Island charity feeding families in Mali

An Island charity is showcasing an irrigation system they say is helping feed families in Africa.

Man of Peace Development is based in Charlottetown, and works to address malnutrition and poverty in drought-stricken Mali. Every yearbetween November and March, a team travels to Malito encourage people to try their drip irrigation system.

The system is a simple one it consists of a five-gallon bucket and tubing.

Laura Weatherbie, with Man of Peace Development, said the kitsare used by groups of women who have small garden kitchens and struggle to feed their families during the drought.

"These kits reduce their water use by about 90 per cent," saidWeatherbie, adding that any produce the family doesn't use can be sold.

"That allows women of that village to send their children to school, traditionally men pay for schooling, but women pay for clothing and books, so without an income, the kids don't go to school."

Pulling people together

On Tuesday night,the group demonstrated their workat Island Hill Farm near Charlottetown at an event hosted by One Campaign, a global advocacy organization that's workingto end extreme poverty, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa

The group's Canada director Stuart Hickox said showcasing this simple technology has the potential to help a lot of people.

"We've got to pull people together, get them talking about actual projects that are happening in the world, and therefore, help the politicians understand this is something we care about as a country."

Man of Peace Development is privately funded, with a large church network that donates a lot of the money received in North America.

The group says on their annual trip to Mali, they distribute between 30 and 50 irrigation kits.

The system was recentlyinstalled at a plot in the Desbrisay Community Garden in downtown Charlottetown, and a larger one can be seen at the LegacyGarden.

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