Testimony
Benin – Typical of the flood plain in the Ouémé Valley around the municipalities of Dangbo and Aguégués is the network of canals and drainage ditches for agriculture. In a previous article, we discussed the hard work required to keep these canals clear and navigable. Recently, we received 2 testimonials from farmers who participated in the activities of our partner CREDEL.
We share the work, and everyone is involved, whether it’s a man or a woman. We go into the drain and we remove the aquatic vegetation and then the sediment.
Jeanne Agbokanou, rice farmer in Aguégués
The drain cleaning that we did with Join For Water and CREDEL on the Allounkoun drain is enormous, enabling us to grow 2 rice harvests in one season.
Raymond Atinvonon, Raymond Atinvonon, rice farmer on the Hondji-Bêmbê siteJoin for Water and CREDEL have supported us in cleaning out the Ayohoun Bodo and Allounkoun drains. To clean out the Allounkoun drain, we share the work. Whether it’s a man or a woman, we go into the drain and we remove the aquatic vegetation and then the sediment. Draining the drains in this way allows the ‘Houѐbli’ water to circulate through the Ayohoun Bodo and Allounkoun drains to reach the canal, enabling us to produce and harvest our rice.
The Ayohounbodo drain has been cleaned to a length of 700m, and the drain of Allounkoun to a length of 1300m. What’s important to remember about the Allounkoun drain is that it’s part of a hydro-agricultural development carried out by a Beninese government project, with valve systems that we can open or close, and a network of agricultural drains to control water levels in the rice-growing basins. The Allounkoun drain drains water from fields flooded by the river’s high waters, thereby promoting rice cultivation in the area. To maintain this drainage function, regular maintenance is required. The drain cleaning that we did with Join For Water and CREDEL on the Allounkoun drain is enormous, enabling us to grow 2 rice harvests in one season.
More on our partner CREDEL
All pictures: (c) Credel
