The villagers of Kansongho, Mali live mostly by subsistence farming of millet 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, the village decided to start a grain bank.  The Tandana Foundation helped with materials for the storehouse and stocked the bank the first year with 20 tons of millet and half a ton of rice.  This grain was sold throughout the year at a constant price, much less than the sky-high levels the market price reaches during the rainy season.  Proceeds from each year's sales are used to purchase more grain immediately after the next harvest at the annual low price.  Thus, a revolving stock of grain is available for purchase in the village at an affordable price.  As families run out of food, they are able to buy it little by little and feed their children. 

Participants in our Mali Volunteer Vacation helped the villagers construct the building to house the grain bank.  The village has elected a committee to manage the grain bank's operations.  Two participants from the volunteer vacation went home and raised enough money to add 16 more tons of millet to the bank, which was important because that year the harvest was especially poor.

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