Andando Receives Grant from The International Foundation

The International Foundation has awarded a $25,000 grant to Andando! The purpose of this grant is to build an innovative STEM focused school garden at the newly constructed Keur Soce High School, which we finished building earlier this year. The International Foundation funds “US-based non-profit organizations who partner with poor communities in the developing world to improve their health, education and incomes, while strengthening local capacity to sustain their benefits.”

The first photo of the fully complete Keur Soce High School. These 8 classrooms serve over 1,000 students who previously had to travel far distances to continue their education or, more commonly, had to drop out of school due to a lack of resources.

This grant will help to pay for the construction of a substantial one-acre teaching garden that will be used to facilitate practical lessons in biological sciences, mathematics, and business skills while substantially improving the food security of the student population. 

Selecting a site with community leaders for the first-ever teaching garden which will be incorporated into the new Keur Soce High School.

In a first for any high school in Senegal the garden will also incorporate an integrated aquaculture fish farming system.  Fish are a staple of Senegalese cuisine and increased dry land fish farming has the potential to greatly benefit inland economies and food security without contributing to over-fishing of coastal water or polluting watersheds.  

During a hands-on training, participants in our aquaculture project learn how to assess fish for health and growth.

Andando currently operates 38 women’s cooperative gardens in Senegal which produce over 500,000 lbs. of organic produce each year.  As with our other gardens we will provide the school with a trained local garden technician to help to establish the garden and fully integrate it into school curriculum.     

“The International Foundation’s support will help students at Keur Soce High school to gain invaluable practical experience and learn skills that will set them apart as they continue their educational and professional careers.”

— Garrison Harward, Andando Executive Director

Madame Marone and her students in one of the new classrooms at Keur Soce High School. 

Indeed, due to Andando’s continued investment in this school the Education Ministry has decided to designate Keur Soce High School as a science academy that will feed directly into a new Agricultural University in the regional capital Kaolack.  Andando is proud to be partnering with such prestigious institutions to substantially increase the quality of science education in the region for years to come.  

Andando is a US-based non-profit organization that works to alleviate poverty through community development in rural Senegal. Learn more about Andando at www.andando.org.

About The International Foundation:
The International Foundation was created in 1948. Like other early foundations, our purpose was “to promote, foster, encourage and further non-profit, non-sectarian and non-political educational, medical, philanthropic, humanitarian, scientific and literary enterprises of all kinds.”

In its many years of grant making, the International Foundation has worked with thousands of US-based 501(c)3 organizations to bring knowledge, resources and compassion to individuals and communities around the world. Our strategic mission has evolved in concert with the exponential growth in the United States non-profit sector and rapid evolution of the discipline of international development.

“At the core of our mission is the concept that charity alone isn’t enough. We must take charity to a level that delivers measurable and sustainable change that is “owned” by the project participants and that leaves broad, lasting benefits. We prioritize the principles of self-determination, local engagement, and sustainability, both as means to and ends of our philanthropic goals. More and more, this requires grant-maker and grantee to share a common view of the challenges, optimal solutions, and ultimate objectives of our partnering efforts.”

From the Director - On the Ground in Senegal - January 2023

Enjoying the company of some of our Keur Soce based staff. We have a great team on the ground in Senegal who are incredibly knowledgeable and fun to be around.

Thanks to the incredible generosity that our community showed last year at our fall gala fundraiser and through our year-end giving campaign, we are able to hit the ground running in 2023! I am currently in Senegal working with the team to finalize plans for our yearly projects which will include at least four new gardens, a health post, and two new schools.

Seynabou, one of our technicians, will manage our new STEM focused teaching garden at Keur Soce High School.

At the request of Keur Soce High School, we are also building our first ever school garden this year. The administration wanted to improve their science curriculum, and together we decided that a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) focused teaching garden, with an integrated aquaculture system, would help to give students valuable skills for their educational and professional careers.

Gorgui, a technician in Podor, is our new regional Tree Program Manager and will oversee the construction of a new permanent tree nursery and training center in Podor.

Seynabou Ndao, one of our phenomenal technicians who we profiled last year, will manage the project and help teachers to develop a new garden-centered STEM curriculum. Seynabou has a degree in physics and chemistry from the University Cheikh Anta Diop in Dakar, and we are so excited to see the positive impact she will have as a resource and role model for students.

In Podor another one of our technicians Alassane Ba, who goes by Gorgui, is stepping up as our new regional Tree Program Manager. This year we are constructing a permanent tree nursery and training center in Podor in order to combat severe deforestation and desertification in the region. Our tree nursery and Gorgui’s work will help to strengthen our gardens and the ecology of our partner communities against the effects of climate change.

It’s a joy to be able to share not only our exciting projects for the coming year, but also how our staff is growing as they take the lead to improve our programs in Senegal. We are so proud of them! Your continued support makes this, and everything Andando does, possible. Jerejef - thank you!

