These last weeks of the year we have to take stock. Despite having been a complicated year, we are happy to have been able to continue our work by adapting to the circumstances.
A year of fighting against violence against women and girls
We are starting 2020 with a strong start on a new project that filled us with excitement: thanks to ZeroSet and the Public Health Agency of Barcelona, and with the collaboration of the Kafountine Youth Association, we were able to start to discuss topics hitherto taboo in Kafountine. Early pregnancy, genital mutilation, domestic violence, rape...
We held awareness-raising days that included mask dancing, theater and debates open to the whole population, attended by more than 1,000 people.
And then people began to talk about Covid19 in Senegal, the first cases began to be registered and preventive measures were applied. We had to put the project on standby.
But it's hard for us not to be moving. So together with our friends from the audiovisual Minimal Heroes and the German NGO Appropriaid we decided to do a mini-project to help the population of Diannah and Kafountine to take measures against Covid19. Minimal Heroes designed some beautiful flyers adapted to the local context and Appropriaid and Kakolum were responsible for making and distributing more than 400 packs composed of mask, soap and the flyer among women's groups and vulnerable groups.
A few months passed and the measures taken by the government allowed us to get back to work, adapting the project to fight violence against women and girls to the context of Covid19. So we decided to move awareness to local television and radio, and that's why we count on the participation of health professionals and Kafountine Youth. 4 plays were performed (on rape, early pregnancy, forced marriage and domestic violence) which were broadcast on local television, and two radio-debate broadcasts on these same topics.
Women, Kakolum and sustainable agriculture
In addition, in June we started together with Setem Andalusia a project that we love.
As you know, we are creating two community gardens for women in two neighborhoods in Diannah and strengthening capacities in sustainable agricultural techniques in a third garden.
The end of the year coincides with the halfway point of the project's execution period, and so far more than 160 people have been trained in sustainable agricultural techniques, and much progress has been made with the construction of the orchards' infrastructure, so the women have already been able to start cultivating.
If you haven't yet listened to the interview they gave us at SurtopÃas , you can find out all the details of the project summarized between minute 5 and minute 15 of the podcast.
And for 2021?
For 2021 we have energy, motivation and desire to continue working together with the women of Casamance to create sustainable projects that improve their quality of life.
Next year's projects will deal with early pregnancy and healthy sexuality, education, sustainable agriculture, women's economic activities and environmental protection.
We will tell you more soon!
Thank you from the bottom of my heart!
Many of you have made this turbulent year more bearable, contributing your bit as partners, collaborators and friends to the various projects. We sincerely appreciate it.