PLANTING OPPORTUNITY
The Sonder Project
PLANTING OPPORTUNITY
SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE PROGRAM
The Planting Opportunity program empowers pre-dominantly female farmers in rural Burkina Faso through a solar-irrigated community farm. Farmers rent plots to grow food year-round, boost income, and support their families. All fees sustain the farm long-term, with plans to expand and increase the impact.
Following major organizational and infrastructure improvements in 2023— including the construction of nine large water catchments and the transition from collective farming to individually rented plots— 2024 marked a year of measurable income growth. This year, 111 farm members cultivated 124 plots, resulting in an average 44 % increase in household income.
This growth created a ripple effect: 766 individuals across 111 households are now better able to afford school fees, eat more nutritious meals, and reinvest in their livelihoods. Notably, 82 % of farm members are women— a powerful statistic in a country where women often face major barriers to land ownership and independent income. For many, this opportunity has been truly life-changing.
Unsurprisingly, demand continues to grow. More than 100 farmers are currently on a waiting list, eager to join when we expand the farm in 2025. Plans are underway to grow to 4.5 hectares( 11 + acres), construct 10 additional water catchments, and double the number of available plots— opening the door for 120 more farmers and their families to cultivate land, grow their incomes, and build a more resilient future.
As we close another chapter, we reflect on how far we’ ve come since breaking ground in 2018. Through six years of trial, learning, and growth, we have built a thriving, sustainable community farm— and with it, a model for empowering rural families to transform their own futures. The progress our members have made is a testament to what’ s possible when opportunity, resilience, and community come together.
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