“I’ve meet people from many NGOs but CREATE! is my favorite! I now have a good life and I will be able to use the skills that I have learned to support myself forever.”

Ndeye Kane, 50, enjoys working in the Fass Kane cooperative garden with her daughters, neighbors, and friends. Having been a part of the cooperative for the past six years, Ndeye says, “CREATE! programs are very important for rural communities. I decided to participate in a CREATE! agricultural cooperative because I believed that this training would change my life.”

Fass Kane is a market town and many people earn a living by selling vegetables in the market. Ndeye says that women used to travel to the city of Kaolack, about 22 kilometers away, to purchase vegetables to sell in Fass. “Now,” she says, “we can sell and eat vegetables that we grow here in our community.”

Ndeye also appreciates the training that she has received in the care, maintenance, and marketing of poultry. She says, “I’ve gained many benefits from participating in the Fass Kane poultry cooperative. Access to fresh chicken has improved the nutrition of my children. I am also able to keep my own chickens at home because I have the skills and knowledge to do so.” She has also learned how to build an improved cookstove. She says, “I love my improved cookstove. Improved cookstoves help women in our community cook more quickly and economize their firewood. We can also save time because we no longer need to walk many miles to collect firewood.”

 

Working in the garden

Ndeye weeds pepper plants in the Fass Kane garden site. She is happy to bring home peppers and other vegetables to feed her 11 children and grandchildren at home.