Our dreams are built out of a series of small changes

What's the logic behind ACDI's oil palm project? Producing palm oil is very important to many farm families and the regional economy. Palm oil is an important source of food energy and vitamin A in the traditional diet. With the demise of the industrial economy 20 years ago, many families generate at least part of their income by extracting palm oil using traditional methods. Most people harvest fruits from wild palms and old worn-out plantation palms. Climbing tall mature palms to cut fruit bunches can be dangerous work. And worn out palms produce only a fraction of the oil that new, selected oil palms do.

ACDI's palm program developed to give farm families a better alternative. With high-yielding selected palm varieties they can double or even triple their red palm oil production without too much additional effort or expense. That will be the first step toward more adequate family livelihoods.

But why stop there? Why not think about increasing the margin of return that farmers receive? There are lots of ways that farmers can begin to add value. Improve the quality of the oil by faster processing; this reduces the acidity. Dry the oil thoroughly; water contributes to further deterioration in storage. Increase the efficiency of oil extraction through better technology. Change the oil into a higher value product like soap, margarine, biodiesel, or plastic beads. Some of the changes are simple, a matter of farmer education. Other are more sophisticated requiring significant capital investment and experienced people. We refuse to be limited, trapped by the desperation of poverty, the discouragement of a corrupt political system, and the inertia of of 40 years of exploitation. We will dream.

Right now over 800 family palm planters are in various stages of starting small plantations. But Lusekele's dreams reach to a much different future. We want to see a strong grower's cooperative. I dream of several medium-size modern oil extraction facilities that work with small-scale growers across the region. I dream of a cooperative marketing for regional growers. I dream of well-maintained rural roads. I dream of more jobs for young people who want to remain close to family. Why not better schools supported by a more vigorous economy?

Dreams start now with a few thousand palms and hardworking farm families. But obviously they can only be realized with the right people, material resources, and a little bit of good fortune. I am praying that God will provide us with a few of the right people soon -- people who can dream with us, with farmers in this region.