The Bonka Agricultural Institute and Experiment Station was used to supplement Agricultural Extension activities throughout the Region. Besides the courses for
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AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION -A Project Apprih’for its 2 27 Development in Emerging Countries -James F. Keim Agricultural Extension Advisor ‘1/ U.S. AID/Somali ! (, I L (71) The Agricultural Extension Service is one of the “exportable niques” that the United States Foreign Aid Program, over the years, very frequently used in assisting with the development of the resources in cooperating Having just concluded more than four years’ duty in the Republic, formerly the U.N. Trusteeship of Somalia, which period of extended over the realization of Independence, I hope this brief will suggest a modified, practical and realistic approach to the ment of an effective Agricultural Extension service in evolvi.g I went to Somalia in 1957 and was assigned to Baidoa, 165 inland, where there were no other Americans, and no provisions for quarters, to work on a dry-land farming development program, set up the Italian Trust Administration and designated as Project No. 5. that time the Italian Government was busy preparing its former Italian Somaliland, for independence in 1960. My assignment was to velop an Agricultural Extension pilot demonstration in the Upper The U.S. Foreign Aid Administration had made an agreement with Government of Italy, under which the United States would assist Re
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Italian government in the economic phases of the Somalia Development gram. The Italian Trust administration had organized various which were financed by the Somalia development fund, to which the USA making financial commitments. We also made available ccunterpart -Italian currency accumulated in italy from the sale of surplus stuffs under the provisica of Public Law On my first visit to the assigned area, Upper Giuba Region, I a modest, but established Agricultural Experiment station, and an tute the Italian Administration had set up to train Agricultural agents. The Instituto Progaganda Agraria -Bonka consisted of one dormit-ry with a native type thatched roof, one small class room, and outdoor “kitchen.” Water had to be hauled five kilometers from the lage. I met the Italian technicians and the Somali government The road, often unpassable in the rainy season, to the Upper was through “bush ccuntry” of a very desert-like appearance. The is primarily a livestock country, but also has immense areas of fertile land. The limiting factor is whether or not there will be ficient rainfall for crop production during the two rainy seasonj of year. Practically all the preparation of the ground was done with short handled hoe, although some work had been dcne in training oxen farm draft animals at By the time I had returned on my second survey tour, I had that the program to help farmers train and use oxen was in order. I encouraged when I learned that Project No. 5 had 18-20 Somali tural workers on its payroll, solely to work with the
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In full accord with the Italian chief of the Agricultural and the authorities in Mogadiscio, a “refresher” course for these was carried out. They were then dispatched in two teams, one team to a district, to wcrk with They barely completed the circuit the spring rains began, after about 35 teams of oxen were trained. the four years I was there, this paid off, as the men continued work along with their other agricultural activities, and scores of of oxen were trained and large numbers of plows and cultivators A program of shoving documentary films, which I also initiated, one time included a film from India of farmers driving oxen, instead leading them according to the Italian method of teaching. This in our men training oxen to bc driven and no longer led with nose With the aid of a generator this film program grew until we had many as 25 centers where films were projected regularly in the Our Extension men used a microphone Pttachment to explain the films on agriculture, news of Africa, public health, in the native The Bonka Agricultural Institute and Experiment Station was used supplement Agricultural Extension activities throughout the Besides the courses for potential agricultural extension workers, Field-day for farmers was held each year, when farmers from all the districts were brought in see what was being done, and the achieved at the Experiment station and the Institute. These were attended and a great The policy of AID and its predecessor agencies rightly stresses principle of self-help. I’owever, the significance of self-help is -3
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always understood in these evolving countries, as paternalism has erally been an integral part of colonial development. Furthermore, where potential leaders have been trained, they were not expected permitted to exercise much authority or This paternalism first became evident in the fact that the men were paid to come to the “school.” We substituted a system scholarships instead ofa daily cash allowance and gradually reduced amount. Courses were improved and youths from other regions were couraged to come. Over two hundred young men participated in the in the first three The six months’ course being given at Bonka was originally to agricultural extension agents. However, more were taking the course could possibly be placed, and it sometimes gave them delusions of portance. Too many of these youths felt that they “educated” higher positions and should leave In order to reach the sons and not keep them away from the farm too long, the course shortened to 45 days and then extended to two Thus the could go back to the farm and put into practice the things they During the course of these events, the date for independence moved up from December 1960 to July of that year. In preparing for charge over of administration, the Italian-Somali Ministry of and USOM agreed to cooperate on setting up a National Agricultural tension In emerging countries, when AID is invited to develop a program a country, it is only natural that the nationals of the former -4
