About FARM-Africa

FARM-Africa works with poverty and famine-stricken communities in Africa. Dedicated to long-term development, FARM-Africa’s goal is to work closely with local farmers and villagers on projects designed to help rural communities to withstand, and if possible prevent, famines.

FARM-Africa has been working alongside local farmers to identify the problems limiting agricultural production and to identify appropriate solutions to give crops a better chance of withstanding drought.

Further projects include establishing rural drug shops to improve animal healthcare, experimenting with different types of crops, teaching rudimentary veterinary skills, irrigation of crops from seasonal river diversions.

These can make a significant difference to a community’s ability to withstand the devastating consequences of famine.

Charity Projects 

• The people of Konso in southern Ethiopia suffer from severe droughts. FARM-Africa is working with the Konso people to help them anticipate and relieve the effects of these droughts. 
  Building on the indigenous knowledge of local people, FARM-Africa has worked with them to construct irrigation channels, roads, dams, clean water supply networks, water collection ponds, and other infrastructures to prevent droughts and famine.
  In addition, goat groups have been set up whereby the members are provided with goats on credit. The benefits of these groups are a good supply of nutritious goats’ milk for families and an increased income from the surplus milk sold at market. Owners pay back their ‘loan’ with female kids that are passed on to other families.
  Local people are trained as ‘barefoot vets’ to carry out simple tasks in animal healthcare. FARM-Africa has helped local people build Health Posts and train health workers and also works with local schools through drama classes to educate the students as to how to avoid AIDS. This knowledge is passed on to the parents in a society where such subjects are taboo.
  
• Other projects include working with communities in Ethiopia and Kenya where, in addition to providing training in camel husbandry and healthcare, FARM-Africa is helping these communities try new techniques such as growing crops, and irrigating fields to produce some food.
  
• In Tanzania the charity is addressing problems associated with soil erosion, forest management and working in schools, focusing on agricultural and environmental education. In South Africa it is working with communities that have benefited from the Land Reform Programme and supporting small holders in marginalised rural communities.
  

Our history

FARM-Africa was set up in 1985 by the late Sir Michael Wood, the founder of AMREF, and David Campbell, a field director of OXFAM.

As a result of their work they were both concerned with the plight of marginal farmers in Africa and Sir Michael, a surgeon, concluded that ‘food is the best medicine’.

They elected to concentrate on helping farmers in Africa improve the productivity of their farms.