Projects - SWISSAID
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Project work on an equal footing with beneficiaries and the strengthening of civil society: this is how SWISSAID works for better living conditions and future opportunities for disadvantaged people.

 

Less poverty, more justice – through practical action on the ground and political engagement in Switzerland: as an expert in the fields of agroecology and gender equality, SWISSAID works for sustainable development in a principled way. With offices in project countries and in close cooperation with local partners, we promote the initiatives of people who are independently seeking a way out of poverty and claiming their right to participate in economic, social and political life. We thus work in partnership to achieve the goals that the international community has set itself in Agenda 2030 .

Other projects

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Vanilla farming in Colombia: one spice, many opportunities

It is early in the day, and Adi Mercado is already out and about. Surefootedly, she makes her way through the forest of El Bagre in Colombia’s San Lucas Mountains. Warm light filters through the leaves, shining on liana-like plants that wind their way around the trees. These vines are vanilla plants, which the farmer […]

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The two sides of gold

Tanzania . In the northwest of the country. Nestled in a picturesque green landscape, there are table mountains full of gold ore. Heavily laden trucks hum towards the large centers. Improvised holes, surrounded by small huts where men and women wash and reduce the rock, characterize the picture. The Geita region is a hotspot for gold. […]

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A wind of change thanks to ancestral seeds

“Our local seeds are our treasure and our heritage. We have to protect it,” explains Fatuma Suleimani Rashidi in front of the camera. The Tanzanian farmer took part in a SWISSAID project that has changed her view of the land she cultivates and the seeds she uses. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-jIAfzYKfrU In the remote regions of Mtwara and […]

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Impressions of the white onion fair in April 2025 in Soucoucoutane.

The revival of Soucoucoutane’s white onion

A small, white bulb, unremarkable in appearance – but well-known for its many healing benefits: soothing inflammations, relieving certain urinary ailments, or calming coughs. It is available as an herbal tea, an ointment, or even as handmade soaps. Can you guess what it is?   The bulb in question is an onion. But not just […]

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The potential of small forgotten seeds

Vandzou, Fonio, Lablab, Niébé, Taro, Yams…if you have never heard of these species, it is not necessarily because you do not have a vegetable garden or have never been to Africa. The answer lies in our ignorance of hundreds of ancient varieties of cereals, legumes, fruits and vegetables. This is not surprising, since in recent […]

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School for Health

With a pickaxe in her hand and a determined look in her eyes, Inayatou Hama is not afraid of the dust that covers the bottom of her electric blue dress. At age 12, she is discovering the treasures the land has to offer, and there are many. “I learned how to take care of trees […]

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Youth in Niger draw water - and hope

“It’s obvious that it doesn’t rain much anymore. We used to be able to use the water not only for drinking, but also for washing.” “It’s obvious that it doesn’t rain much anymore,” says Rabiou Chipkaou. Despite his young age, the 15-year-old pupil from the municipality of Gougui in the Dogondoutchi department is very aware […]

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Take action to end hunger

The 47,000 inhabitants of the rural municipality of Fabidji in southwestern Niger live mainly from agriculture and livestock farming. The municipality is severely affected by the impacts of  climate change , which has consequences for agricultural production and the survival of families.   Increasingly frequent heavy rainfall floods the fields and causes the crops to rot partially […]

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A full and varied plate thanks to agroecology

Armed with a hoe, Binto Conté works the soil in her field, where a carpet of seedlings is emerging. She has not always had such fertile soil. Like other farmers, she is bearing the brunt of climate change: “I have lost crops due to heat and humidity. The weather has become more unpredictable and encourages […]

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Digital platform empowers farmers in Colombia

Whether at the edge of a large rainwater basin or in the middle of green vegetable gardens, Luz Marina Ladino, a 47-year-old farmer from Colombia with sparkling eyes, explains and answers questions with ease and pride. A stark contrast to the woman she was two years ago: “I was very shy and didn’t dare speak […]

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Women raise their voices and defend their rights

“No peace will be possible as long as violence against women continues.” A powerful message in large yellow letters emblazoned on Ledis Margoth’s purple T-shirt. In her equally committed speech, she adds: “On behalf of the women of Sucre, I demand that the Colombian government prove that it is taking concrete measures to protect the […]

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Seeds, guardians of the past and the future

Valleys of fields, shrubs, and forests stretch as far as the eye can see. Constant humidity and fincas are scattered across the hills at the end of long, winding dirt roads. This is the landscape Maricela Gironza, a farmer from Caldono in Colombia’s Cauca region, wakes up to every morning. While her grey hair shows […]

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A community united to protect its ecosystem

A cold wind sweeps across the plain, located at 3’500 metres above sea level in the province of Chimborazo in the Ecuadorian high Andes. A group of women and men gather around a map they created themselves; a crucial part of local endeavours to protect and restore the páramos. The lifeline of the high Andes […]

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Strong together: Ecuadorian women fight for their rights

Large sheets of paper spread out on the floor, each with a drawn female body in the middle and the question: «Who am I?». The indigenous women from the community of Cochaloma in the province of Chimborazo in Ecuador sit concentrated around the sheets of paper. In this group, the women are among themselves. In […]

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Agroecology creates hope for farmers in Myanmar

Zau Sai (pseudonym) is a farmer in southern Shan State, Myanmar. He lives in the village of Kaung Wai with his wife and two children. The family cultivates tea, chili peppers, sesame, and garlic for their own consumption as well as for selling in nearby markets. In this region, which is among the poorest in […]

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More self-determined lives thanks to agroecology

