In Darou Diadji, cooperative members gather eggplants to sell in local markets.
Thanks to mild temperatures, access to abundant water, and the hard work of members of village agricultural cooperatives, the gardens in all of CREATE!’s partner communities are thriving!
Each day, cooperative members gather at their garden site to transplant seedlings, water growing crops, and harvest vegetables that are ready to eat. Additionally, CREATE! field technicians lead weekly training sessions in advanced agricultural activities.
As Senegal enters the driest part of the year, women will soon have to hand water vegetables twice each day to ensure their survival.
Although the work is hard, women are still happy to be part of CREATE!’s agricultural cooperatives. Anta Sow of Fass Kane says, “The community is lucky to have CREATE! Rather than buying expensive vegetables, we can now gather our own vegetables in the garden site. Sometimes, we harvest vegetables and sell them in local markets to meet our needs.”
Cooperative groups grow vegetables that are already important to local diets.
In all of the cooperative gardens, harvests are abundant. In January, cooperative members harvested and sold peppers, lettuce, tomatoes, okra, eggplants, turnips, tomatoes, mint, and parsley. In Darou Diadji, cooperative members harvested over 1,500 pounds of eggplant!
With training and careful management of water resources, these agricultural cooperatives will ensure that their gardens continue to produce an abundant harvest throughout the year!