Fatou Khoulé remembers a time not so long ago when vegetables were nonexistent in her village of Darou Diadji. Living in a household of 15 people, having fresh vegetables now makes all the difference for her, her husband, her children, and her daughters-in-law. At the age of 60, Fatou Khoulé has found a noticeable difference in her health and the health of others in the village since they began farming vegetables and gained access to clean water thanks to the solar pump that CREATE! installed in the community.
Members of the village take part in cultivating the vegetables and trees that support their families.
Before CREATE! began working in Darou Diadji, the village was hot and windy because so few trees were growing there. Today, however, Fatou Khoulé reports that it has more green spaces and an improved climate, which contributes to better cultivating conditions for their fresh vegetables. Fatou Khoulé has been very involved in all of CREATE!’s projects in Darou Diadji, including the tree planting campaign, vegetable cultivation, building improved cookstoves, and poultry production.
Having been a part of the program for two years now, Fatou Khoulé especially likes the poultry project, remarking that she can now eat chicken whenever she wants, along with her fresh vegetables. She notes that the emphasis on building self-sufficiency, skills, and knowledge is what sets CREATE! apart from other NGOs. “CREATE! has given us skills and knowledge we can use forever,” she says.