Matam — Like many other young Senegalese, Pape Mokhtar Diallo long dreamed of escaping his rural home in northern Senegal for a better life. Three times he tried and failed to go overseas. But the establishment of an agricultural cooperative here in the village of Boyinadji has put another dream within his grasp. The 25-year-old has a job now, a humble one that doesn't pay well, but he feels he is a part of an initiative that has caused him and other young people here to imagine a future working the land.
"I work as the security guard for the cooperative's store. I'm earning 25,000 CFA (50 dollars) per month; and more than that, I'm part of a cooperative. I'm not thinking about leaving any more," he told IPS.
The cooperative he's speaking of is called a SIPA - a Société intensification de la Production Agricole - an initiative under Senegal's national programme for investment in agriculture.
Boyinadji's SIPA was set up in 2010, with 400,000 dollars of financial support from the government and partner institutions like the West African Development Bank and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). It's one of a set of agricultural cooperatives nationwide intended to help young men and women who might otherwise join the exodus from rural areas to organise themselves into coops and earn a living.
Thirty hectares were assigned to 150 smallholders who set about growing a variety of crops for sale, as well as vegetables for their own consumption.
"Last year, we produced eight tonnes of watermelon, 12 tonnes of maize and three tonnes of groundnuts... After selling our harvest and paying off our creditors, the cooperative was able to earn two million CFA francs (around 4,000 dollars)," said Mamoudou Thiam, the Boyinadji SIPA's manager.
He said he hoped that 2012 would be even better, with plans in place to also grow tomatoes, cabbage, okra, peppers and lettuce.
Over the past two years, the cooperative has extensively developed the land. Its lush green fields are fenced off, cleared using tractors, and irrigated by a sprinkler system supplied by motorised pumps drawing water from a borehole.
Thiam says the project is providing jobs for village youth. "Two pump operators, a manager and a security guard have been chosen. At the moment, we can't pay them a great salary, but 25,000 CFA a month... at least they're earning something," he said.
IPS met Aïssatou Dia at work with a hoe in the coop's fields. She explained that in addition to being a member of the SIPA, she is also the leader of another agricultural association in the village.
"We formed an association of women," the 25-year-old said, "and each of us has got a plot where we grow okra, melons and watermelon to earn income, improve nutrition for our families and create jobs at the local level. Last year, I earned 80,000 CFA (160 dollars) from the sale of our produce. And beyond that, I grew a lot for my own use," she said.
Abdoulaye Baldé, another member of the SIPA coop, agreed that the project had enabled youth to support themselves and stay in the countryside, but said that for the project to be sustained, it would need government support to commercialise and build up production capacity.
"We want to work the land. But we'll need support to help us turn a profit. Right now, we need electricity to run the borehole pump, and increase our production," he told IPS.
"This would allow us to save on money we're using to buy fuel. I think the well could be equipped with solar panels. This would also be another revolution, if they would help us to strengthen certain capacities of our farmers," Baldé said.
According to Abdoulaye Diakité, from the National Agency for Rural and Agricultural Extension Services, in order to develop agriculture in this region, it is vital to carry out an inventory of land available for cultivation, and then to determine what crops are appropriate.
"What Senegal is lacking is an agriculture project worthy of the name, one with precise goals and objectives," he said.
Comments Post a comment
