New Valley, Egypt - By believing in the importance of enabling people with disabilities to work in agricultural sectors, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has adopted a field school for the hearing and speech impaired in the Ël-Sherka” village in Al-Kharga Oasis. This fiels school has been implemented as part of the Farm Filed Schools activities that have been implemented by FAO and the Desert Research Center (DRC) as part of the activities of the "Sustainable management of agricultural ecosystems for Al-Kharga Oasis" in New Valley Governorate.

“FAO is providing technical assistance to implement this project at the request of the Egyptian government represented by the Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation, in cooperation with DRC and other development partners in the governorate, with funding from the Global Environment Facility (GEF), with the aim of improving the lives of farmers as it contributes in the intensification of sustainable food production and provides diverse livelihood options”. Nasredin Hag Elamin, FAO representative in Egypt, stated.

The Farmer Field Schools activity is one of the activities undertaken by the project to improve soil and water management practices in Al-Kharga Oasis. This field school for the hearing and speech-impaired emphasizes that physical inability does not represent any obstacle to learn and actively participate in society, which is in line with the policies of FAO in providing a fair opportunity for all segments of the agricultural community, including youth, women and rural residents with disabilities/special needs.

”The project aims as well to implement 90 field schools in Al-Kharga Oasis villages, which in return aims to improve sustainable management systems for soil and water and preserve agricultural biodiversity”. Abdallah Zaghloul, DRC President and national Project Coordinator (NPC) stated. He also stressed on the serious work within the directives of the political leadership specialized to care about people with special needs in all life domains, including the agricultural sector to implement the Ministry’s instructions and to achieve Egypt’s 2030 vision/Agenda as well.

The number of participants in the above mentioned field school in New Valley for people with hearing and speech impairment reached 17 members, in addition to a number of their wives, in order to improve the date palm management practices with the aim to increase their income and improve their livelihoods.

The project relies mainly on the participatory approach in every step, starting from identifying the actual practices carried out by farmers, until achieving a number/series of improved recommendations for the conservation of agricultural biodiversity and the sustainable management of soil and water in Al- Kharga Oasis, as it aims to improve sustainable practices of soil and water and preserve/conserve agricultural biodiversity in El-Sherka, Al-Munira and Nassir Al-Thawra villages by providing technical support to 3,000 farmers (Men & Women).

The project activities also include establishing a community bank to conserve/preserve wild plant species of economic value in Al-Kharga Oasis on an area of 7,000 acres in the project villages.