SAA’s 53rd Board Meeting in Abuja: A Blend of Strategic Deliberation and Community Impact
SAA held its 53rd Board meeting in Abuja, Nigeria, from October 14 to 19, 2024. The gathering brought together Board Members, alongside Country Directors from Nigeria, Ethiopia, Mali and Uganda, as well as the Director of strategic partnerships and the Executive Director of The Nippon Foundation
Regenerative Agriculture takes Center Stage at Annual Stakeholders’ Forum in Mali
For two days (March 7 – 8, 2024), the Sasakawa Africa Association – Mali (SAA-Mali) office held its Annual Stakeholders’ Forum at the Azalaï Grand Hotel in the country’s capital, Bamako. Convened under the theme “Regenerative Agriculture for Improving Soil Health”, the gathering shone the spotlight on the sustainable agricultural practices that enhance soil health
SAA Leadership in Strengthening Partnerships Affirmed During Chair’s Trip to Mali
During his recent visit to Mali, Dr. Amit Roy, the Chair of the Sasakawa Africa Association (SAA), extensively engaged in a series of meetings aimed at strengthening strategic partnerships and cooperation to advance agricultural development initiatives. These meetings, involving key global and national partners, underscored SAA’s commitment to improving food security and promoting sustainable agricultural practices in Mali and beyond
SAA Unites with Partners at Annual Retreat in Mali
From September 12 to 15, 2023, members of IFDC, SAA, ICRISAT, and KIT Royal Tropical Institute gathered for the ISSD Sahel project’s annual retreat at the Hôtel Salam in Bamako
Malian Farmer Credits SAA for Transforming his Community’s Food Security
“There was a time when hunger loomed over us,” said Malian farmer Mamadou Djan Keita. “But now, with improved agricultural practices, rice is no longer a luxury but a staple in our diet,” he added. Keita attributes the changing fortunes of his community to the Sasakawa Africa Association (SAA), which has trained farmers on the best agricultural practices, including post-harvest management. He affectionately referred to SAA as “SASAKAFA,” meaning “eating well” in his local dialect, as a testament to the significant impact SAA’s intervention has had on his community’s food security
Cutting-edge data skills empower partners
As part of its efforts to enhance its monitoring and evaluation systems, SAA organized a training on Kobo Toolbox, a mobile app for primary data collection. The training also covered data analysis using Microsoft’s Excel and IBM’s SPSS.
Community Based Seed Multiplication Model integrated into Malian Agricultural College curricular
The SAA’s Community Based Seed Multiplication (CBSM) model will, starting this year, be integrated in the training programs for agricultural extension agents by all agricultural colleges in Mali. This is following its approval during a curriculum revision session held in March.
Guessebougou farmers get hands-on training on compost production
In May 2023, farmers in the Guessebougou Postharvest and Trading Center (PHTC) extracted eight tons of compost from a pit they set up in December 2022, as part of the SAA’s Regenerative Agriculture (RA) initiative. The compost was enough to cover 2.5 hectares of land.
Quality seed distribution aims to improve food and nutrition security
On June 13, 2023, SAA conducted a seed distribution program covering the Tiolo Post Harvest and Trading Center (PHTC) in Sikasso, south of the Malian capital, Bamako. A total of 31,331 kg certified seed of rice, pearl millet, sorghum, maize, groundnut and cowpea were distributed to 3,000 farmers in 13 distribution centers – Siranikoto, Kita, Guessebougou, Didieni, Dioumara, Monzomblena, Segou, Bla, San, Sikasso, Tiola, Koloniboudio and Bougouni.
Malian farmers’ life transformed through kaba nônô processing
However, things changed for her when she attended a one-week SAA training in 2017, which covered the processing of maize into yogurt, locally called kaba nônô, and fonio into doughnuts, cakes, and biscuits. Eager to change the fortunes of her family, Sanata started an enterprise around the production of maize yogurt, which she sells within her village and during the weekly market at Boundioba, a neighboring village 3km away.
