UPDATE: April 2025
The Village Chief of Senobowal shares about the water crisis his people are facing. Senobowal is centrally located and provides water for more than 40 smaller villages surrounding it. The existing water system is not able to keep up with the demand, and as a result people have to wait in line to fill up their water cart before returning back to their village.
Senobowal already has a substantial water tower and we are upgrading the well and pump system so they will have a dependable water supply!! This is just Phase 1. Phase 2 is to install a women's cooperative garden, but we need your help.
Share this post widely:
Visit our GoFundMe or Donate Page to contribute towards this project
Original: July 17, 2024 (View on GoFundMe)
Andando invites you to join us in transforming the lives of the people of Senobowal, along with 40 surrounding remote villages in northern Senegal, West Africa by funding a critical water infrastructure project and establishing a women’s cooperative garden. This project will provide vital lasting solutions to water scarcity, food insecurity, and economic hardship, for over 5,000 people in the region, creating a brighter future for generations to come.
The Problem: Why Senobowal Families Need Your Help
Senobowal’s location as a pastoral center and remote water source has made it a critical regional resource for more than 150 years. All told over 5,000 people and 30,000 livestock rely on Senobowal as their primary water resource.
Unfortunately families here have struggled with severe water shortages for years. Their primary water source, an ancient hand-dug well, is no longer potable, and the only other water source, a "mini borehole" intended for a hand pump, cannot meet the village's needs.
For nearly a year residents of Senobowal had to rely on water brought in by donkey cart from a well six miles away.
Without a reliable water supply, the villagers face significant hardships, especially during the harsh dry season. Year after year residents have tried to resolve the problem themselves by purchasing electric pumps run with diesel generators, but their small existing borehole was never intended to accommodate this level of infrastructure, so they have been plagued with insufficient water, and costly breakdowns. The most recent breakdown in 2023 left the village without water for 11 months forcing villagers to travel long distances to collect water from unsanitary open wells in other villages.
Aida, Midwife at Senobowal
“Here we are in a dry area, a very dry area. We do not have enough water. It’s very dry. We are not close to the river, we are not close to anything. We are depending on the rainy season.”
Andando first partnered with Senobowal in 2023 to build a vital remote community health center and maternity ward. Infant and maternal mortality are devastatingly high in remote regions and ensuring access to clean water at this isolated facility is crucial for supporting the health and well-being of dozens of villages.
he new health post constructed in 2023 includes clean running water. But with the recent water troubles, healthcare professionals have to make do with limited resources.
Without immediate intervention, the villagers of Senobowal and the surrounding communities face worsening water scarcity, further economic hardship, and potential displacement from their ancestral lands.
The Solution: A NEW Borehole Well, Solar Pump System, and Cooperative Garden
The good news is the problem can be solved! We urgently seek your support to drill a new, properly sized deep borehole well and install a powerful sustainable solar pump system and women’s cooperative garden.
Thanks to previous investments the village already has a substantial water tower and by upgrading their well and pump system to an appropriate scale we will ensure a stable, long-term water supply for Senobowal and the 10 surrounding communities who depend on them for water.
Senobowal's water tower which has the potential to provide water for the surrounding villages once hooked up to an appropriately sized pump.
The new system will provide sufficient water for daily use, livestock, the health facility, and agricultural activities-- transforming life in the village!
Your Impact Will:
Improve water access for over 5,000 people and 30,000 livestock
Increase food security and improved household income for 125 familiesReduce barriers for children to attend school
Actively combat climate change through the planting of hundreds of native trees and regenerative permaculture techniques
Preserve the local culture and build community resilience
Empowering Women and Keeping Kids in School Through Sustainable Gardening
Access to reliable water is just the beginning. We will also establish a women’s cooperative garden which is vital to supporting the health and well-being of the whole village.
Why does a garden matter? Families in this region rely upon their livestock for their livelihood. Traditionally the men will travel with their herds to forage for feed while the women and children remain at home. But in recent years, due to harsh conditions, entire families are forced to travel with the livestock for 6 or even 8 months out of the year! Ultimately, this means children are unable to attend school.