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power may resent the efforts of the “newcomers,” and either or unconscicusly oppose As to the indigenous leaders of these “new” nations, since they relatively inexperienced in planning and are accustomed to having made for them, it behooves a Mission to exercise considerable caution in planning programs. It so easy to assume that the leaders what is involved, when they really do not have the background for So, in the plan for setting up the National Agricultural service it soon became evident that each of the three groups had a different idea of what Agricultural Extension was to When project 5 was phased out, the Extension workers were to the Ministry of Agricultural rolls at a greatly reduced grade salary. Also, there was no consideration given to the fact that we been training these men as Agricultural Extension agents for more two While there must be an overall Country program to give and define objectives. In Agricultural Extension, this plan should with individual projects, planned and executed on the level at which will be understood by the The difficulties of transportation or the lack of teaching and demonstration adequately trained personnel must not be overlooked. It is here that principle of self help comes The project must be on a subject sistent with their experience to appreciate its value, with in ability to take so that they may be encouraged to participate its growth and contribute to its -5
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training center development in the British Colony of Kenya, and while TDY in 1961 1 was able to make a thorough study of the Kenya program for training adult Iy conclusion to establish a farmers training center program Bonka coincided with the AID mission decision to withdraw all for national agricultural extension program and concentrate all effort in agricultural development in the Upper Giuba with the Farmers’ Training Center as the “Hub” of the As soon as the end of the rainy season permitted, I returned Baidoa in late 1961 and opened the Bonka Institute as an adult training center. But first, an all weather road had to be put weathering damages even to the new buildings had to be repaired, and refresher course given to the remaining extension workers, those whom I had been able to send out of the country for special ing. Two of the latter had been sent to Ethiopia for work in care and they had put their knowledge to work building a poultry of native materials at Bonka. Chicks of good stock were flown in Kenya and the care of poultry was included in the course. Bonka definitely changed to an adult farmers training center and the course for 25 farmers of two weeks duration opened for the farmers late December 1961. Farmers from two districts in turn came in for The Extension worker from each of the districts accompanied group of farmers so as to follow up the work when they all returned their Several metal grain storage bins were erected at Bonka and grain storage added to the course, which by this time included -7
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training, planting crops in rows, seed selection, insect control, rotation, water conservation, rope making from sisal and other practices applicable to climate, rainfall and soil, of the I also included work in the carpenter shop with simple hand and the making of rammed earth blocks for building purposes. dura seed, (grain sorghum), peanuts for planting, sisal bulbs and flower seeds, enough for each farmer to plant small demonstration were distributed to the farmers at the close of each Finally two young men from the Agricultural college of the University of Beirut came to teach, and a Somali director, trained England and acceptable to the Somali Minister of Agriculture, came take charge. I left in March 1962, and reports that the Center is continuing progress and influence have been very encouraging. Even inspectors the Inspector-Generals’ office of the Department of State, visiting recently, pronounced it as one of the cleanest and possibly one of most effective programs they have seen in their visits to several In evaluating our efforts to develop an Agricultural demonstration program in Somali, the following points are to be A start was made at the level of the local people, and they, as well ourselves could grasp the progress made with a project based on needs. The self-help concept was stressed again and again and The amount of local resources required was within their ability to In the Center itself there is something tangible to see, a that belongs to the farmers, themselves; a busy place, where -8
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participate in many different kinds of useful a place to show pride to visitors. When they return to their communities, there enough farmers in a group going forward to make an impact, and not an isolated farmer struggling Building this Center did not cost an enormous amount of money about $27,000, with a capacity for training at least 300 farmers a nor will it leave a heritage that the government eventually cannot to It can be concluded that a National Agricultural Extension initiated before there was a complete understanding as to what involved. Further the resources of the country in terms of funds trained personnel were not sufficient to support the program as envisaged. Nevertheless, I firmly believe that an Agricultural Service for the whole of Somali will eventually grow out of the Farmers’ Training Center which is basically the limited project However it must be borne in mind that an Agricultural Extension for the cooperating country will not develop out of a Farmer Center Demonstration Project without further In five years’ time for example there would be quite a number relatively small groups of farmers who have been trained in methods of agricultural They have been given follow-up sistance and guidance. Some have returned for further training. sible leadership has been found and developed. They have been of and know from experience the value of research and experimental of practical demonstration, –
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The host country has observed the value of the program and appreciates the cost of the same. Likewise, the host country has informed on the cost as well as the value of an Agricultural Possibly in the follow-up with these neighborhood groups have been made to bring them together and to effect a district-wide program. This would certainly give further impetus the agricultural development of the What is more there has been considerable training of personnel through training conferences, seminars, and most likely, participants have sent both to third countries and the United States for training Agricultural Extension Program It is therefore appropriate at the end of the period of tion of the Farmers Training Center Program to give serious throught to how and in what form a National Agricultural Extension Service can developed, utilizing the results of the Farmers Training Center as basis for this further -10
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