Winter, the Perfect Season for Gardening!

A woman transplanting seedlings into her plot at Ndiawara Garden.

The new year is upon us, and winter has sunk its cruel claws thoroughly into our lives here in America.  But while most of us are bundling up against freezing temperature, snow, and bitter winds, over in Senegal it’s the most pleasant time of the year.  Senegal is also in the northern hemisphere so its “winter” is the same time of the year as ours, but over there winter is know as the cool dry season.  The rains have finished and won’t return until May or June, and the intense heat of the hot dry season is still months away. 

This winter garden in the community of Ouro Madiaw (in the Podor region) is enjoying highs in the low-90s ˚F (32 ˚C) and thriving!

Capitalizing on the mild temperatures, this is the time of year when most gardening activities take place.  Our women’s gardens are taking full advantage of the season planting just about every vegetable you can think of.  Lettuce, and daikon radishes are very popular during this time because they grow quickly facilitating multiple harvests before the heat makes these more delicate crops too difficult to grow.  This is also the best time of year to plant papayas, bananas, and cassava roots which will be important boosts in income and nutrition at the end of the rainy season when the gardens are much less productive.  

We are constantly getting updates from our technicians on the ground in Senegal and during this season the pictures we get are incredible.  Giant basins filled with lettuce going to market, 50 lb. sacks filled with radishes, or eggplants, or peppers, and piles upon piles of onions. 

Sometimes its hard to believe the production numbers in our reports. How can one garden produce thousands of pounds of produce month after month?  And then you see a picture of a single papaya tree yielding 150 pounds of fruit.  The women we work with are incredible farmers!

Our new gardens from last year are working through their first seasons and its fascinating to watch their humble beginnings knowing what their plots will look like in just a few short years. 

The Ndiawara Garden is our largest with 300 members!

Our partner community of Ndiawara had a larger than average gardening group so we decided to make a larger garden there so that all of their 300 members could have a plot. Now it looks like a full-blown farm.  We can’t wait to see the incredible harvests this large group will be able to achieve.  Hats off to all of their hard work! Now put that hat back on before you get frostbite!

From the Director - October 2022

We are excited to introduce our NEW Executive Director, Garrison!

Celebrating a good lettuce harvest with some of the garden participants in Keur Ngor.

My name is Garrison Harward and I could not be prouder to be speaking to you as Andando’s new Executive Director. After nine years of dedicated service Lewis has decided to move up to join our Board of Directors so that he can stay stateside and spend more time with his family. This is a big shift for both of us and for the organization as a whole, but Andando isn’t skipping a beat! Our programming is more ambitious than ever, and we have even bigger plans for the future!

I’d like to take this opportunity to remind all of us about the incredible impact that Andando has achieved under Lewis’ leadership. This year we are constructing five women’s cooperative gardens bringing our total to 38 with over 3,500 women participating in the program.

Visiting one of the market gardens with Boubou and Lewis in 2021. Garrison has traveled to Senegal several times providing technical trainings, formally as our Agriculture Officer.

In the past two years our gardens have produced over one million pounds of organic produce with recorded profits of over $250,000! By the end of this year we will also construct our 14th health post. Together these posts see an average of over 10,000 healthcare visits each year. Lastly, we are finishing four classrooms in Podor and the final two classrooms of the brand new Keur Soce High School for a total of 60 classrooms constructed across 16 schools, benefiting over 5,000 students annually. WOW!

Garrison served in the Peace Corps in Senegal from 2010-2012, here he is pictured with the chief of the village that hosted him.

I have been with Andando for a little over two years and I am still constantly astounded by what this organization has done, and is doing, every day in Senegal. I lived in Senegal as a Peace Corps volunteer from 2010-2012 near Keur Soce, and I am so grateful that Andando has afforded me the opportunity to reconnect with this place that I love so dearly.

I am proud of what we have already accomplished, and I’m so excited to see how far we can go with this firm foundation beneath us. Feel free to reach out if you would like to know more about our programming or to find a personal connection to how your contribution is making a meaningful impact in Senegal.

-Garrison Harward
Executive Director
Garrison@Andando.org

We Have Fish!

A basket full of fish after a harvest complimented by a hearty lettuce harvest, grown using fish water.

It is our absolute pleasure to report that our trial fish farming project is thriving! Earlier this year we reported on the beginnings of this process, but to be honest we really didn’t know how it would turn out. There were challenges but overall, our team has done a tremendous job and we couldn’t be prouder of them and the women in the gardens for picking up such a unique and difficult new skill! 

During a hands-on training, participants in our aquaculture project learn how to assess fish for health and growth.