This photo taken from an existing Andando garden demonstrates the potential capacity to grow fresh fruits and vegetables with access to water.
The women of Senobowal came together to request a garden because they want the means to remain at home so that their children don’t have to endure the difficult journey and can attend school. Andando's agriculture program has a proven track record of success with 40 women's cooperative gardens already thriving in other parts of Senegal. These gardens not only provide food security but also offer economic opportunities to women like those in Senobowal who have few alternatives.
Each garden is designed to be self-sustaining, economically and ecologically, after an initial setup period, thanks to comprehensive training and support. The Senobowal garden will follow this model, helping 125 women gain the skills and resources needed to become successful market gardeners. This initiative will improve household incomes, provide tons of nutritious food, and empower the women of Senobowal to build the life they want for their children.
he planting of food-producing and live-fencing trees provides soil-regenerating benefits and ensures that infrastructure will last for generations.
Facing Climate Change Head-On
Andando's gardens are not just about food; they are front-line fighters in the battle against climate change. Using regenerative permaculture techniques, these gardens improve soil fertility, sequester carbon, and rejuvenate local ecosystems. Hundreds of native trees are planted, which are crucial for recharging aquifers and mitigating groundwater loss.
Senobowal's remote location, near Senegal's norther boarder with Mauritania, puts residents here on the front lines of climate change and the devastating encroachment of the Sahara Desert.
Your contribution will make a lasting environmental impact in the Sahel, one of the world's most vulnerable regions to climate change and essential to fighting desertification.
Preserving Culture and Community Resilience
The survival of Seno Bowal is essential not just for its residents, but for the preservation of the Pulaar people's rich cultural heritage. This region of the world is on the front lines of climate change and indigenous populations are vital for maintaining the ecology of the region. The Pulaar people have sustainably managed these lands for hundreds of years. With their traditional knowledge and sustainable land management practices they are essential partners in our shared fight against climate change.
The Pulaar people have a rich and vibrant cultural heritage. By investing in water and agriculture, they will be able to stay on their ancestral lands and continue to fight desertification.
Ensuring access to water, food security, economic opportunities, and a dignified quality of life, will help maintain their presence on their ancestral lands, providing immeasurable environmental and cultural benefits to this region and the world at large.
Our Approach and Plan
Andando approaches every project as equal partners with each community. What we provide in terms of infrastructure and investment is matched and exceeded by the sustained effort put forward by our partners over many years.
This project came about at the request of Senobowal after more than a year of discussions, and investigations in the village, involving all stakeholders, including village leaders, women’s groups, surrounding villages, and the regional hydrological authority.
The total cost of the project is as follows:
Drilling a new borehole well: $20,800
Solar pump system and plumbing: $10,700
Garden infrastructure (Watering basins, fencing, latrine, startup equipment): $13,000
Technical and material support for the first two years (daily support from a locally trained garden technician, seeds, native trees): $6,000
Total Cost: $50,500
As of the launching of this campaign, Andando has secured $23,135 of dedicated funding for this project, so we only need to raise $27,365 in order to say yes to the people of Senobowal and help them secure a brighter future for themselves and their families.
Your Immediate Action Will Make a Difference
Your donation will directly fund the drilling of a new borehole well, the installation of the solar pump system, and the establishment of the women’s garden. Every dollar brings us closer to our goal, providing a sustainable future for Seno Bowal and more than 5,000 people.
Join us in this urgent mission to transform lives, protect the environment, and preserve vital cultural heritage. Your support will create a ripple effect of positive change, impacting generations to come- because every family deserves the opportunity to build a brighter future filled with hope, opportunity, and abundance.
About Andando:
Andando is a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit with decades of experience working in rural Senegal. The word Andando in the local Wolof language means walking together, and this has always been at the heart of our methodology.
For over 15 years, Andando has led programs in water, sanitation, agriculture, education, health, and microfinance in two rural regions of Senegal: Kaolack and Podor. Learn more about our agriculture initiative along with our other community-driven programs at www.andando.org
Donate today and make a life-saving difference!
