World Food Programme Fighting Hunger Worldwide

The Ndegbomei Group here includes 64 members, both men and women, who are working on a palm oil field as part of a WFP Food for Work Project.  The men's activities include chiefly pruning to increase the yield of the palm oil, while the women do underbrushing to facilitate access to the palm trees.  Under WFP Food for Work projects, workers are given food in exchange for work on vital new infrastructure projects.

The goal of WFP Food for Work projects is to provide food in exchange for work so that communities can learn new skills and improve vital infrastructure to improve their food security situation and take the first steps out of the hunger trap.

Previously the owner of the plantation was only able to harvest part of the land because it was overgrown.  This harvest, the group anticipates to a yield of 80 gallons in comparison to 35 gallons in previous years. 

Other examples of WFP Food for Work projects include: irrigation, terracing, soil and water conservation. In countries where drought regularly causes food shortages, irrigation can boost crop yields by 100-400%.

Part of the palm tree field that has yet to be worked on by the Ndegbomei group.

This photo shows the palm oil farm after work done by the Ndegbomei group in Bo District as part of a WFP Food for Work project.