Effective Visual Aids for Coaching Non-Literate Subsistence Farmers in

MaliBy Amy Druse

In Collaboration WithFlorence Dunkel, PhD

Montana State University - Bozemanand

Assa Kantel’Institute d’Economie Rurale (IER)

Mali• Independent republic nation in West Africa• Country rich in natural resources including: gold, salt, limestone and granite• Country rich in culture with various ethnic groups which include: Malinke, Bambara, Soninke, Peul, Tuareg, Moor, Songhai

and Voltaic

Demographics

• 80% of population are subsistence farmers• 64% of the population in • poverty (earn less than $1 a day)• 46% illiteracy in urban areas,

and up to 99% in rural areas

Problem

• After years and years of continual aid, why is Mali not yet flourishing?

• Why are they not competing in world markets?

• How can we improve traditional ideas of aid to better benefit Malian farmers and people?

Calderisi, R. The Trouble with Africa: Why Foreign Aid Isn’t Working. Yale University Press. 2006

Focus

• The Mali Agribusiness Network is about to launch.

• One Network goal is to bridge this gap.

HypothesisThe impact of aid projects such as those created by the Mali Agribusiness Entrepreneurial Incubator Network will increase dramatically with addition of effective visual aids which may include photographs, movies and slides as well as taking a “farmer first” approach when introducing new ideas to the subsistence farmers.

Methods• Participatory and holistic discussions in Village

• Participatory Process = develop a relationship with the village, provoking questions that may lead to the discoveries of various problems or solutions that may be of interest to the villagers

• In-Depth Individual Interviews with the villagers on what types of teaching styles they prefer. • Ex. Taught by aid volunteers, taught by other

villagers, using props, seminar style etc.• Interviews were conducted through translations by

IER scientists• Surveys were developed in collaboration with

Florence Dunkel and Assa Kante prior to village visits

• Interview CLIC (Community Learning and

Information Center) and Peace Corps leaders to determine what methods of teaching and visual aids they have found productive• Follow up to the Bougoula study -

analyzing the three Bambara videos• Determine how they are used, whether the

villagers liked their content, how they are distributed, and whether or not they found them useful

Extern Rebecca Cooper is given a tour of the village of Sanambele

Externs and mentors work with the villagers of SanambelePhotograph by Denise Dahl

ResultsPast Methods of Acquiring New Information in the Village of

0 0 0

18 18

0 0 0 0

10

28 27

0

12

0

63

0 0 0 0 0 0 0

25

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

Villa

ge C

hief

Farm

er-to

Farm

er

May

or

Exte

nsio

n Age

nts

Mee

tings

Newsle

tters

Radi

o TV

Vide

os

Lette

rs

Demon

stra

tions

Supp

ort S

ervice

s

Possible Sources of Information

Num

ber

of

WomenMen

Senambele

Past Methods of Acquiring New Information in the Village of Bougoula

0 0 0 0 0 0

68

32

0 0 0 00

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

Villa

ge C

hief

Farm

er-to

Farm

er

May

or

Exte

nsio

n Age

nts

Mee

tings

Newsle

tters

Radi

o TV

Vide

os

Lette

rs

Demon

stra

tions

Supp

ort S

ervice

s

Possible Sources of Information

Nu

mb

er

of

Vil

lag

ers

Men

Women

Preferred Methods of Receiving New Information in the Village of

43

0 0

8 8

34

8

0 0 0 0 0

33

0 0

24

15

7

15

0

7

0 0 00

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

Villa

ge C

hief

Farm

er-to

Farm

er

May

or

Exte

nsio

n Age

nts

Mee

tings

Newsle

tters

Radi

o TV

Vide

os

Lette

rs

Demon

stra

tions

Supp

ort S

ervice

s

Possible Sources of Information

Nu

mb

er

of

WomenMen

Senambele

Preferred Methods of Receiving Information in the Village of Bougoula

50

0 0 0 0 0

25 25

0 0 0 0

29

13

29

0 0 0

13 13

0 0 0 00

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

Villa

ge C

hief

Farm

er-to

Farm

er

May

or

Exte

nsio

n Age

nts

Mee

tings

Newsle

tters

Radi

o TV

Vide

os

Lette

rs

Demon

stra

tions

Supp

ort S

ervice

s

Possible Sources of Information

Nu

mb

ero

f

WomenMen

Discussion• Village of Sanambele

• Posters/Books• Accompanied by Chief of the

Village and Extension Agents

• Village of Bougoula• Radio/Videos• Shown by Chief of the Village or

Mayor

• Understanding the differences between these two villages may help explain these diverse results:• Bougoula

• Is headquarters of the Commune containing 11 villages• has a weekly market• has housed a CLIC since 2004

• Sanambele • Is a smaller village in neighboring commune of Dialokoroba• villagers travel to commune headquarters such as Dialakorba to

sell their market goods

• In comparing these two villages, one small, and one large, incorporating the Village Chief into the teaching of new information is one of the most important components

Bambara Video/CLIC Analysis

According to our surveys: • No one in either village had seen any of

the three Bambara videos distributed to CLIC organizations

• Many villagers hadn’t heard of CLICs, and no interviewees in either village had ever used their resources• This is caused mainly by the presentation of

CLIC information in French and English, while the majority of the villagers speak only Bambara

Extern Rebecca Cooper helps sift and pound millet

Conclusion• CLIC organizations were unsuccessful

because of language barrier, user cost, and lack of advertising/awareness to the villagers

• Bambara videos were unsuccessful because villagers were unable to view them

• Best teaching methods include: demonstrations and letters from village chief and extension agents accompanied by visual aids, such as posters, books, and videos to reinforce new information

SuggestionsCLICs

• Potential to be successful• Poor execution

Organizations need to:• Present their product in the native

language of Bambara• Demand reasonable prices for the

average farmer• Advertise their product and make

farmers aware of this new resource

• Teaching/Training new information or technologies• Organizations need to go through

the chief of the village, gaining their respect

• Hands on demonstrations followed by visual aids, such as posters, books, or videos

• Visual aids need to be left with the villagers as a reference to look back on

This research could potential be the foundation for future aid projects. Through the “farmer first” approach and the use of visual aids, new ideas and technologies may easily transfer between scientist and subsistence farmer.

AcknowledgementsMy deep appreciation to IER:

Kadiatou Gamby ToureSidiki TraoreAbdoulaye CamaraAissata TheraKeriba Coulibaly

This project was made possible, in part, through the support provided by

• USDA Cooperative States Research Extension Education Service (CSREES) Higher Education Challenge Grant Program, no. 2004-38411-14762, Discovery-Based Undergraduate Opportunities: Facilitating Farmer-to-Farmer Teaching and Learning (F. Dunkel, P.I.)

• Montana State University Undergraduate Scholars Program, 2007 (Druse)

• Montana Agricultural Experiment Station No. 161 (F. Dunkel, P.I.)• USAID through the Office of Higher Education for Development

(HED) under Cooperative Agreement HNE-A-00-97-00059-00. (F. Dunkel, P.I.)