Earlier this year, we set off with the ambitious goal of bringing five new market gardens to communities in the Keur Soce area in Senegal. It took a great deal of work with many different moving parts, but the garden infrastructure is now built and complete!
Working with local leadership and utilizing experienced Senegalese contractors, we constructed fencing, built large-scale water distribution systems, and installed solar-powered pumps that will irrigate the gardens for years to come.
While all this was being done, our staff worked with the women’s cooperatives who will run these gardens. They did extensive training and guided them through making beds, preparing the soil, when and how to plant, which plants work well together, and on and on. The women have been bringing ash and manure from village to build up the soil and are learning daily about what goes into a successful garden.
All of this came to a head late last month when all of the infrastructure was complete and the water was turned on! It will take some time to develop the garden and be able to utilize all the space and truly make it thrive, but these women have already shown that they have what it takes to make the desert bloom.
When they are fully up and running, these gardens will provide income for over 500 women, as well as providing the opportunity to take home nutritious produce to their families in a very food insecure region.
These programs are making a real impact in Senegal and we are excited about the direction we are headed together. Thank you for your generous support!