Maguette Diop is saving money to help pay for her son’s education.
Maguette Diop, 30, lives in the community of Diender with her husband, son, and in-laws. She has been an active participant in CREATE! program activities in Diender for the past four years.
Of all of the knowledge she has gained through participating in CREATE! programs, Maguette appreciates her training in improved cookstove construction the most. In addition to saving her time and money, Maguette says, “improved cookstoves have led me to think and act as a guardian of the environment.” She adds, “We are now preserving trees and shrubs that maintain our environment.”
Women learn to construct improved cookstoves using free, locally available materials such as sand, clay, straw, and millet stalks. Improved cookstoves use 50 to 70 percent less firewood than traditional open cook fires.
Maguette also praises CREATE!’s other program in Diender. In the past few years, she says, “Our village has greatly advanced economically and we now have secure access to food.”
Maguette Diop decided to participate in CREATE! programs because she wanted to improve her life and earn extra money.