Seydou Sidibé is a community based facilitator (CBF) at a Farmer Learning Platform (FLP) and inputs shop in Boidié, a rural commune in the Cercle of Barouéli in the Ségou Region of southern-central Mali. Sidibé said:

“I am the intermediary and facilitator between the Sasakawa Africa Association (SAA) in Mali and the village community. SAA is very important in Boidié because of the volume of work they do here. When SAA came in, they showed us the benefits of micro dosing fertilizer technology through demonstrations in the field. This technology is affordable and allows us to maximize our investment due to the precise quantities of fertilizer we apply. It increased our profits and improved our millet and sorghum grain yield.

SAA is the first NGO to involve us in so many activities, guiding the community through the Post-harvest, Training and Commercialization Center (PHTC) on the way to sustainable agriculture; all the facilities here are the product of Sasakawa`s work. Encouraged by the success of SAA, other NGOs have now partnered with them.

By following their example, these partners add their own value, collaborate with the village community and help change lives. Development is a chain:

SAA has started it and others have joined. We are proud to be part of that process.”