The Simmering Pot of Good Life in Nigeria

For 1000 years the Fulani have been nomadic herdsmen. Now droughts and urbanization mean there is no place to graze their cattle without creating sometimes deadly conflict. To change that, Schools For Africa gives attention to three foundational aspects of the "good life" for our Fulani friends in Nigeria. Imagine a three-legged cooking pot with the "good life" simmering within... This pot requires all three legs to stand. If nomadic herdsmen are to experience the "good life" on our grazing reserves, these three things are needed: healthy families, a strong economy based on education, and a thriving environment.

1. Healthy Families - There are between 3,000-5,000 Fulani living on roughly 100,000 hectares in Imala. By constructing and staffing medical clinics, along with the proper training of Community Health Workers, we have greatly improved the health of Fulani Families already! We continue to educate about clean water, hygiene, prenatal care, and nutrition.

2. A Strong Economy Based on Education - We are constructing primary and secondary schools. We are training herdsman in rotational grazing, animal husbandry, milk production, and grass farming. Soon, a vocational school and pastors college will follow in Imala, along with a church, so that we can teach the love of Jesus!

3. A Thriving Environment - Pastoral droughts (defined as lack of sufficient forage due to the poor condition of the land) occur in most years in many grazing areas in the northern regions of Nigeria’s landscapes. As a result, boreholes and rivers are going dry, livestock are malnourished and more susceptible to disease, and in a genuine drought many animals perish. 

In years when there ARE good rains, there is so little vegetation or litter accumulation on soil surfaces that most water runs off. This runoff creates floods that grow increasingly severe as water moves down the catchment. 

Livestock are commonly blamed for the destruction, and there is ample evidence that livestock management practices have led to the creation of bare ground and rapidly decreasing rainfall effectiveness – i.e., decreasing the amount that soaks into the soil and remains there for use by plants and soil organisms, and to refill boreholes and springs. 

However, livestock properly managed, can be used to lay down plant litter, prepare the soil so that more plants can grow, and thereby reduce evaporation and runoff and improve rainfall effectiveness. Through Holistic Management and its planned grazing methodology, pastoral droughts can be eliminated and the severity and impact of any meteorological droughts that do occur can be reduced. Rotational grazing, introduced by Phyllis, means the Fulani can still care for their cattle and also settle in villages. This means they can better access education, health care and jobs. Phyllis has earned the trust of the Fulani and the Nigerian government. She has been given official invitations to create more of these reserves. Water is secured through boreholes, wells and dammed rivers. Farmers are taught to rotate grazing to protect the land, and contracts with milk producing companies provide a steady income.  

Schools For Africa is providing these critical humanitarian services; medical, educational, and environmental, in our Imala Project and in many other areas across Nigeria. And guess what! The Fulani people there feel loved, cared for, and respected, after being neglected and abused for too long. They are creating a new way of life for themselves.

With the Lord's help, and yours, we will continue to carry out our mission: to restore life, health and peace to indigenous farmers and nomadic pastoralists in Nigeria.