On a recent visit we got to witness the first fish harvest and the results are incredible. There is nothing quite like seeing buckets of fish (over 250lbs) coming out of our gardens in the middle of the desert. It was a wonderful scene of excitement, singing, dancing, joking, everything you would expect at the culmination of a challenging but successful project. Here’s some of what the women had to say that day:

“We used to work hard before but now with the fish program, we really see ourselves succeeding in the garden.”

“Look at the eggplants!  We noticed for three years we haven’t had eggplants, but now we do because of the fish water.”

“There is a start, but there is no end to our happiness.”

Garden participants introducing the first new fingerlings produced in our own fish tanks.

It is hard to describe the importance of fish in Senegal and how meaningful it is for the women to be able to provide fresh, healthy fish for their families. This is of course the first and most noticeable benefit but the women also remarked on how watering with the fishpond water is improving vegetable production across the whole garden as well. Indeed, our aquaculture gardens saw an average 42% increase in individual profits this year compared to the same 6-month period last year! WOW!

During a hands-on training, participants in our aquaculture project learn how to harvest fish from the basins.

All four gardens that participated in this pilot program are continuing to raise fish and now that the tilapia are successfully reproducing in the basins, we are very close to having self-replicating, sustainable production that can continue for years to come.

Battra Ndialla Market Garden

The Women’s Collective of Battra Ndialla Market Garden after their first harvests in June.

Off the main road to Keur Soce sits a small village called Battra Ndialla. Here families work hard during the short three-month rainy season to grow and harvest staples (such as millet, squash, and peanuts) and store them for future consumption. Families struggle with food insecurity here because this rural agricultural area lacks other economic opportunities and climate change is making subsistence farming more difficult and less profitable.

With the installation of a solar powered pump, the existing well is used to water the market garden, providing nutritious vegetables for all in the community.

In the middle of the village sits a simple well that has faithfully supplied all the water needs of the community for years and years. With a rapid refresh rate, this well and community were well suited for a market garden, they just needed a little help to get it started. Thanks to a grant from Vibrant Village Foundation, Altrusa International, and Altrusa Club of Albany the community of Battra Ndialla got their garden!

Signing the Memorandum of Understanding with the community of Battra Ndialla.

In October of 2021 we formalized our partnership with the community leadership and the Women’s Collective who would ultimately take on the day-to-day care of the garden.

Construction began shortly after that and we took this time to assemble the women’s leadership team and start the initial garden training with one of our Garden Technicians, Babacar Sow.

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While they waited for the watering basins and solar pump to be installed the women prepared the grounds and identified their family plots inside the garden. Supplies arrived including wheel borrows, watering cans, rakes, and cultivation tools. Seeds also arrived and with the help of Babacar (Garden Technician) they selected their first crops, prepared compost to enrich the soil, and anxiously awaited the day the water would be turned on.

BEFORE: The water basin is installed and the barren ground is ready to be cultivated.

AFTER: You can see the water basin in the center surrounded by food producing plants.

They didn’t have to wait long, just two months later – December 2021—all the construction was complete and the solar pumps effortlessly brought fresh, clean water to the garden! Senegal has an abundance of sun and a warm climate which makes year-round food production possible. Already the women have harvested over 12,000 pounds of produce! Of this about 25% is used to feed their families and the extra 75% is sold in local markets, increasing household income by 25%. Our technicians are on-site daily, providing training and guidance for all participants ensuring they have the tools they need to succeed.

“This garden is very important for us. We gain a lot from it. When we harvest we can eat and sell. We are no longer worried for vegetables; we have them all!”

— Khady Sow, Garden Participant, Battra Ndialla

This is just the start for Battra Ndialla. In addition to vegetables such as tomatoes, eggplant, okra, and lettuce they are also growing hearty root vegetables like carrots and turnips. Fast growing herbs such as mint are a cash crop and sell quickly in the market.

Live-fencing trees are started in planting sheaths inside the garden. These trees will replanted around the perimeter of the garden to protect it from wind and animals.

The women are also planning for the future by planting live-fencing that will reach maturity before the existing chain link fence deteriorates in the harsh elements. This live-fence will protect the garden from the strong drying winds as well as from roaming cattle, goats, and sheep that can level a garden in a short time. Soon the women will start planting fruit producing trees such as papayas and mangoes which will not only provide delicious food, but also fortify the soil and protect from it from erosion.

“Since this garden game here. We are all happy. We gain money through the garden, we sell some and cook some.” - Binta, Garden Participant, Battra Ndialla

We celebrate with Battra Ndialla Women’s Collective for their great success this first year, and we look forward to their continued leadership, growth, and creativity to strengthen their communities. Thank you to everyone who made this possible.

From the Team - July 2022

A rare moment when three of our US-based staff (Lewis, Garrison, and Crystal) are in Senegal at the same time.

We had the rare pleasure of having three of our US-based staff in Senegal at the same time! This allowed us to dive deep with our team on the ground there and make BIG plans for the future.

