The villagers of Kansongho, Mali live mostly by subsistence farming of millet, sorghum, and peanuts.  They have been making improvements to their agriculture by constructing anti-erosion dikes in and around their fields and building enclosures to better conserve their harvested millet.  Still, though, with the decreasing rainfall in recent years, they are having a hard time growing enough food to last until the next harvest.  During the dry season, most of the young people leave the village to look for work in the cities and earn money to buy food and other necessities for their families in the village.  To respond to the problem of food security in the region, some organizations have begun creating grain banks.  Immediately after the harvest, these institutions purchase large quantities of millet and other cereals at the annual low price.  They store this grain throughout the year and sell it at a constant price, slightly higher than what they bought it for, but much less than the sky-high market price at the end of the dry season.  As families run out of food, they can still afford to purchase it little by little and feed their children until the next harvest.  The village association of Kansongho dreams of creating such an institution for the village.

More details will be forthcoming.

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