Hand-Driven Tractor for Community Garden

Group: Maikunkele Safe House

Members Oluwarotimi Esther

Rahmat Gaffar

Maman Narayan Wushishi

Umuratu Sodiq 

Balikis wasiu 

Sherifat Kabir 

Danladi Lubaba

Email: saheeds731@gmail.com

Phone +2347045382667

What does humanism mean to your group?

I became a humanist when I was 20 years old. As a former ex-Muslim and an Islamic-trained preacher, I discovered that Islam has many elements of irrational ideas and thoughts that are based on supposed revelations that promote hatred, classism, war, demonization of freethought, and free inquiry. I then renounce the religion, its God Allah, and Its teachings. I discovered humanism through books as an independent researcher.   Humanism more than any religious orientation or philosophy has made my life more accessible and beautiful, what more can a man want?

Project Description

The Humanists of the Safe House in Maikunkele, Minna, maintain a vibrant community garden that provides fresh vegetables and staple crops to support the residents, strengthen food security, and foster self-reliance. However, current farming operations are labor-intensive, relying mainly on manual tools such as hoes and cutlasses. This limits the size of land that can be cultivated, reduces productivity, and increases physical strain on members, especially women and older participants.

This project seeks to purchase a hand-driven tractor (also known as a walking tractor or power tiller) for the community garden. The machine will significantly enhance land preparation efficiency, enabling faster plowing, weeding, and soil aeration. With this tool, the Safe House garden will expand cultivation from small subsistence plots to larger, more productive farmland.

Benefits to the Farm and Members:

• Increased Productivity: The tractor will allow for faster and more thorough land preparation, enabling timely planting and higher crop yields.

• Reduced Physical Strain: Members will experience less manual drudgery, freeing time and energy for other income-generating or educational activities.

• Year-Round Cultivation: With quicker tilling and preparation, the garden can be planted more frequently, supporting multiple harvest cycles per year.

• Skill Development: Members will gain technical skills in operating and maintaining farm machinery, enhancing employability, and agricultural knowledge.

• Income Generation: Surplus produce can be sold in local markets, generating revenue to fund Safe House needs and community projects.

Pathway to Sustainability:
The hand-driven tractor will transform the community garden into a self-sustaining agricultural enterprise. By expanding cultivated land and improving efficiency, the Safe House will produce more food than needed for internal consumption, enabling the sale of excess crops to cover operational costs, purchase seeds and fertilizer, and fund other sustainability initiatives. Over time, this investment will reduce dependency on external aid and empower the Humanists of the Safe House to maintain their livelihood through farming.

In short, this project will not only boost farm productivity but also strengthen food security, economic resilience, and self-reliance making the Safe House community garden a model of sustainable living in Maikunkele.

Budget -

 Hand-driven tractor - $1400  
https://jiji.ng/ayobo-ipaja/farm-machinery-equipment/18hp-hand-walking-tractors-vsbRRlVjdnHbDRxevU1XBji.html?page=1&pos=12&cur_pos=12&ads_per_page=24&ads_count=371&lid=WZbYFoN3QPjXmZaV&indexPosition=11




Expected Income from Project, with Timeline

With the introduction of the hand-driven tractor, the Safe House community garden is expected to expand cultivation to at least 1.5 acres, enabling the planting of fast-growing vegetables such as spinach, tomatoes, peppers, and okra alongside staple crops like maize and groundnuts. Within the first three months, improved land preparation and timely planting should yield an estimated marketable surplus worth $100–$120.

By the second harvest cycle, around six months into the project, increased efficiency and multiple crop rotations could raise income to $130–$170 per cycle. Over one year, with three to four harvests, the community can expect a total income of $400–$550, which will be reinvested into farm inputs, maintenance of the tractor, and community needs, putting the Safe House firmly on the path to financial sustainability.  

Benefits to your Community

Increases farm productivity and crop yields

Reduces physical strain on members

Enables year-round cultivation with multiple harvests

Expands cultivated land area

Provides technical skills in machinery use and maintenance

Generates surplus produce for income

Improves food security for the Safe House

Supports long-term financial sustainability