In the past few months, our teams in Senegal have been working diligently on several phases of our projects in the Keur Soce area. Much of this work has been focused on the three new market gardens we are establishing this year.
Construction underway at Daga Sambou Market Garden - water distribution system in foreground, water pump and tank structure in background.
As with our other gardens, they will each be managed by a women’s cooperative with established leadership structures, along with the assistance of our garden technicians, on a daily basis. Utilizing local labor and contractors, locally-available materials, and using appropriate technology, these systems will be up and running by August of this year and the women will be able to start production immediately.
Throughout the process, our team meets with the women as well as local leadership to keep everyone on the same page. We are excited by the response we have already seen in these communities and their participation in the process. As with our other gardens, approximately 75 women will work the land on a daily basis, providing vital nutrition and much needed income for themselves and their families.
Building blocks and materials staging at Lamarame Primary School. See the current, makeshift classroom on the left.
We are also expanding our school-building program and construction is underway at Lamarame Primary School, where we are building four new classrooms for a severely underserved school. We have partnered with the community and an active school administration to give this school enough classrooms to comfortably accommodate all the students.
We anticipate an increase in enrollment next year as local parents see the school as a more viable option than the previous set up. We will also do a book distribution, latrine construction, and other improvements
The newly completed Rural Health Post in Sama Toucouleur, Senegal.
Finally, just a few weeks ago, we received word that the Sama Toucouleur Health Post is complete and ready for use! This facility and its small staff has the power to transform the future of this community. We are continuing to work with this health post, as well as others we have built in the past, to provide basic necessities and healthcare equipment, or assist them to find them on their own through the department of health. We are working with the local and regional health authorities to identify new locations for future health posts and more communities to partner with.