Sustainable development of two rural communities

23 February 2023

The project, aiming to sustainably develop two rural communities is now in its third year of implementation. More than 1,700 men, women, and children living in the two communities of Ndiagne Kahone and Keur Ndiouga now have access to clean, abundant, and affordable perennial water for year-round vegetable cultivation and household use. During the second half of 2022, the communities went through seasonal changes, marked by differences in water availability as well as agricultural growth patterns. In addition, the communities also faced a myriad of pest attacks, especially Ndiagne Kah.

The Ndiagne Kahone community produced on average 195kg of vegetables every month. Production was low during the summer months but picked up during the rainy season with the highest production recorded during the month of September when production was more than 453kg. The community of Keur Ndiouga produced on average over 199kg of vegetables with production being the highest in the month of November (351kg). The women in the community cooperative worked diligently to cultivate more than 90 percent of their plot.

Raising poultry as a source of protein and to generate income is a key activity for the CREATE! communities. The women from Ndiagne Kahone started raising poultry from April 2022 and successfully raised around 150 chickens every 45 days. The community of Keur Ndiouga finished building their poultry shed right before the rainy season, but delayed the activity due to bad weather conditions as it can result in a higher mortality rate in the young chickens. The activity began in November with the community getting its first band of 150 chicks. During the year, women from both communities were also trained in microfinance techniques to help them save their income.

CREATE!’s annual reforestation campaign took place during the rainy season and over 13,00 trees were planted. Community members in both the villages were trained to maintain the trees.