So, it turns out I’m an expert farmer! Sort of.
Earlier this spring, a team from Sioux Falls set off to Kalalayi in Southern Sudan. The primary goal of the trip was to provide a well for the village, which was desperately needed. While there, the team also wanted to work with the locals to improve their schools, religious instruction, and farming techniques. No sweat, a week or two should be plenty of time, right?
This sounds like a job for a designer!
As a small piece of the puzzle, I volunteered create a guidebook that outlines the basic steps in the Farming God’s Way curriculum. The challenge was to ensure the design could communicate clearly without relying on words. (A few people in Kalalayi can read a little English.) The final product was a set of laminated cards that were spiral bound along the top edge. With any luck these guidebooks will provide an easy reminder of the training the farmers received while the team was in South Sudan.
Take a closer look at the design, along with a PDF of the full guidebook below:
Download the full farming reference guide here: FarmingCards04.pdf (641k)
Traditionally the land is just burned to clear it for planting.
Actually planting seeds and taking care to give them space to grow are new concepts. Most farmers sow seeds by literally tossing seed on the ground and hoping it grows.
Water isn’t easily available, so a blanket of grass is key to holding any available moisture in the soil.
Beyond having enough to eat, the hope is families will have a little left over to sell at the market.
Download the full farming reference guide here: FarmingCards04.pdf (641k)
You can find out all you want about this trip to South Sudan over at the blog: In Search of Water