Summary
The CBDRM activities took place during this project because the areas where the project is implemented are threatened by desertification, land degradation, and increasingly frequent floods.
Deforestation and land degradation in rural areas are one of the causes of the exodus of the youngest populations, leading to a lack of labour, which can accelerate poverty in the area.
The activities included:
- Identifying good practices at the local level
- Identifying Small Feasible Actions (Petites Actions Faisables or PAF) in the area, with schools students, women’s groups and young people
- Capacity building activities
- Awareness raising activities
- Installation of a mini-farm to cultivate the moringa plant (as chosen by the population)
- Training of local entrepreneurs for managing the local value chain
The project was funded by the Korean NGO SAEMAUL and the Organisation pour la Francophonie.
Other actors: Local branch JVE Dagana, JVE International and Enda Energie.
Process
The initiative started in 2015 under the "Libre ensemble" programme established by the Organisation pour la Francophonie. The populations of the targeted areas had the possibility of selecting a number of activities to be carried out under the PAF programme. In the north of Senegal, in Talbakhlé, we had noted a strong degradation of the land, with old-time agriculture promoting the use of chemical fertilizers. Moreover, the use of wood as a source of energy merely accelerated the process of deforestation and the return of floods.
We began by identifying the problems of the area during a workshop with the actors and populations, and then sought to identify local good practices to solve the problems. We then organised focus groups to identify the Small Feasible Actions (PAF) in the area. At Talbakhlé, the population, after identifying the PAFs, decided to work to combat deforestation, bush fires and land degradation.
Workshops were organized in collaboration with the local authorities to apply an NAR (Natural Assisted Regeneration) approach in agriculture, with the farmers undergoing training and receiving support. The women and young people proposed the establishment of an agroforestry mini-farm, in the form of a green belt of moringa plantations surrounding the town, to be managed by the young people and the women. Thanks to the planted trees, we will be able to re-green the area and fight against erosion and silting of the river Senegal.
The local administration - via the prefecture and the Dagana City Hall, represented by the technical training centre and other local partners - participated in the implementation of the project from the beginning to the end.
JVE Senegal coordinated the activities in full cooperation with the local branch of JVE Dagana and the NGO SAEMAUL, as well as the local partners.
In the context of this project, the targets were the women and young people who we consider to be the building block for local development. The intervention of the adults was felt more during the training activities on the application of NRA (Natural Assisted Regeneration) in agriculture. Children were involved also through the inclusion of schools in the programme, with students identifying the species to be used during the reforestation activities of the green belt. The women and young people were the owners of the project, they were involved from the beginning to the end and continued to benefit from the effects of using this green belt which was around the village of Talbakhlé.
Yes. Because of the way the programme was designed, everything comes from the population, both the problems and the solutions. This method of working has enabled us, in an area dominated by livestock rearing and agriculture, to take into account the priorities of both sides. The green belt solves the problem of lack of heating wood, and the reforestation deals with the problem of soil erosion and the impact of climate change. The Government of Senegal, which is a signatory to the Paris Agreement, has committed to combating poverty, and our programme undertaken on a larger scale could help to reach those objectives, considering the impact it has had on the environment and the number of green jobs created.
Impact
The sustainability and follow-up of this project is ensured by the local branch of our organization in Dagana (JVE Dagana), the village committees and the economic interest groups of the women who are beneficiaries of the mini-farming activities. It is also worth noting that because of its proximity to the river Senegal, the area is also suitable for women to undertake market gardening on the farms. The training of farmers in NAR also continues. The communities plant, maintain and market their production (wood, moringa grain, market garden products, moringa leaves and moringa powder).
It is a year since the end of the programme, and the farms are fully functional and are participating in the development of the area despite some difficulties.
During the impact assessment mission 9 months after the Koreans left, we noted how beneficial the project has been for the population despite a few marketing problems. We met with beneficiaries who over time have become moringa producers, with market gardening intensifying, agro-forestry being adopted and reforestation being successful. The women have particularly benefited from the results of the market gardening.
Other
The Small Feasible Actions programme (PAF) was carried out in more than 4 regions in Senegal. In Carabane, we worked on waste management and coastal erosion. In Dagana, we established a green belt. In Dakar we worked on strengthening the capacity of young people via the JVE Weekend programme.