Ecovillage Emergence in the Sahel Region: How community-based design and supportive technologies are creating new models for equality and sustainability by Ousmane Aly PAME, Founder and President of REDES (Network for Ecovillage Emergence and Development in the Sahel) www.redes-ecovillages.org email: redes.ecovillages@gmail.com
Collapse of ecosystems and traditional lifestyles Elders have seen their paradise transform in a lunar landscape in 2 generations /Exuberant environment with a diversity of wild animals, birds.. Maam Coumba Kebbe Thiam (1904-2012): Shepherdess/ 90 cows/ used to help care for her cattle ( stories) She could walk from one village without almost seeing the sun Dangerous to travel from one villages after dusk or spend the night with the cattle/Only the bravest ones would do so: Amadou Saidou, a hearder Attacked by a lion in the late fifties
Sahel one region & multiple ecological challenges • Region bordering the southern limit of the Sahara desert, stretching from Senegal to Erytrea. It includes countries like Sn, Mauritania, Mali, Burkina Faso Niger etc • Two seasons: one short rainy season (2 to 3 months/ Annual rainfall no more than 300 mm in the last 10 years) One dry season 10 months • Average temperatures: 35°C ( Heat Peaks May and June 48°C) • Sand storms more frequent and land erosion with desertification: poor agricultural yields • Cycles of droughts in the 70s and mid eighties.
Ecological and Socio economic Crisis • Following the building of two dams on River Senegal, massive • farming + nomadic herding and deforestation in the 80s (Guinean region / with the dwindling in refugies) to make charcoal and pastures and green spots have space for rice agriculture conflicts farmers and herders • Deforestation brought about the disappearance of the wildlife, • Ecosystems degradation cause medicinal plants and made the mass impoversihment, exodus region vulnerable to wind erosion and emigration ( 70s Central and land degradation. Africa and to France) • Introduction of monocultures ( • Structural adjustment policies cash crops): tomatoes for local IMF/World Bank (No subsidies to industry and rice for local sectors like education, farming, consumption Senegal started health) deepened the socio imported rice from Asia ( Vietnam economic and Thailand mainly) ( traditional • Deep crisis ( land exhaustion, food and diets lost ground). Clear heavy bank loans regional eating habits
A Continental Response: Green Wall Project • An initiative and programme of the African Union including over 20 countries in the Sahelian and Saharan region • The idea of the implementation of the Green Wall was raised in the 2002 Summit in Ndiamena, (Chad) • The objectifve of the Green Wall is toncombat desertification and drought. A green corridor (15 km wide, 7600 km long) accross the African continent from Mauritania to Djibouti to stop the encorachment of the desert, improve the Management of natural resources and combat poverty. • The Director of National Agency for Green Wall Colonel Papa Waly Gueye is a member of REDES leading team
Ecovillages initiatives in Sénégal an initiative of grassroots communities (Association, local religious leaders, scientists...) 1996/ 2002 GENSEN A Network of 45 villages 2008 : A Major Shift in Government perception & policies: a ministry in charge of Ecovillages & a National Agency for Ecovillages were created Mission: build national Resilience by transforming 14 000 traditional villages into ecovillages (reforestation, renewable energy, food security to stop rural exodus ANEV: Great start. Included local actors. Now paralysed PUMA ( Ecovillage flag)
What is an ecovillage ? • An ecovillage is a human community consciously working to preserve its traditions and natural resources against poverty and degradation, while upgrading the living environment of its inhabitants. • An ecovillage seeks for preservation and modernization in four areas: • Sustainable society: Leadership / Education/ Health / Food safety • Sustainable tradition : Culture/ Religion/ arts/values/worldview • Sustainable environment: Sea, land, area, trees, bush, animals, fish, birds, insects (domesticated & wild) • Sustainable economics : Agriculture/Crafts/ Trade /Credit /Savings / /Tontine
Technologies in Ecovillages • Techonology alone is • Keep the youth on the land population growth not enough + not • Savon bio necessary expensive • Gel hydro alcoolique à base • Whatsapp (Salayel) / d’essence de plantes (lutte social Media contre Ebola) • Computer literacy • répulsifs naturels de • Water moustiques (lutte contre le paludisme) • Light/ Bacoumbel • Pain aux algues (Lutte • Bakery/ organic contre la malnutrition) • (Albert Royer Children • hospital + Pikine
GENSEN Cascade computer training programme Wesbsite for local governments (transparency in local governance) Training of youth in villages ( reduce urban /rural computer literacy gap)
Renewable energies
REDES: COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS Projects : Programmes • Ecovillage Design training 3 ecovillage hubs • Lahel Ecovillages Hub: • International Service Transnational community learning programmes project: (50 traditional villages/ • Freedom schools community center • Greening schools + 5ha for an open community (Ecolyco) biodynamic farming school • Green caravans (March • Ngogom municipality ( 1 ha) 1400 fruits trees with • Toubatoul Damanhur) + orchard • Food processing programmes • Clean drinking Water • Cultural events
Implementation of Ecovillage hubs (Loboudou/Guede Diara) Transformation of 50 traditional (Mauritanian and Senegalese villages into a hub of ecovillages) to reverse ecological and socio economic degradations in order to create community wealth and well being
Food: processing, conservation and cooking for better health and more income • With the support of Damanhur APS ( over a 115 women from 15 villages in two editions) trained. • Cooking session for the eco-renaissance with SGI in 12 villages • March/April 2018 Green caravans : over 1400 fruit trees planted in 10 sites in six villages (including two in Mauritania)
Educating the community through theatre
REDES freedom school programmes • With the support of Nice based association SEA, 35 villages received free school materials and 12 classrooms built: every year 600 children have access to formal education thanks to programme • A REDES classroom costs 4,000 euros (community/ Government classroom is 9,160 euros • Donations are essential for the pursuit of the programme. Possibility to sponsor a classroom building
REDES International Service Learning programmes
Damanhur multidimensional support to hub implementation
REDES :a growing network of national and international partners • Municipalities of Gamadji Sare, Ngogom and Toubatoul in Senegal • Municipality of Dar El Barka (Mauritania) • PUMA ( Gov Agency in charge of • Ambassadors & volunteers • REMEV /Mauritania • Damanhur Education APS (www.damanhureducation.it ) • City College of New York • Context Institute (REDES fiscal partner) www.context.org • RIE ( Iberian Ecovillage Network) • SEA Soutenir l’Enseignement en Afrique • Earth Rights Intitute
REDES Pressing Emergencies REDES is actively looking for funds to Lahel: open community biodymic build two classrooms in Ngane farming school. 5 hectares village ( Pressing request of enclosed. One Solar water Mayor Gamadji pumping ( approximate cost 8,200 euros Community centers in Guede and Lahel Conference of actors Volunteers Drinking water well for Peté village ( Cost 500 euros). The villagers walk kilometers to get their drinking water from heavily polluted Senegal River ( water related diseases like diarrhea, bilharziasis and other parasites, diarrhea
• You’re most welcome to join local community journey to create a better tomorrow in the Sahel email: redes.ecovillages@gmail. com) • Gracias • Thank you • Jarama • Dierejef
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