The group visited the Yatenga region of Burkina Faso, where they learned two important lessons. Upon their return to the Illela district, some of the farmers improved their own tassa pits. They placed the excavated earth down slope to allow runoff water to collect in the pits, and they applied manure to the pits. In 1989, farmers treated three hectares with the improved type of tassa, and since then tassas have been quickly adapted by other farmers. The programme builds upon indigenous techniques of soil and water conservation, like rows of stones and traditional planting pits to rehabilitate degraded plateaus.
Environmental sustainability is achieved by making badly degraded land productive.
This reduces to a minimum the land tenure problems that often plague large-scale SWC projects that use heavy machinery. The main stakeholders and beneficiaries are the farmers. Through1995, agricultural extensionalists were promoting the technique and providing the farmers with simple tools and training. Most farmers, however, were carrying out their own techniques without waiting for the extensionalists. Farmers learn and copy techniques from other farmers.