Project Launch: 12-12-17

Donkey Ripples is a refugee-led, income-generating opportunity that empowers families living in Goz Amer, a refugee camp in eastern Chad, to meet the needs of their children while increasing their livelihood options and outcomes. The project will provide a donkey and plow for residents to use to cultivate peanuts. Additionally, the project will allow families use of a peanut peeler and oil extractor so that they can develop products to sell to migrating traders and local residents. With income, families will be able to better nourish their families and maintain themselves in spite of the difficult conditions of the camp.

Project Update:

The community has purchased a peanut oil-producing machine for refugee camp Goz Amer. The machine was delivered May 6, 2018. Today, they are in the process of setting up the machine and working with refugee camp management to establish a space for the operation. Beginning in June, peanut oil production will commence with the 44 bags of peanuts harvested during summer 2017 and baseline data will be collected in anticipation of the summer 2018 harvest as well as the use of the machine by community members at-large.

Final Report: 12-12-18

As a result of participating in Donkey Ripples, and receiving a donkey and plow, the 11 participating families report being able to significantly increase the number of peanuts they grow, increase the types of crops they grow, and increase the number of crops and items they can carry back to their camp. Prior to the donkey and plow, families reported only being able to grow what they could plant and pull with their hands. Now, families use the donkey and plow to assist them in planting and cultivating a larger plot of land, to carry larger loads, and to travel back and forth from the camp to their plots more quickly. Additionally, with the increased number of peanuts they have been able to grow and carry back to the camp, families report using the additional yield to process peanuts into oil for household cooking and consumption, sell the peanuts and peanut oil, and purchase items such as clothing, food, and their own independent donkey and plow as well as pay for their children’s primary and secondary school fees. 

The peanut oil machine, purchased with the support from World Connect, is allowing refugees families in Goz Amer to turn their peanut into peanut oil for consumption, trading, and selling. The families do not have to pay in cash for use of the machine and instead "pay" for use of the machine with the excess peanut skins that result from peeling and processing the peanuts.

Lastly, the revenue of the peanut sales from the 11 families and from selling the peanut skins directly supports the cost of the daily meals provided to hundreds of children, ages three to five, attending the Little Ripples early childhood education program in Goz Amer.