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Dogondoutchi Farm - Niger

Kickoff date : July 2007

Objective(s) : 450 m² and 500 kg of spirulina per year

Number of jobs created : 5

Budget : 83.000 €

Recipients : 2.700 children/year

Financial self-reliance of the programme : self reliant

Partner(s) : Association nigérienne Tarbiyya Tatali

Location : Dogondoutchi (300 km east of Niamey)

Funding : Talents et Partage (SG), Coopération Luxembourgeoise, Coopération Belge, Commune de Satigny (Suisse) et Antenna

In 2007 ATF started together with the Tarbiyya Tatali association (a Nigerian local development association, which was founded in 1998) a spirulina production programme on a piece of land allocated by the city council.

The team is self-reliant and fully masters the spirulina production process, as well as the management of the farm’s operations. Regarding the distribution of the spirulina, the Tarbiyya Tatali (TT) association manages part of it, but relies on the support of its partners located in the north (RAEDD and ATF).

What we're achieving in 2014

If the conditions allow it, Antenna Technologies will conduct some field work in order to :

  • Supply the farm with new equipment
  • Ensure complementary training on the latest methodology improvements, which took place over the past three years. Indeed, during that time the team was cut off from everything.
  • Drive distribution commercially, but also through State initiatives such as the national “3 N” programme (Nigerians feed Nigerians).

1st semester 2014

350m2 out of the total available 450m2 have produced 219kg of spirulina, which amounts to a productivity rate of 3.5g/m2/day. Over the first semester, that’s an output around 1,150 children benefitted from.

In March a new pump arrived. In April 100kg of spirulina were handed over to the AECIN (the “Association d’échanges culturels Ile et Vilaine / Niger”) and 45.8kg were donated to the local hospital, so it could be then distributed within health centres. In May and June spirulina was donated to Dr Aïcha from Dogondoutchi Hospital to be distributed for nutritional purposes in the surrounding country side. An additional 1.3kg went to the Targuinca NGO, which distributes the spirulina to the destitute population living in the Agadez region.

A field mission by Antenna may be on the agenda for the end of the year.

2013

The yearly output amounts to a little under the initial target but is still satisfactory considering the context. The farm is isolated and therefore, supplying the team with new equipment poses a real challenge.

246kg, that is 46% of total output, were distributed to improve the nutritional situation of the most destitute:

  • 20%, i.e. 106kg were distributed for free to the “Centre de Récupération Nutritionnelle Intensif” (CRENI – Centre for intensive nutritional recovery) of the Dogondoutchi Hospital. More than 1,000 children received the spirulina.
  • 40kg went to the medical units of the hospital department thanks to the support of the head doctor.
  • 100kg were handed over to the Targuinca NGO to be distributed to the destitute populations of the Agadez and Arlit regions.

Commercial distribution poses a problem, because it is locally insufficient. Out of the 235kg sold this year, 140kg were exported to France to be sold by two partner associations.