Ndeye Dieng, 50, lives in the community of Fass Koffe with her seven children and their families. She is an active member of Fass Koffe’s agricultural cooperative. Ndeye is pleased that she can now grow her own vegetables for her family and sell produce in the village market, improving their food security. She also loves caring for the fruit and nut trees in the cooperative garden site. “We now have green space in our community because of the trees that we have planted together,” she adds. Ndeye also appreciates the cooling shade that these trees provide for the village of Fass Koffe.
Ndeye is very happy that she now has the skills and knowledge to grow her own vegetables.
The Fass Koffe garden continues to flourish. In July, the cooperative harvested mint, turnips, lettuce, parsley, peppers, and cashews. Participants are also mobilizing for the annual rainy season tree planting campaign. This year, cooperative members in Fass Koffe will plant over 2,000 trees, including papayas, acacias, almonds, and mangoes.
The Fass Koffe cooperative profits by selling high value crops like mint, fruit, and nuts in local markets.
Ndeye plans to continue her gardening activities with her cooperative group. She believes that “CREATE! programs are necessary for the development of our community.” Ndeye would “love to have food security in Fass Koffe” and thinks that working in the CREATE! cooperative garden will help community members achieve this dream.