The early morning sun shines onto the vast rice fields of Myanmar’s Kachin State. The air is still cool; at this hour, there is hardly any traffic to be heard in the countryside. Nevertheless, the atmosphere is lively. Small groups of farmers band together to cultivate the fields. By the river a group is preparing […]

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Finding salvation in agroecology

The Baiga are an ethnic group that inhabit the fringes of the Indian forests. In the past, they practised shifting agriculture, living from cattle, hunting and the forest. They were also known for their knowledge of medicinal plants and were considered healers by other communities. Unfortunately, the clearing of land for agriculture has eroded the […]

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Traditional diversity instead of new simplicity

Since the Covid-19 pandemic, many smallholder families have lost almost everything. Their financial reserves have been depleted. They suffer from climate change, long droughts and floods. To counteract this, the industry is offering them high-yielding hybrid seeds. According to the manufacturers, this is supposed to deliver bumper harvests. But despite the fine promises made in […]

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IN Gender Frauen

New ways of thinking to combat violence and discrimination

The Marathwada region in the state of Maharashtra is underdeveloped. 30 percent of families live below the poverty line. The level of education is low and malnutrition is widespread. Increased drought poses further challenges for the 20 million people living in the Marathwada region in central India. Suicides among farmers are not uncommon; many people […]

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Anna, seed bank officer employed by Seed Savers Network, presents the seed bank created by the project.

Kenya’s community seed banks boost climate resilience

Across several rural regions,  the impacts of climate change on agriculture  are disrupting planting cycles, reducing yields, and increasing the vulnerability of small-scale farmers. The  El Niño floods in Kenya in 2023/2024  offer a striking example: torrential rainfall submerged already fragile farmland and destroyed the remaining crops. In parts of the country’s northwest — especially in the counties of  Turkana […]

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Des élèves de l'école de Sandana, au Tchad, font la file, assiette en main, pour le repas de midi, à la cantine scolaire.

School Canteens in Chad: Eating Well to Learn Better

It is exactly 12:15 PM in the village of Bakassa. The screeching sound of chalk scraping on some slate boards stops; silence suddenly falls over the wood and straw sheds that serve as classrooms. Under the large mango tree in the courtyard, large pots release an enticing smell. As the fragrances make their way into […]

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Water: The essential foundation for agroecology and resilience in Chad

In southern  Chad , water is a rare commodity. Today,  less than half of the population has safe access to drinking water . Despite government efforts to build hydraulic infrastructure, rural areas—home to the majority of farming families—continue to suffer from a   The project also incorporates the “Blue Schools” approach in twenty schools. In a Blue School, students […]

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Inequality is expensive, equality is profitable

Empowering women is empowering society. And thus reduce hunger and poverty worldwide. SWISSAID has long been committed to this approach. Today, “the emancipation of women and the establishment of balanced relations between the sexes is a priority”, explains Daniele Polini, SWISSAID’s Head of Gender. And this priority cuts across all countries.   In Mongo, in […]

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"Thanks to the goats I can feed my family"

Five goats roam bleating through the ocher-colored yard of Marthe Tchere. They are small and large, white, gray, brown and spotted. The hearty animals distract the children from their chores on the farm and search under their T-shirts for something edible. Djamila, Midikoss, Kora, Mindi-Kilmi and Maguirapo are the names of the goats and belong […]

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Emergency aid in Chad

The ongoing civil war in Sudan has already  claimed tens of thousands of lives and forced millions to flee .  In neighbouring Chad , over a million Sudanese refugees—mainly women and children—are seeking safety from the violence and horrors of war.  As of June 2025, their number exceeds 1.4 million . According to the Red Cross, this is  currently the world’s largest […]

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A path towards peace

Terab Djiraki has spent many hours of his life waiting. After long, tiring days in his fields, the vegetable farmer sits under a tree in the middle of the steppes with a stick in his hand. He looks up at the mountains that tower against the sky near his village of Bitkine in the center of  Chad . Listens […]

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TA Macho Sauti

No hunger thanks to mobile phones

“Hello, I have a problem with my Chinese cabbages: they are being eaten from the inside. I’ve never seen anything like it. Thank you very much for your help.” Teresia Mpunga, a farmer from Masasi in southern Tanzania, records this message on her mobile phone at 11.26 a.m. and posts it along with a photo […]

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Green Schools: Where the future grows

The 12-year-old Saad stands confidently in front of his classmates. They are animatedly discussing the progress of the project at their Green School (“Eco-School”). Saad is a member of the Parliament and now knows exactly what trees need in order to grow well – and why they are so important. That a child can speak […]

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Agroecology brings an upturn

One Saturday each month, at dawn, you can see women hailing “toca-toca”, minibus taxis, along the main road leading to Bissau, the capital of Guinea-Bissau. Perched on the top of their heads are baskets of fruit and vegetables filled to the brim. The market gardeners go to the French cultural centre to sell their organic […]

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Women's education, an asset in the fight against hunger

Augusta Dacosata was never allowed to go to school. «It’s affected me all my life. Until a few months ago, I couldn’t even write my name,» confides the mother of four, who lives in Guinea-Bissau. Now she has the basic knowledge not only to write, but also to read and count.   As a cashew […]

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Platzhalter Bild

Dank Agrarökologie mehr Abwechslung auf dem Tisch

Mit einer Hacke bearbeitet Binto Conté ihr Feld, in dem die Setzlinge dicht an dicht stehen. Sie hatte nicht immer so fruchtbaren Boden. Wie andere Bäuerinnen und Bauern leidet sie unter den Auswirkungen des Klimawandels: «Ich habe Ernten aufgrund der Hitze und Feuchtigkeit verloren. Die Wetterbedingungen sind unberechenbarer geworden und deshalb vermehren sich die Schädlinge […]