We were honored to help cut the ribbon at the official opening ceremony for Keur Soce High School!

Keur Soce High School is finishing up its first year of classes, and with enrollment increasing we finalized plans with the administration to construct an additional two classrooms to meet their current need. We also discussed the possibility of adding a school garden in the future with an attached science classroom to help boost their science curriculum.

After only six months since launching the aquaculture program, the fish are big enough to harvest. Each of the pilot gardens received advanced training, which will help them move towards self-sufficiency and reap the maximum benefits from the project.

In the gardens, we got to witness the first fish harvest from our pilot aquaculture program! The women and technicians have worked so hard to learn this new skill, and we couldn’t be happier to celebrate their success with them.

Fresh fish is hard to come by in these arid regions of Senegal. But now garden participants enjoy the nutritional benefits of fresh fish while also seeing their gardens bursting through the use of water from the fish ponds for their plants.

In Podor we met with local leaders to plan a permanent tree nursery which will allow us to grow thousands of beneficial trees where they are desperately needed.

These trees will become live fencing that will protect gardens from animals and wind. Over time metal fencing deteriorates, but live fencing is sustainable and provides long-term protection while helping to improve the soil.

These are just a few examples of the amazing things our team is working on, and we are so excited to see these programs continue to grow and thrive.

From all of us, “Jéréjëf!” – Thank You!

A Garden: More Than the Sum of Its Parts

The women of Belel Kelle village have transformed the land from a desert to a lush and thriving garden.

It is always very satisfying to see a beautiful green garden spring seemingly out of nowhere. It’s easy to see the initial benefit, but it can be difficult to understand the other positives that a garden brings to a community. Every once in a while, however, we get a glimpse into the deeper value these gardens bring to their communities.

Belel Kelle is one of our newest gardens, near Senegal’s northern border with Mauritania. One of the hottest regions of the country, it’s hard to believe that anything could grow here. To say that people here are tough is an understatement.

One of the hottest regions in the country, this thermometer shows the ground temperature at over 120 degrees F.

Most make their living as nomadic herders, traveling with their livestock for much of the year. Having a garden in a fixed location is new for the village, but the women here took to it with determination, and in less than a year their garden is yielding harvests that rival established gardens with many more years of experience. It’s so successful that many of the women are choosing to stay in the village year-round rather than leaving with the men to tend the livestock!

The women of Bele Kelle took to the garden with determination, and in less than a year their garden is yielding harvests that rival established gardens with many more years of experience.

“Because there are no resources during the dry season, the majority of the population moves to feed their cattle, but this year, because of the garden, many children stay with their mothers to continue their studies. The school is full of students compared to last year! The garden has brought a big change in this village of Belel Kelle.”

— Omar, Garden Technician

Children now stay in school rather than leaving the village with their families to tend the livestock.

We never know what changes a garden will bring or how communities will use the resources they create from it. Students staying in school is a huge benefit that we never anticipated but are thrilled to see. The people of Belel Kelle are doing a great job, and we are proud to give them the resources to forge their own path to a more prosperous future.

BEFORE: It’s hard to believe that anything could grow here - this is Belel Kelle garden before.

AFTER: In less than a year the garden is yielding harvests that rival established gardens with many more years of experience.

From the Director - Thank You!

Surveying a new garden site with Boubou, Senegal Country Director.

Visiting Senegal last month, I was able to see firsthand the impact that you all have made this past year. Despite the challenges, we made huge strides in our efforts with the establishment of new gardens, increased capacity at many schools, and broadened access to healthcare.

Racky (pictured center) is President of the Lamarame Market Garden, one of four gardens participating in our aquaculture trial project (see page two for more).

Last month, you heard the story of Racky (pictured above) and I had the chance to visit with her again. It is astonishing to see her strength and resilience, and there are hundreds more stories like hers. These folks are paving their own path toward a better future, and we are so fortunate to be a part of it. 

In 2022, we plan to build on these successes with five new community gardens, more classrooms to empower young students, and building a healthier population. Your contribution makes these programs possible, and the Senegalese send along a BIG “Jerejef!” – Thank you!

Lewis Kiker, Executive Director

Farming Fish...in the Desert?

Readying the basins for the fish, part of a trial aquaculture project in four of our well- established gardens.

During our latest trip to Senegal, Garrison and Lewis worked with our Senegal staff to add yet another exciting element to four of our gardens near Keur Soce - Aquaculture!  In a partnership with the Auburn University, that started in 2019, we are embarking on a trial fish farming project to raise Tilapia and Clarias Catfish in the gardens. 

Filling the two large basins that will be home to Tilapia and Clarias Catfish in the gardens.

Fish are an essential part of daily life in Senegal and while dried fish are readily available throughout the country, fresh fish can sometimes be scarce in inland areas.  Producing fish locally is a wonderful addition to food security and our nutrition objectives.

