In Guerigan village, Chad, a man helps irrigate the community garden established with support from Catholic Relief Services.

The project, called Rebuilding Resilience in Western Chad, or RRWC, helps the community have access to fresh, nutritious foods.

As the garden was being established, beneficiaries received money to purchase vegetable seeds and three goats at fairs organized by CRS and our local partner Sécours Catholique pour le Développement (SECADEV), bringing together local vendors selling quality-controlled seeds and livestock.

beneficiaries participated in a series of trainings on horticulture and livestock care, learning off-season gardening techniques in dry riverbeds to produce diverse, nutritious food during the lean season before the staple crop harvest is ready. Livestock trainings covered animal management and nutrition

Background:

In 2014, people in Western Chad faced drought-like conditions, which reduced pasture lands for grazing, and the region’s livestock have suffered heavy losses, leaving farmers with few options but to sell productive assets—the tools and livestock they need to assure an income in the future—to feed their families.

With support from USAID/OFDA, Catholic Relief Services and its local partner Sécours Catholique pour le Développement (SECADEV) launched the Rebuilding Resilience in Western Chad project, also known as RRWC.

Through RRWC, CRS and SECADEV are supporting these vulnerable families to meet basic needs while helping them recover assets and learn new skills to mitigate future shocks.

The project has provided both livestock (goats) and continued education and fodder support, as well as a successful garden seed distribution and training programs that taught people new ways to grow and prepare healthy and nutritious food.

Photo by Michael Stulman/Catholic Relief Services