Supporting a Second Annual Crop with Seepage Wells

As part of the Feed the Future India-Africa Agriculture and Natural Resource Management (NRM) Innovation Sharing Platform program, USAID/India is supporting TechnoServe, together with partners GRAVIS and Catholic Relief Services, Malawi (CRS), the local African Innovation Adopter (AIA), to transfer one such frugal innovation – seepage wells. The overall goal of the Innovation Sharing Platform is to improve productivity in target value chains, increase resilience to climate change, and improve nutrition for target households. 

Using an integrated and community-driven model of water conservation and NRM in agriculture, the well updates traditional Indian techniques with modern technology. This case story explains the lessons learned and adaptive approach taken in Mkwaira village.

This case study was submitted as part of USAID's CLA Case Competition, held in August 2015. Taken together, this collection of submissions illustrates the diversity of ways collaborating, learning, and adapting approaches are being operationalized in the field. Stringent judging criteria was used to determine official CLA Case Competition winners, so not all submissions should be considered an official USAID endorsement of best practice. To view all entries, visit the CLA Case Competition page.