Empowering Communities and Promoting Social Cohesion Through Farmer Field School Approach

The Building Recovery for Kasai-BUREKA II is a two-year project funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development's Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (USAID - BHA) which builds on BUREKA I's agricultural success in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The project was implemented by the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) in Kasai Province which has been severely affected by socio-political violence, inter-ethnic clashes, displacement, and COVID-19, exacerbating the country’s existing food insecurity. Due to limited food aid, BUREKA employed an approach of early recovery and livelihood restoration by improving agricultural production through distribution of improved seeds and tools, enabling households to boost productivity and achieve food self-sufficiency. ADRA achieved this by establishing farmer field schools (FFS) that train individuals in good agricultural practices to increase productivity. Through this approach, farmers learned new skills and applied improved technology and management practices to their crops and plots. This was evidenced by the increased production in maize from 650 MT to 1200 MT per hectare. The project team collaborated with participants successfully during regular follow-up visits to individual farms. Additionally, collaboration with key government stakeholders strengthened coordination among participants and the government, increasing chances of project sustainability. BUREKA aimed to empower participants to serve as agents of change, especially following the Kamwena Nsapu inter-ethnic clashes, by spreading messages of peace through the support of community leaders. Hence, the FFS approach was key in promoting peace and social cohesion among participants and building a culture of collaboration, continuous learning, and adaptation to the new practices and environment.