Arabfields, Nadia Fatima Zahra, Arabfields, Yamoussoukro, Ivory Coast — In the heart of Senegal’s Fatick region, a quiet revolution is taking root at the Kaydara agroecological farm. Twenty women, their hands calloused from years of working the land, are now learning to work with it in a completely new way. They have come from distant villages across the northern agropastoral zone, leaving behind their families and daily chores for six months of intensive training, a program initiated by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) that is reshaping not just their farming techniques, but their entire future.
The initiative is part of two major projects, Ripostes and PVA, both implemented by the FAO. The goal is to build resilience against the relentless advance of climate change and to boost the incomes of rural women. For women like Couna Ndiaye, who spoke on behalf of her peers, this training is a lifeline. “We are learning to make our land productive again without destroying it,” she said, her voice reflecting a new sense of empowerment. “We want to grow coconuts and fruit trees. We have the will, and now we are getting the knowledge.” Her group is already planning to launch a 100-hectare agricultural project, a testament to the ambition that this program has ignited.
The training curriculum is comprehensive and practical. Over the coming months, the women will master techniques for reseeding, climate-smart agriculture, and sustainable soil management. The emphasis is on achieving high yields for agricultural and forest products while drastically reducing the use of chemical fertilizers. The ultimate aim is to promote organic farming and healthy food production, adding value to family farms through processing. For the FAO, this is a strategic investment; according to the agency’s sub-regional coordinator for West Africa, Binta Stephen Tchicaya, these women are expected to become trainers themselves, spreading these vital practices to their home villages.
The partnership between the FAO and the Kaydara incubation center, which began in 2022, has already shown concrete results. Ten young people and twenty women have previously benefited from this training, building a growing network of agroecological practitioners. The support does not stop at education. The FAO has pledged to help these women secure access to land, a major challenge in the agropastoral zone, and to provide essential equipment. This includes installing hydraulic works on their farms and surrounding them with protective fencing. The goal is to create a complete support system that enables them to produce, process, and bring organic products to market.
The financial backing for these initiatives comes from international partners; the Irish government supports the PVA project with a focus on women’s empowerment, while the European Union funds the Ripostes project. The money is used to facilitate access to land, secure inputs, and develop value chains for non-timber forest products like gum arabic. “This work is a vital lever for the Great Green Wall,” explained Ibra Sounkarou Ndiaye, the national coordinator for both projects. “It is about restoring degraded lands and fighting desertification. But more than that, it is about empowering a generation of women to become economic actors in their own right.”
Looking ahead to the next two years, the program’s impact is expected to multiply. The training of these new cohorts of women will create a ripple effect, with graduates establishing their own demonstration plots and training further members of their communities. The substantial financial commitments from the EU and Ireland suggest that this support is not a short-term project but a sustained effort. However, the long-term success hinges on the ability to secure land rights and market access for the women’s cooperatives, turning their new agricultural skills into durable economic independence. As the 2026 data shows, Senegal is planting the seeds for a more resilient future, one where women are not just the backbone of rural society but also the guardians of a sustainable, prosperous landscape.
