The sun blazes overhead in Lower Casamance. In Diembéring, a village in Senegal located 60 kilometers from Ziguinchor, the air ripples with heat. Yet beneath the shelter of ancient trees, life moves with quiet resolve. Birds sing, the wind rustles through the leaves, and the cheerful voices of women ring out. In this vibrant landscape, where tradition meets resilience, women are coming together to reforest the land and safeguard local ecosystems.
In Senegal, deforestation is accelerating, driven by excessive logging, rapid urbanization, and intensive agriculture. In response, Aïssatou Keita Sissokho and her peers are leading community-based reforestation efforts across multiple regions, drawing on traditional knowledge and supported by the Albert Schweitzer Ecological Centre.
Ms. Sissokho, an agroforestry engineer and president of Action Citoyenne pour le Développement (ACD), represents a new generation of women rooted in the land and committed to sustainable solutions. She says: “This traditional knowledge is a treasure that must be protected.”
Ms. Sissokho explains that in local traditions, mangroves like Rhizophora and Avicennia help combat water salinization. Their elders also followed lunar calendars to guide planting schedules and used mulching techniques to preserve soil moisture and enhance fertility with natural fertilizers made from ash and manure.
In the Saloum region, Ms. Sissokho collaborates with women to preserve and promote traditional agricultural knowledge. Over 500 rural women have been trained in sustainable farming practices, combining food crops with soil-enriching species such as moringa and pigeon pea to improve productivity and soil health on their farms.
She estimates that their efforts have led to the reforestation of 105 hectares of family farmland. Each year, her organization also distributes 400 seedlings to rural households in the area.
The women also process these plants into value-added products. Moringa, for example, is turned into dietary supplements, soaps, and more. Some women have become trainers themselves, creating community-led learning networks. This dynamic not only transforms the women but also uplifts their communities. They earn incomes, educate their children, and reinvest in other ventures.
Aminata Diatta, a 38-year-old woman, is one such example. After receiving training on moringa processing, she launched a small moringa processing unit. She says, “Today, I’m financially independent thanks to my work. I contribute to my household expenses.” She earns up to 80,000 CFA francs (about $143) per month.
In Ziguinchor, Sédhiou, and Kolda, women like Jinette Badji, a member of the Eco-Rural Association for Training and Local Development—are also mobilizing to fight climate change using traditional knowledge. Ms. Badji explains that these women apply ancestral techniques such as building traditional dikes, preserving family seed varieties, and producing natural compost. They also plant trees to curb seawater intrusion and restore the balance of the soil. She says, “Salt is invading our rice fields. So every year, we replant mangroves, Rhizophora and Avicennia. This knowledge was passed down from our mothers and grandmothers.”
Ms. Badji notes that beyond the environmental impact, these rural women’s initiatives promote social inclusion and women’s leadership. They have become recognized as solution-bearers in their communities. She says, “Today, village chiefs consult us. We take part in decision-making. That changes everything.”
According to Senegal’s National Agency for Statistics and Demography (ANSD) and ENDA Pronat, a member of the Enda Third World network, 70% of women are involved in agriculture and forest management in Senegal. They hold knowledge of more than 200 local plant species essential for food security and health. For Ms. Sissokho, beyond the trees they plant, it’s a new mindset taking root. She says, “Every tree we plant is an act of resistance. We want to leave a living land for our children. And we will do it, root by root.”
Source: Farm Radio International