Adjusting the flow rate of the drain in the bottom of the basin.

Digging the pipline that will take water from the fish basin to the garden watering basin.

But where does one get baby fish in Senegal?  Well, as with most things, you gotta know a guy.  Fish farming isn’t commonplace yet in Senegal but it does exist and there is a small network of fish producers around the country.  Our coordinator from Auburn gave us a list of phone numbers and that’s all we needed. 

Transporting fish in the back of a truck to the garden.

Weighing one of the catfish to track growth.

Naturally none of those contacts had any fish available but believe in the magic of Senegal and our Country Director Boubou!  He connected the dots from one person to the next until just a few days later, as if by magic it seemed, we were driving into town with 500 fingerlings in the back of the truck!  We introduced the fish into the basins to the general amazement from everyone, ourselves included. 

The significance of what this could mean for the gardens wasn’t lost on anyone and both the technicians and the women in the gardens were eager and attentive as we explained the project. 

Testing and maintaining an appropriate pH level will ensure a healthy living environment for the fish.

Women of the Lamarame Market Garden

We left everything in their capable hands and a month later we are happy to report that the fish are doing great!  This is only the beginning.  We’ll keep you updated as the fish grow and we see the many benefits they bring. 

From the Director - October 2021

A bountiful and varied harvest of eggplant, melons, turnips, peppers, and greens provide nutrious food to hundreds of families.

It was only about eight years ago that we started our first two gardens in Keur Socé, Senegal. What began as a bit of an experiment for us, spurred on by the ambitious women’s cooperatives as to what their potential might be, launched a program that has changed the lives of thousands of people across Senegal.

We knew this had potential, seeing so many people with the skills and knowledge but without access to year-round water and other primary inputs. But we are continually blown away by what this has become – a massive boost to both tangible income and unquantifiable gains in women’s health, students’ ability to learn and grow, and renewed hope for the future for all those involved.

By the end of this year, we will have 33 gardens in operation with around 3,000 active participants. It is hard to capture just what this has done for these communities, with literally hundreds of thousands of dollars produced and circulated in local economies. One incredible milestone is that we recently reached over 500,000 pounds of produce grown in our gardens in the last couple years alone.

Outside a family home in the village of Fas Toucouleur.

This equates to a stronger, more resilient community, with dynamic economic activity, and a healthier population able to thrive where they are. We are proud of what we have built through your continued efforts, and we hope you can take joy in knowing the difference you have made. There are so many more communities we can reach, and we look forward to many more years of success.

“Jéréjëf!” – Thank You!
Lewis Kiker, Executive Director

It’s “Canning” Season in Senegal!

While we may be just starting the gardening season in the Pacific Northwest, and other parts of the United States, it’s “canning” season in Senegal!

The gardens often produce more food than the families can eat and sell and garden participants are creative in how they maximize their harvests.

Ndouima Sall has a plot in the Mboyo Garden.

“Since the garden has been in Mboyo, we are so happy, and we have a good production, especially of turnips.”

— Ndiouma Sall - Mboyo Garden

When gardens produce more than can be consumed, the women quickly set to preserving the excess so it will be available later.

“We have to process it in order to keep it. So we take the turnips, wash them, and transform them, putting them into bottles so they can stay for six months. And during the six months they wont perish.”

— Ndiouma Sall - Mboyo Garden

Racky Niane also has a plot in the Mboyo Garden. She explains the how preserving the turnips not only extends their shelf-life, but also adds additional forms of income for the women and their families.

“After we transform it we can sell it. A big bottle, which hold a kilogram (2 1/4 pounds), sells for 500cfa (about $1 USD). There is a smaller one, a half kilo, it sells for 250cfa. And finally a 250g bottle, sells for 125cfa.

We can use everything, we are not losing, even if we have an overproduction. We know how to keep it so we can use it in the future. ”

— Racky Naine - Mboyo Garden

Racky Niane, of the Mboyo Garden

The women of the Mboyo Garden are very happy for the help you have brought to their community. With your support more communities will benefit from increased food and financial security.

“Andando did what others couldn't do.”

Samba Mbaye - farmer, father, and city councilor in Keur Socé.

It’s been over a year since the pandemic started, and thanks to our team on the ground in Senegal we were able to quickly identify and meet the emergent needs of the communities we serve.

While things may not be back to “normal” soon, we remain committed to walking alongside the people of Senegal just as we have for nearly 15 years.

We met with one of the city councilors in Keur Socé and he shared with us his thoughts on the last year:

My name is Samba Mbaye, I would like to take the opportunity to testify about Andando and the acts of kindness they have done during the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Andando is the only NGO that did what others couldn’t do during Covid -19...they had the courage to come as a backup and to our bedside.”

