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Medina Dinguiraye Women's Agricultural Economic Zone

  • 2023 Winner

Youth Movement of Vélingar in France

Context

The rural commune of Némataba, located in the Kolda region, is the poorest commune in the region. The women of this commune receive little social recognition and face countless social problems. Nearly 951 tons of vegetable produce comes from other regions of Senegal, primarily from Thiès, more than 500 km from the Kolda region, making access to these vegetables very expensive and exacerbating malnutrition and food insecurity in the area. Conventional agriculture is also widely practiced in the Kolda region, encouraging the massive use of pesticides and primarily focused on export crops such as peanuts.

The Vélingara Youth Movement (MJVF) in France is mobilizing to establish Women's Agroecological Economic Zones (ZEAF) in the Vélingara area and its surroundings. Initially, the MJVF and the Senegalese association Union of Actors for the Development of the Vélingara Department aim to empower rural women in the commune of Némataba economically through the creation of a 3-hectare integrated farm. The Dinguiraye area was chosen as the primary location for this pilot ZEAF due to its immediate proximity to a busy national highway and the presence of a weekly market, which facilitates the rapid sale of produce.

  • In partnership with: Union of Actors for the Development of the Department of Vélingara

Project objectives

Combating poverty, strengthening food security and contributing to increased income for rural women in the Medina Dinguiraye area through better promotion of local agri-food products

Activities

Development of a 3-hectare plot to create an Agricultural Economic Zone: fencing, installation of water basins, a chicken coop, a guardhouse, a covered area, a sanitary block, purchase of technical equipment and inputs, plowing and sowing of 28 market garden plots of 651m2 each

Acquisition of two three-wheeled motorcycles for the supply and marketing of products

Execution of water supply works (drilling, water tower, water networks) with the installation of a solar electrification system

Capacity building for the private operator in equipment maintenance (water, electricity, troubleshooting of production equipment)

Training for women in agroecological market gardening techniques with composting, processing of local products, poultry and fish farming, as well as in financial education, literacy and the organization of discussions on social issues

Raising awareness among the population of the Dinguiraye area (5 villages) via community radio and communication caravans about the project's benefits and impact

 

Direct beneficiaries

397 women from the 5 villages in the Medina Dinguiraye area living in extreme poverty and members of women's groups from the various villages involved:

  • 145 women employed by the ZEAF with sustainable incomes, including 87 under 35 years old (60%): 100 women organic market gardeners, 10 women raising broiler chickens, 5 women fish farmers, 10 women processing local products, 5 women selling energy services, and 15 women receiving support and capacity building in marketing techniques for ZEAF products.
  • 252 women will be trained each year in agroecological market gardening techniques

Through its Microprojects division, the NGO La Guilde, in partnership with the French Development Agency and the Fondation de France, supports the implementation of microprojects serving sustainable development internationally.