Today marks the 7th day since we started the tractor, and what a ride it has been! Last Tuesday when we began to plow the first field to the astonishment of 100 villagers, we had no idea just how much demand there would be. Word spread quickly, and every time we plow a field, nearby farmers ask if we can plow their fields as well. The tractor is its own form of advertising.
That said, I don’t want to leave the impression that our work has been without difficulties. At the end of our second day, we broke one of the arms of the three point hitch. This is understandable, since the tractor is 61 years old. On the return trip to Fada N’Gourma to have the arm repaired, our motorcycle broke down, stranding us on the roadside for over an hour. Upon arriving in Fada, I visited 6 mechanics who said that they couldn’t do anything for us, and that we would have to take the 5 hour trip to Ouagadougou. Finally, I found a tractor repair guy, Monsieur Tiombiano, who could help us out. We were able to finish working by the village of Koulga, and have since been tilling land non-stop in Fada N’Gourma and its environs. We are making roughly 6 hectares per day (due to the small, oddly shaped fields), and are finally making enough money to cover gas and repairs.
More than anything, I have seen how much of a difference having a tractor makes for these farmers. It is like using a bicycle vs. walking, or using email vs. writing and mailing letters. Farmers mention the time they save and how the loose soil will absorb more water and aid with root growth. With their extra time, they can plant on time (which helps yields), cover more area, and spend more time taking care of their livestock. Some of them even went so far as to say “whenever I have an extra dollar I want to spend, I am going to put $0.10 of it aside so that I can have my field tilled next year.” That is exactly the kind of mentality that we want farmers to have, so on that front, our project has already been a success.
Right now, I need to get back to the field with some gas – more to come!