— Samba Mbaye, City Councilor

I testify knowingly, what Andando did during the pandemic. I saw the devastation of the pandemic with my own eyes, therefore, I wish the virus would go away forever. Andando has done a lot for the community by providing emergency supplies such as rice, oil, soap, milk, sugar, and masks. Andando did this THIS year, they contribute to the development of the municipality and surrounding areas.

Andando staff working with local leadership to coordinate a distribution of food, soap, and masks to rural communities.

Once supplies reach rural villages, they are distributed among families, with special care given to those most in need.

Beyond Covid relief they are building classrooms, installing gardens for the benefit of women and families, and providing small loans for farmers. In short, Andando is doing everything possible to help the development sectors of our community.

Thousands of masks have been given out to garden participants so they can safely keep providing food for their families.

Andando is an essential partner who invests in the community; they have done a lot of things here. Since the beginning they respect our local leadership, honor our memorandum of understanding, and participate in our budget orientation meetings.

Corn growing in one of the community gardens.

Andando intervenes within the framework of State policy, it is an important NGO that works to help populations and has an inclusive and participatory vision. Andando is the only NGO in our town that works for the well-being of the populations. On the other hand, there are other NGOs that distribute T-shirts and not important actions. Andando is the only NGO that did what others couldn't do during Covid -19 where everyone was staying at home, activities were down, people were not working and making no money, it is Andando who had the courage to come as a backup and to our bedside.

An elementary school under construction.

I have hope because Andando teaches us with a development method - they start with someone who has nothing at all, and they train and encourage us so we can come out of idleness and poverty.

Andando is leading us on a good trajectory, showing us the way and giving us ideas.

Health Posts and Gardens in Action [Video]

We recently sat down to talk with local health workers and garden participants. They shared with us in this video how they think the projects are going in their communities. Click here to watch the full video. You can also read the transcript below.

“Andando has helped us to build many health posts... also they give us some of the basic tools and medicines. We had another building that was for vaccinations, but we could not use it - but now we can because Andando renovated it.”

— Umu Barry, Head Nurse, Keur Soce Health Clinic

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Video Transcript:

Hey guys, I am Boubou Sy, I am the Country Director of Andando.  For those who don’t know me, I have been with Andando for a very long time, since the beginning. 

I came here (Keur Soce) in 2006, and since we have been working, and helping, and also for Andando to set here.

-Boubou Sy, Andando Country Director

Andando has achieved a lot for our village, and we really thank Andando from the bottom of our hearts.

Since Andando came to Mbadhiou, we have peace. Since they arrive we have no more worries and we thank you.

-Woury Sow, Mbadhiou Peulh – Garden Member

I am a mother of ten children including six boys and four girls.  Thanks to Andando, I have a job doing small business – I became a women entrepreneur in the field of commerce.  Before, I had not occupation, now with Andando, I grow and sell vegetables.

-Khady Sow, Mbadhiou Peulh – Garden Member

Thanks to Andando, our community lives well.  The local economy is developing because all the women in the garden without exception have the capacity to earn maybe $5 a day, this did not exist before.

We thank God, because we cultivate all the varieties of vegetables which we use in our meals.

-Woury Sow

In the past, I had a huge problem providing for the needs of the family. Now, since the garden is installed, I take good care of my family and myself.

The important thing is that if we create gardens for other communities, they will become self-sufficient in terms of food security.

-Khady Sow

We hope this program can grow to other communities as I inform them that if they will have an organization like Andando they will believe in the work and they will have the esteem of others wherever they are. They will be independent and have confidence in themselves.

-Woury So

The health sector, if you see they had only one health post.  It was not working, but Andando has been helping them by building many health posts around.  I think now they are really enjoying.

-Boubou Sy

Before Andando came here, the population of Sama and the other surrounding villages were depending on us here, but we have a lot of difficulties as far as just caring for them with the lack of health post. But we thank the Lord, since Andando came here, all of those problems are almost solved.

-Nene Sy, Midwife – Sama Toucouleur Health Post

They have helped us to build many health posts. Sometimes they build and sometimes they renovate the buildings that we have to make them functional. And also they give us some of the basic tools and medicines.  We had another building that was for vaccinations, but we could not use it - but now we can because Andando renovated it.

-Umu Barry, Head Nurse – Keur Soce Clinic

When Andando came here and assist us with this very nice health post, it did not cost us as Andando has taken care of everything. They brought the material and all the medicines, and that is the support we needed. Since that time, this health post has been working very well and we have really started to see the difference it can make in our community. We are so happy for that, that we no longer have any problem since Andando came here.

-Nene Sy

Andando is our first partner and is a very dedicated partner. We have seen all that Andando has does for us we thank Andando for that and we praise the lord for Andando.

-Umu Barry

Now when you tell them Andando, you see everybody, they are you know, they are lively because, even the word Andando they pronounce it with joy with happiness because they have known that really what Andando helped them to do.  They are very determined, and now they are very, when you talk about Andando they are so happy because they know that where Andando take them from and where they are now, this is what we can do.

