This project would help nearly 280 women in CREATE!'s six partner villages enhance their garden cooperatives' entrepreneurial endeavors through a poultry raising initiative. Poultry raising will allow cooperative members to increase their incomes and provide a well rounded diet for their families. CREATE! works with villages in rural Senegal to improve access to water and provide comprehensive training in year-round sustainable crop cultivation and income generation.
Senegal is losing productive cropland at an alarming rate-as much as 120,000 acres per year according to some estimates. Temperatures are rising and rainfall is becoming progressively unpredictable and scarce. This poses an enormous challenge to those already struggling to earn a living in rural villages. Lack of access to resources force many village men to migrate to the cities in search of employment, leaving the women to provide for their families in an increasingly difficult environment.
The production of poultry brings numerous economic benefits to the female members of CREATE!'s garden cooperatives. Women will receive the profits from the sale of the poultry, benefiting their families and entire communities. The children of these women will also benefit from increased access to nutritious local protein sources and enhanced incomes. In addition, the project contributes to the improvement of local commerce as restaurants and hotels will source poultry from cooperatives.
CREATE! works with village populations to meet felt needs through a culturally respectful, participatory process grounded in our belief that people must have a stake in their development and contribute towards solving their own problems. Collaboration on projects creates a sense of ownership and pride in work done through CREATE!'s programs. CREATE! improves access to water, provides training in sustainable agriculture and energy conservation, benefiting nearly 12,000 people in 6 villages.
