Members of the CIRAWA consortium visited the Ebenezer primary school in Mbane, northern Senegal, to lead a seed and planting workshop with a group of local children. The activity, held on 9 April 2025, was led on the ground by local project partners, the Senegal Agricultural Research Institute (ISRA), with the conceptual, campaigning, and graphical support of REVOLVE. The local teachers were also at hand to further enhance the learning experience.
Around two dozen children from the town of Mbane, located on the banks of Lac du Guiers, an important water source in the country, joined the workshop, which took place in the local school playground. First, the children took part in an educational lesson about the importance of seeds, plant health, and soil.
This was followed by a practical lesson in their school garden, where the children were shown how to plant seedlings, which they then did themselves in different teams.
The activity chimed with the principles of the CIRAWA project, which is researching and implementing agroecological solutions for greater climate resilience and food security in West Arica. One of the project’s key ethical pillars is to ensure non-discriminatory inclusion of many actors in society, including vulnerable people and women.
Agriculture is a vitally important cog in the Senegalese economy, accounting for around 15-16% of annual GDP. Many families in rural areas depend on farming, especially small-holding systems. The nature of the farming systems means that changes in climate or other challenges such as increasing salinity affect entire family units acutely. It is not uncommon to see children as young as eight or nine working on the land.
CIRAWA is working together with local partners and farmers in Cape Verde, Ghana, Senegal, and The Gambia to enhance existing and research newer agroecological solutions that can help local communities become more resilient to climate change. This is doubly vital in a region with widespread multidimensional poverty, where food security is crucial.