"THIS THE WAY FOWARD NO DOUBT INSTEAD OF GIVING AWAY OUR PRESCIOUS RESOURCES WHICH IS WATER AND OUR LAND" WE DEVELOP COOPERATIVES WHICH CAN PAY FOR THE PEOPLE TE BE FREE INDEPENDENT AND EMPOWERED. "WHAT I WOULD SUGGEST TO THE WORKERS TO MAKE AN INTIATIVE TO FIND AWAY TO GET A GRANT TO BUILD SOME TYPE GENERATOR THAT HAS THE CAPACITY TO GIVE ELECTRICTY TO THE VILLAGE". SOUTH AFRICAN HAVE A TOILET SYSTEM OR WATE SYSTEAM THAT GERATES POWER WE HAVE NARURTAL SUNLIGHT WE COULD FIND SLAR PANEL ENERY. THIS IS WHY I SAY TO AFRICANS THIS IS A BIG CONTINENT THERE IS ALOT OF WORK TOO DO YOU DO NOT HAVE TO LEAVE MAKE YOUR OWN RICHES' . WE NEED THE START OF THE PRINCIPLES OF CERTAIN TECHNOLOGIES , THE ABILITIES TO CREATE SOLAR PANELS FOR ENERGY, WHY DOESNT AFRICA HAVE MORE OF THESE THINGS EVEN ON A BASIS WHERE RURAL COMMUNITIITES CAN HAVE THESE TECHNOLGIES FOR RUNNING PUMPS FOR WATER THIS WOULD ENABLE THEM TO RUN WATER TO THIER HOUSES ALSO GIVING THEM LIGHT SO THIER LIVES CAN BE MORE ENIRCHED?. "COME ON AFRICA WE CAN DO THIS!!!!!!!!!! NO ONE CAN STOP THESE RESILLIETNT PEOPLE NUFF RESPECT TO THE YOUTHS WHO ARE CONSCIOUS AND ARE WORKING NOT JUST FOR THEMSELVES BUT TO PROVIDE FOOD FOR MANY OTHERS;' NO DOUBT THEY WILL BE REWARDED " "ALLMIGHTY GOD" IS GREAT AND HE LEAVES NOT THE TRYER UNREWARDED" THESE ARE THE THINGS " OUR LORD" LOVES TO SEE ,THIS IS YOUR LAND " HE" DECIDED THAT YOU WERE WORTHY TO BE THE OWNERS OF THESE GREEN PASTURES' THERE IS NO NEED FOR FAMINE IN ANY PART OF AFRICA UNLESS THERE IS SEVERE DROUGHT BUT WE NEED TO HAVE INTELLIGENT FARMERS LIKE THESE'' WHO SEE THIER POTENTIAL ON THIS GREAT GOD BLESSED CONTINENT" "I SAY TO AFRICANS GIT UP EVERY DAY AND GIVE "ALL MIGHTY GOD" PRAISES THANK HIM FOR HIS BLESSINGS' SHOW HIM YOUR GRATEFULNESS BY WORKING THE LAND HE GAVE TO YOU;' MAKE THE NATIONS OF AFRICA SEE THE GOOD WORK THAT YOU DO, ' THERE IS MCUH TO BE CELEBRATED IN THIS GREAT INTITIATIVE THAT THE YOUTHS HAVE TAKEN , WHO RECOGNISE THAT NO WHERE IS GHREATER THAN AFRICA"WE MUST CAPITALISE ON THESE THINGS WE MUST CONCENTRATE TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR FARMERS ARE GIVEN CREDIBLE PRICES SO THEY CAN EAT FOOD AND A GRATITUDE FELT THAT THEY ARE ABLE TO PROVIDE FOR THE MILLIONS;" WE MUST WORK TOGETHER IN AFRICA. WHERE THERE IS PEACE LET PEACE REIGN" " OUR ALL MIGHTY GOD" I STRESS TO AFRICA IS LOVING KIND MERCIFUL HE HAS HAD RELATIONSHIPS WITH OUR FORE FATHERS FROM THE VERY BEGINING SO WE ARE NOT ALONE. WE MUST DO WHAT IS RIGHT FOR ALL OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS FORGETTING ANY IDVISIONS ONLY FOCUSING THAT WHAT YOU DO WILL INSPIRE MILLIONS OF YOUNG FARMERS WHO WILL HAVE STUDIED AND ARE ABLE TO BUILD BIG COOPERATIVES THAT WIL, RIVAL ANY BIG COMERCIAL VENTURES BY THESE WESTERNERS WHO WANT TO PAY YOU TO DO WHAT YOU CAN DO FOR SELF AND RAISE A PROFIT THAT IS LARGE ENOUGH TO BUY ALL THE THINGS FOR THE VILLAGE INCLUDING YOUR POWER SOURCE FOR ELECTRICTY". DO NO WAIT ON GOVERNMENT"' BUILD AND START TO INOVATE . REMEMBER THERE IS TOMMORROW WE MUST AT LEATS SET TARGETS TO BE RACHED MONTHLY AND THEN YEARLY OS THAT THE COMMUNITY CAN SIT PRIROTISE WHAT WE WILL DO WITH SUCH A MONEY SO MUCH WILL GO TO SCHOOLING OUR CHILDREN AS WELL AS POURSELVES WE NEED TO BE ON TOP AT ALL TIMES. GOVERNMENT NEED TO NOT BE INVOLVED AS MUCH AS YOU THINK YOU SATY ON TOP THEY NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT ENOUGH FERTILISRS ARE AVAILABLE AND THERE ARE MECHANCICS TO FIX THE TRUCKS AND TRACTORS. YOUI NED A VERY BIG TRUCH THAT IS EASY TO TARSPORT OODS FORE TH COMMUNITY . MY UNCLE DID THESE THINSG HE LIVED INA RURAL ARAEA SO HE MADE USRE THAT THE PEOPLE GOT TOGETHER THEY BOUGHT ATRUCK WHERE THY WERE ABLE TO GET UP LIKE CLOCK WORK AND GO TO FAR MARKETS TO SELL THIER GOODS AND EVRFYONE LI9VED GODD ALL THE CHILDREN WENT TMSCHOL AND PEOPLE DID NOT HAVE VERY MUCH BUT THEY LIVED WITHIN THE PARMETERS OF THE TIMES.TODAY THERE IS MUCH MORE PROFIT TO BE MADE THIS IS BIG CONTINENT YOU MIGHT HAVE CONTRACTS ANY WHERE IN AFRICA THIS SI WHERE THE GOVERNMENT CAN STEP IN AND SY WELL WE HAVE TONS OF SUCH AND SUCH WE CAN GAURANTEE DAIL;Y MONTHLY YEARLY AND PRICES CAN BE SET WHERE THE GOVERNMENT CAN EAT AND ALL THE VILLAGE CAN BE REWARDED FR THIER WORK. "MAY OUR AMAZING ALLMIGHTY FATHER GUIDE AND PROTECT AND ENRICH YOUR ENDEAVOURS"