-Boubou Sy

Project Updates & Meeting the President of Senegal

Senegal has opened its borders for travel once again! One of our founders, Fiona, was able to make our first country visit since the start of the pandemic. (International travel is currently permitted so long as the traveler produced a negative Covid-19 test.)

Visiting the school in Agnam (in the Podor region), a potential site for future development.

As soon as the regional lock down on travel was lifted, our team sprung into action. Three of four new gardens have been completed since June, one more is halfway done, two classroom projects and a health post have been started, all while maintaining the ongoing work. Fiona says, “Our staff are superstars!”

Visiting with the midwives and medical staff of the health post in Biddy.

In addition to spending some quality time with our team, Fiona also toured some new sites for future development in both the Podor and Keur Soce regions. Both regions were lush and green from the recent rains.

Members of the Keur Ngor community using sandbags to protect their garden from run off and flooding caused by excessive rains.

Some parts of Senegal have received as much as 8 inches of rain overnight which resulted in some localized flooding. Fortunately, our areas were not significantly impacted and communities have used sandbags to protect gardens and other areas from flooding.

Inside an elementary school classroom under construction in Donaye Tarédj.

The most unexpected thing that happened during the trip was a surprise visit from the President of Senegal, Macky Sall. The Mayor of Keur Soce was informed that the President would be stopping by Keur Soce on his way to see a government-financed rice project just outside of town. Mayor Malick Ndiegane said he could choose four people to meet the President and two should be from Andando!

We had the honor of meeting President Macky Sall in his recent visit to a government-financed rice project near our base in Keur Soce. One of our founders, Fiona, is pictured here with President Sall.

Boubou Sy (Andando Country Director) and Fiona represented Andando. President Sall asked about what we did, how often we were in Senegal, how long we had been there, etc. He spoke with us for quite some time and we were able to congratulated him on his government’s steps toward development. It was a huge honor to meet the President, a very successful trip.

Fiona and some of our staff demonstrating the variety of trees we are growing as part of our reforestation project.

Your support enables our staff to continue to build these strong connections in the community. Thank you for investing in their future!

Planting Seeds for the Future

Volunteers from the community along with Andando staff after a very successful seed planting session.

Together with the help from members of the community, we have nearly realized our reforestation goal. Last year we started an ambitious goal of 50,000 trees that will be used as live fencing, shade trees, and for food production. Over 40,000 trees have been planted so far!

Over 40,000 trees have been started as part of our reforestation project.

Initially the seeds are planted in plastic sleeves that allow for proper watering and then they are grown under the cover of the greenhouse constructed on-site at our headquarters in Keur Soce.

Inside the greenhouse, Mandaw is holding one of the first trees we planted.

The greenhouse is covered with a special screen that protects the young plants from the scorching sun as well as from birds that would eat the seedlings before they could get established.

Trees inside the greenhouse are thriving (some are almost touching the ceiling) and are ready to be transplanted.

With the coming of the rainy season we have been able to start some trees directly in the ground, rather than having to start them as seeds, then later transplant them.

The Mayor of Keur Soce joined us for a ceremonial tree planting in honor of Senegal’s Arbor Day.

Recently, we celebrated Senegal’s Arbor Day with the blessing of the Mayor of Keur Soce and the Deputy Mayor who joined us in the ceremonial planting of two trees. In the environmental field trees symbolically are sources of vitality and sustainable development. The Mayor thanked Andando for our development actions within his community, especially the honor that he is granted through the planting of trees and watering them because “together these two elements are the source of life.”

The Mayor of Keur Soce along with his Deputy and the Andando staff ceremonially planting a tree in honor of Senegal’s Arbor Day.

We are grateful to have the support and collaboration with local authorities which enables our sustainable work. Your support allows our team in Senegal to continue to nurture these relationships and invest in the future of the communities we serve.

New Garden Construction is Underway

Construction has started on three new gardens! For three months Senegal placed a ban on interregional travel to curb the spread of coronavirus. As of the end of June this ban was lifted, which means our team can restart garden construction that was halted in the spring.

Delivery of construction material at the Mbaylar garden.

The new gardens are being installed in Mbaylar and Batara Wolof (both about six miles from our hub in Keur Soce); and Mboyo Walo (in the northern region of Podor). Combined they will serve over 300 families and their larger communities will also benefit from access to fresh, local produce.

Masons pour the foundation of one of the watering basins. There are a total of five in each garden.

Bricks are formed on location. These bricks will form the walls of the pump house building.

Communities with gardens have been much more resilient during the coronavirus due to a steady supply of fruits and vegetables.  We are excited to partner with these communities to help strengthen them for the future. 

Excavating and framing the solar pump house. This structure will hold the solar panels and above ground water reservoir.

