Yam Barn Project: Potentials and Challenges

by Ali Machava

I have read the proposal “$300 Yam Barn for the Humanist Community in N’Djamena, Chad,” and as someone living in a poor village in Mozambique, I imagine how such a project might work here. A yam barn is a storage building that keeps yams safe after harvest protecting them from spoilage, pests, droughts etc. The goal is food security, better income, less waste. Thinking about doing this kind of yam barn project in my village, I see both steps that could be easier, and steps that would be difficult.

Easiest Steps

One of the easiest steps, I believe, is site preparation. Clearing and leveling a small plot, choosing a slightly elevated area, avoiding very flood‑prone or termite areas this is something villagers know how to do. We do that in house construction, paths, planting. Labor may be volunteered by the community; many hands. Also, gathering simple materials like wood poles, sticks or thatch roofing (if locally available) is easier than buying metal or manufactured items. Using thatch or palm fronds, or local bamboo or wood, is doable. Another relatively easy step would be the maintenance once built. Once the structure is up, people can monitor for pests, repair small damages, clean and keep the area clean. That becomes part of community routine.

Most Difficult Steps

But there are tough steps. First is raising the initial funds/materials. Even $300 is a lot in a poor village. Buying nails, certain treated woods, roofing sheets, tools might require money we don’t have, or transportation from town, which adds cost. Also treated timber (to resist rot, termites) is often expensive or scarce locally. Secondly, technical construction ensuring the structure is stable, well ventilated, safe from pests and water damage demands skills and knowledge some may not have. If the barn leaks, or if ventilation is poor, the yams will spoil anyway. Getting the right measurements, building racks, making a roof with proper slope, dealing with termite protection etc are technical. Another difficult part is management and ownership  deciding who uses it, who guards it, whose yams go in, how decisions are made, and ensuring fair access. Also, regular maintenance (repairing roof after storms etc) may be hard if tools or materials are costly or not available.

Who in My Community Might Want This

In my community in Mozambique (in Zambézia, Tete provinces), those who rely on yam or other tuber crops for income and food would be most interested. Small‑scale farmers, especially women who often process or preserve crops, would want this. Also families who struggle during the dry season when harvested yams spoil because there is no safe storage. Youth groups interested in helping with community projects, local humanist or church groups may also want it. Even the elders might support it, seeing that it reduces waste and strengthens food security.

How It Is Useful

This project would be very useful for my community in several ways:

Food security: In harvest times, we have more yams than we can eat or sell immediately. Without storage, a lot rots during hot dry seasons or from pests. If we can store safely, then in lean times we have reserves.

Income stability: Rather than being forced to sell all at once (when many have yams, price is low) or losing a lot, farmers could store and sell later when demand is higher. That helps families earn more, smooth incomes.

Reduced waste: Less loss means more efficient farming. Saves labor, seed, and resources that go into growing yams.

Empowerment and community ownership: Building something together, deciding rules, maintaining it together, gives people sense of dignity, cooperation. Skills in construction, pest control, management improve.

Resilience to shocks: If climate change brings more drought, or pest outbreaks, having safe storage helps because food doesn’t get lost, we have buffer.

In conclusion, as Ali Machava, I believe building a yam barn is an idea with strong benefits, but its success depends on overcoming the difficult steps: obtaining quality materials and funds, acquiring the technical construction skill, and managing it well. If these difficulties are addressed, this kind of project could bring real improvement to a poor village in Mozambique in food, income, cooperation, and dignity.