Farmers in Kounoune

Sonja Prinz — Tue, 12 Dec 2017 21:22:04 +0000

Kounoune belongs to the district of Rufisque and is one hour from Dakar. The urbanization of the city of Dakar is progressing incredibly fast. An area of over 200km around the city center is covered with new buildings, land prices are rising very fast, farmers and their fields are disappearing at this same pace.
On dec 2nd.17 we visited the farmers of Kounoune for the first time: carrots, peppers, diakhatou peppers, onions green beans … they grow naturally and without chemical fertilizers. Farmers have founded a GIE to survive alongside big exporters like Gafari. Once a week they go to the wholesale markets Thiaroye and Castor in Dakar to sell their vegetables there. You have to rent a truck, also the water to irrigate the fields has to be paid, as well as the workers to order the fields. But their GIE has a bank account, she takes loans to local banks with tough conditions. The money will then be distributed to the farmers and paid back to the bank after 6 months including the 10% fee. If one of the farmers does not pay back in time, no one from the farmers group can get money for the next few months; means some fields remain empty. The Farmers’ Leader wants to participate in training sessions for farmers, who regularly take place in Israel and Italy, in order to sustainably improve the living conditions of farmers in Kounoune.
On dec 5th.17 GNG Senegal were with the president of the farmers in the Chamber of Commerce of Dakar. We have entered the organization of farmers in the database so that they find ways to increase their business. Mme Gaye Head of Department, advised Mr. the farmers president on the distribution / export of agricultural products and promised to agree on the conditions inquired about the purchase of the organic label. Then we met the leaders of the Global Ecovillage. They will visit the fields and study the situation on the ground.
On dec 12th.17 there was another meeting with Khaly Mbengue in the fields of the farmers of Kounoune for a rough situation analysis.

Visit a l’ecole de Kounoune

Sonja Prinz — Mon, 04 Dec 2017 21:13:54 +0000

Today we handed over the donations from the parents of Berlin students and we talked about conditions in elementary school, Kounoune. The school has 800 students 11 French teachers, two Arabic teachers, which means that teachers are often in a class with 70 pupils. Water is a problem in school, they have an electric pump that uses solar energy. SDE distributes water in Kounoune, but not everywhere, there are many houses without water. There were residents who started stealing water at school, which meant that the pump stopped working properly. The school has a key pump, but it is broken. Since the state does not pay any school water bills, the pump is the only source of water for 800 students. Often there is only water at noon. The school garden can not be cultivated due to lack of water. And there are children who come to school without eating. The staff room is occupied by the caretaker, as the state does not pay the caretaker a salary, the parents have tried to contribute, but that is not enough to rent a room. So he sleeps in the staff room. There is an IT room that does not work either. In principle, teachers are involved, but their hands are bound by conditions that must be solved by the Senegalese government.

Heute haben wir die Spenden der Eltern von Berliner Schülern übergeben und wir haben über Unterrichtsbedingungen in der Grundschule, Kounoune gesprochen. Die Schule hat 800 Schüler 11 Französischlehrer, zwei Arabischlehrer, was dazu führt, dass die Lehrer oft mit 70 Schülern in einer Klasse sind. Wasser ist ein Problem in der Schule, sie haben eine elektrische Pumpe, die mit Solarenergie arbeitet. SDE vertreibtWasser in Kounoune, aber nicht überall, es gibt viele Häuser ohne Wasser. Es gab Anwohner, die in der Schule Wasser zu stehlen begannen, das hatte zur Folge, das die Pumpe nicht mehr richtig funktioniert. Die Schule hat eine Schlüsselpumpe, aber sie ist kaputt. Da der Staat keine Schulwasserrechnungen bezahlt, ist die Pumpe die einzige Wasserquelle für 800 Schüler. Oft gibt es nur ab Mittag Wasser. Der Schulgarten kann wegen Wassermangel nicht kultiviert werden. Und da sind Kinder die ohne zu essen zur Schule kommen. Das Lehrerzimmer wird vom Hausmeister bewohnt, da der Staat dem Hausmeister kein Gehalt zahlt, die Eltern haben versucht, etwas beizutragen, aber das ist zu wenig um ein Zimmer zu mieten. Also schläft er im Lehrerzimmer. Es gibt einen IT-Raum, der auch nicht funktioniert. Grundsätzlich sind Lehrer engagiert, aber ihre Hände sind durch Bedingungen gebunden, die von der senegalesischen Regierung gelöst werden müssen.

gng senegal

Farmers in Kounoune

Visit a l’ecole de Kounoune