ForAfrika is one of a few humanitarian organisations delivering humanitarian assistance while integrating long-term recovery planning. “Our priority is reaching the most remote areas where few other organisations operate. We do this because we believe in Africa’s potential; Africa is our home, and we do not leave,” explains Felix Yangana, Programme Director for ForAfrika in the Central African Republic.

In regions such as Sibut, Dekoa, and Kaga Bandoro, farming communities have faced enormous challenges, from unpredictable weather patterns and insecurity to pest infestations and animal disease outbreaks. For many years, farmers cultivated their fields by hand with only basic tools like hoes and machetes. Training, reliable market information, and road networks to link farmers to buyers, especially during the rainy season, were also lacking.

To respond to these challenges, ForAfrika has helped establish more than 340 farmer cooperatives across the three regions. Working closely with agricultural trainers, veterinarians, and government departments, ForAfrika has sensitised members of the cooperatives on modern farming methods and livestock management.

Since 2023, ForAfrika has supported 135 farmer groups in Sibut, 105 in Dekoa, and 100 in Kaga Bandoro by supplying them with maize, sesame, peanut and groundnut seeds. Farmers also received hoes and machetes, enabling them to plough their land more effectively.

To reduce losses from pests and disease, members of the cooperatives were equipped with pesticides and sprayers for use on both crops and livestock. These interventions have significantly boosted food production, improving food security for 7,480 families, and benefiting more than 37,500 people. Today, many households are producing enough food for themselves and selling the surplus.

Marie Ingakola, a widowed mother of six from Sibut, is one of the beneficiary farmers. Before receiving training and tools from ForAfrika, she harvested 50 kilograms of sesame from her quarter-acre plot. In 2024, using new farming skills and equipment, her harvest tripled to more than 150 kilograms of sesame.

“I used to struggle to feed my children,” she recalls. “After joining a farmer group supported by ForAfrika, I received training, and tools for ploughing. Now, I grow maize, groundnuts, and sesame, which give us enough food. I sell the surplus to cover school fees for my children and to meet other family needs.”