Aissatou Faye, 55, lives happily in Gagnick Mack with her children and grandchildren. She says, “I may be old, but I never wanted to stay home without an occupation. Now, I work in the garden every day.” CREATE! has been a huge part of making a better life in Senegal for her.
Thanks to access to abundant and affordable water, cooperative members are able to grow vegetables in Gagnick Mack’s sandy soil throughout the year.
Aissatou is very appreciative of her new training in year-round sustainable vegetable cultivation. “Before CREATE!, we didn’t believe that we would ever be able to grow vegetables in our village. We now eat fresh vegetables every day.” Aissatou is proud that her grandchildren now have a better life in Senegal. “Their elders,” she said, “never had this chance when they were young.” Aissatou has also noticed an improvement in her health since she began eating fresh vegetables daily and drinking clean water from her community’s rehabilitated well. She says, “I feel healthier and I no longer have knee pain.”
Even during the hottest part of the year, cooperative members in Gagnick Mack are able to harvest bountiful crops, like these eggplants.
Aissatou tells us that she has worked with several NGOs, but “none is better than CREATE!” She adds, “I pray for your continued success.”