in In Guessebougou Post Harvest Training/Trading Center (PHTC), Mintiguila village which enabled women to grow vegetables to improve household nutrition and income through sales of their produce. The board chair observed a newly constructed meeting room in Guessebougou village and interacted with many farmer beneficiaries and Agricultural sector officials.

Visit at the women nutrition garden at Guessebougou PHTC

Visit to ICRISAT

In the Monzomblena PHTC, the Board Chair and her team visited women's groups engaged in groundnut processing in the villages of Kerela and Monzomblena, as well as the newly built meeting room in Kerela village.

In the Samanko PHTC, a discussion was held with the beneficiary community members and farmers in Kamale Kakele and Nafadji villages regarding enhancing water access and engagement of women in vegetable gardening. Furthermore, the board chair visited a fish farm, facilities for grain milling and shelling, and a community meeting room that has been provided by SAA and interacted with the farmers operating them.

At Samanko Agriculture College, the board chair interacted with the College Administrators and some students.  The visit highlighted the achievements of SAA in enhancing the capacity of Agriculture Extension through a demand-driven curriculum and how it has contributed in building the skills of Agriculture extension staff in Mali. 

In all the localities visited, Prof. O’niago encouraged members to work together to increase productivity and income and improve nutrition in farming households while strengthening the capacity and competence of all, especially women and youth members of the unions. She also recognized SAA’s effort in enhancing productivity by promoting good agronomic practices, facilitating access to improved seeds, post-harvest and food processing equipment, market linkage as well as strengthening the infrastructures such as storage warehouses and meeting rooms at the PHTCs.

Finally, the Chair thanked and encouraged SAA Mali staff and management for their effort to improve the rural community's livelihood and contribute towards transforming food systems in Mali.  She also emphasized the need to ensure no one is left behind; addressing the women, youth, children, and people living with disabilities in all SAA interventions. 

Visit to World vegetable center