Pictured above: In the community of Bac Sambadior, CREATE! Founder Barry Wheeler, Country Director Omar Ndiaye Seck (plaid shirt), and the cooperative group president sign a memorandum of understanding to formalize our new partnerships.
In August, CREATE!’s Senegal field team and Founder Barry Wheeler met with leaders from the communities of Bac Sambadior, Ndéguélère, and Keur Daouda and pledged to strengthen their mutual financial and technical new partnerships. Barry Wheeler and leaders from each community signed memoranda of understanding that outline CREATE!’s commitments to these villages and the responsibilities of Bac Sambadior, Ndéguélère, and Keur Daouda to work towards the programs’ success. Each community has promised to participate fully in program activities and to contribute financially to the purchase of seeds, gardening tools, and other supplies.
Before formalizing our partnerships with Ndéguélère (pictured) and the other communities, CREATE!’s field staff held numerous meetings with village leaders and potential cooperative members.
Over the past year, CREATE! staff have partnered with representatives from the Senegalese Department of Water and Forestry to lead improved cookstove trainings in each of these communities. Our field technicians gauge potential partners’ commitment to our participatory approach by holding an improved cookstove training and then returning after one month to determine how many women in the community have built their own improved cookstoves. CREATE! prioritized Bac Sambadior, Ndéguélère, and Keur Daouda for partnership because of the villages’ commitment to CREATE!’s participatory philosophy and their dedication to improved cookstove adoption.
Over the next five years, CREATE! will work with village residents to provide access to clean, abundant water and training in sustainable agriculture and other income generating activities.
CREATE! is excited to extend our new partnerships to the communities of Bac Sambadior, Ndéguélère, and Keur Daouda. More than 40 villages have now requested to work with CREATE!, thanks to the visible success of our partner communities and our effective model of community-based, sustainable development.