Establishing Farming Clubs

Mphimbi Club invited the local chiefs to

the training (seated on the right)

Club Formation

In January, AWP worked with three new communities to establish farming clubs. The clubs form the basis of our partnership with the farmers, but also give the farmers themselves a platform to create positive change in their community. We discourage the idea (which always crops up) that such clubs are "AWP Clubs". On the contrary, these clubs are independent, persistent, and autonomous. They will work with other organizations, agri-businesses, and government extension officers. They invite AWP to their meetings, rather than AWP calling them to a training. They manage themselves, which is important for the sustainability of the club.

The clubs begin by discussing the many reasons people do farming. To have enough food for their families, to earn income, to preserve the land for their children, and to provide for the sick, elderly, and bereaved, are all common answers. From this, the club will decide on an overall goal, a mission statement, for their charter.

Mphombe Club members gather at a local church

Self-evaluation

The club then must determine how they will know if they are being successful as a group. They will need to identify the observable outcomes of their success (e.g. the quantity of food produced, income earned), and track them over time. This is the capacity for self-evaluation that will ensure the club don't look to AWP or any other organization to know whether they are being successful. 

By self-evaluating, the club will be in a better position to maintain and grow its membership. Everyone will know exactly what benefits the club is offering them. By using multiple measures of success (production, income, nutrition, persistent availability of food), the club will have as many opportunities of achieving something that will give them hope and motivate them to improve. If you don't know what you're aiming for, you don't know how much you have achieved.

The Mphombe Club chairman gives a final word of encouragement