MORE PICTURES COMING SOON!

From the Director- April 2020

In the face of a worldwide issue, it is still inspiring to see how our global community is coming together to support each other. The health and safety of our staff and program participants is foremost, but beyond that, it is encouraging to see the ways people have responded to the situation and have risen up to meet needs. Even with schools closed in Senegal and most activities shut down, people still must go about their daily lives and feed their families.

On a visit to Andando partner schools (before the coronavirus closures) students wrote “thank you” on their chalkboards and paper as a way to express their deep gratitude.

One phenomenal example of this is in our gardens, where work continues to take place while implementing government guidelines to keep people safe.

Food security is always an issue in Senegal, but it’s made even worse in these uncertain times. The women are responding and recently had their largest harvest on record – over 40,000 pounds of produce in just one month!!

Weighing the harvest at Dioundou Garden in Podor. Collectively the gardens recently had their largest harvest on record - over 40,000 pounds of produce in just one month!!

This shows not only what they are capable of when given the right tools to thrive, but also is a testament to their resiliency and determination to keep going. When life does finally get back to normal, we know that these communities will continue to be transformed. We thank you for being a part of it.

“Jéréjëf!” – Thank You!
Lewis Kiker, Executive Director

Kaolack International Fair

In February, our staff and a couple of the garden collective presidents represented Andando with an informational booth at the Kaolack International Fika (Fair).

The fika is organized by the Chamber of Commerce of the region of Kaolack, of which Keur Soce and surrounding villages are inside of. It is a fair which receives all the countries of the sub-region (Mali, Ivory Coast, Benin, Guinea Conakry, Gambia, Niger, Nigeria, Morocco, etc.).

Andando exhibit at the Kaolack International Fika (Fair). Pictured left to right: a potential buyer from a local food market; Camara, Andando Program Manager; Aissatou, a garden collective representative'; and Mandaw, Andando Garden Manager.

For five years Andando has taken part in this fair to exhibit and give more visibility of our community garden program and (more importantly) forged new connections between potential produce buyers and the women who manage the gardens.

The Mayor of Keur Soce, Malick Ndiegane, and his delegates took time to visit the Andando table at the Kaolack International Fair.

“It is always with pride that we share the moments with Andanda, a strategic, dynamic, useful partner, made up of very committed, respectful people who know the meaning of responsibility. Thank you!”

— Malick Ndiegane, Mayor of Keur Soce

The garden presidents were a great asset as they spoke directly to the benefit of Andando gardens in their community and also the food outputs of their respective gardens. Several orders of produce were made, and our staff facilitated the transport of the vegetables from the remote villages to the fair in Kaolack (15+ miles away, or approximately 3 hours by donkey cart).

Andando staff and interns at our table at the Kaolack International Fair.

“This is a great opportunity for Andando because we have made a lot of customers for our gardens thanks to the fair.”

— Camara, Andando Program Manager

Give the Gift of Opportunity this Holiday Season!

Khoyan lives with her husband and their school-aged children in Keur Pathe Malick, a small village of about 2,000.

Together in 2019, we have accomplished so much for the people of Senegal. In rural areas, where a majority of people live in poverty, we have been able to develop programs reaching tens of thousands of people. With your help, we hope to do even more in 2020.

I would like to introduce you to Khoyan. Khoyan lives with her husband and their school-aged children in Keur Pathe Malick, a small village of about 2,000. Here, they farm millet and peanuts during the short three-month rainy season. This food must last them throughout the rest of the year. When stocks run out, the family goes hungry.

Three years ago, the village of Keur Pathe Malick approved the installation of an Andando garden. With your help, a solar well was constructed and now water is available year-round for growing fresh, life-giving food!

Khoyan in her kitchen preparing meals for her family using produce from the garden.

“This garden allows me to support my family, to work to get out of poverty. What you did for my village has never been done before - thank you! ”

— Khoyan

Because of their initiative, drive, and hard work shown in the garden, we were able to develop a deeper partnership with this community by also building a school and completing a health post that will serve thousands of people for years to come.

There are many more families like Khoyan’s; families that can thrive if just given access to water, education, and healthcare.

Khoyan watering her garden plot.

Today, I ask for your support so that we can continue bringing
these life-changing programs to the people of Senegal.

Some of the women of the Keur Pathe Malick Garden Collective.

• $100 feeds ten students nutritious meals at school for a year, helping them learn and grow.

• $250 provides microloans for three small business owners, helping them break the cycle of poverty.

• $500 stocks three rural health posts with medical supplies for a year, keeping people healthy and thriving.

• $1,000 rehabilitates a well, supplying fresh, clean
  water for a village for years to come.

Join us to walk alongside these families to build a brighter future together.
Our programs are built and maintained by you and we Thank You!

With gratitude,

Lewis Kiker
Executive Director