Drilling a water well and establishing a community agricultural farm

Senegal, a Sahelian country, relies heavily on subsistence farming that is vulnerable to unpredictable weather patterns, leading to food insecurity and severe rural poverty.
Natural resources are degrading at an alarming rate due to unsustainable practices and the impacts of climate change.

In 2001, a Senegalese association was founded to promote agroecology in rural communities within the Louga region, which includes our village, Thiarène Sarr. Its mission is to support the economic and social development of villages through environmentally responsible farming practices.

The association aims to create a sustainable, self-sufficient agricultural system—one that integrates social, cultural, and economic dimensions for a more balanced approach to farming.
This initiative will strengthen food sovereignty and improve living conditions for the community.

Our project seeks to partner with this association to help overcome the many challenges that hinder the successful implementation of this vision.

Access to Water

The long journey to fetch drinking water is a heavy burden for women and young girls, who are primarily responsible for collecting this vital resource. During the dry season, they often walk up to 7 kilometers round trip. School-aged girls must also take part in this task, which disrupts their education and leads to high academic failure rates.

Collecting unsafe water can seriously harm the health of the entire family, especially children. Even when water comes from a safe source, transporting and storing it increases the risk of contamination before it is consumed. During the dry season, water supply problems in the village become even more severe.

Access to Materials and Seeds

Developing a community farm requires essential start-up materials. Quality tools and seeds are often out of reach for these low-income villagers, making it difficult to begin and sustain agricultural activities.

Access to Land

Several meetings have already been held with the village chief, local authorities, and the Senegalese association to inform them about this initiative and the overall project. The village chief, along with two prominent families, have generously donated land for cultivation.

The site selected for market gardening covers 44 hectares. Villagers have already cleared the area, and fruit trees will be planted along the perimeter to clearly define the boundaries.

The President Shares the Dream (Daniel Arseneault)

Project Objectives

The main goals of the project are:

• Drill one or two boreholes in the village, approximately 85 meters deep;
• Build a 10,000-liter elevated water tower and install 10 underground tanks of 1,000 liters each (secondary reservoirs);
• Set up solar-powered pumping infrastructure along with primary and secondary irrigation systems;
• Create an agricultural cooperative with formal statutes and regulations;
• Train employees in key areas such as irrigation, fertilization, pest management, and the importance of crop rotation;
• Establish a 44-hectare community farm with a market gardening area surrounded by fruit trees;
• Free young girls from the daily chore of carrying water so they can attend school and break the cycle of poverty;
• Provide women in the village with reliable and regular sources of income;
• Improve living conditions in a sustainable way for the entire community;
• Improve nutrition and Food Security;  
• Prevent rural exodus.

The purpose of the project will be to establish a borehole to meet the drinking water needs of a 44-hectare community farm, which includes a vegetable farming area surrounded by fruit trees.

Beneficiaries

The development of gardening activities will have positive impacts on the living conditions of the village’s 2,049 inhabitants, including 800 children. Surrounding villages will also benefit from the effects of this initiative.

Galleries

The women of the village speak to us…

Land availability

As with all projects carried out by the association, meetings were organized to inform all beneficiaries about the project and involve them in its implementation.
The village chief allocated land so it could be cultivated. The site chosen for gardening covers 2 hectares (5 acres), is already fenced, and can be expanded to 44 hectares.
The location of the community garden, provided by the village chief, was then cleared by the villagers. Trees will soon be planted around the market garden to clearly define its perimeter and to increase rainwater retention in the groundwater.

Infrastructure, Training, and Planned Equipment

To ensure that the production system is broadly ecological and allows profitability of gardening activities, the projet aims to:

• Install a solar pumping infrastructure with a primary and a secondary irrigation systems. These will equipment will make the work easier for villagers operating in this areas while increasing their productivity and optimizing water consumption;

• Training and instruction modules are being developed on agricultural practices, equipment maintenance, good corporate management practices and product marketing;

• A list of equipment needed to ensure efficient work will be drawn up shortly in order to meet the agricultural needs of the community.

Borehole Drilling

One or two boreholes will be drilled, with an approximate depth of 75 meters (compared to the average depth of 60 meters for existing wells). A 10,300-liter elevated reservoir will be installed, along with six underground tanks of 1,000 liters each (secondary basin) and a solar pumping system with the necessary piping.

Upcoming Steps :

1. Meeting with community partners
2. Meeting with government and municipal authorities
3.  Establishing the fundraising schedule
4.  Moving forward on the ground:

• Borehole drilling
•  Installation of irrigation and filtration systems  
•  Fence construction
•  Designing the agricultural plan (different fields, restrooms, shower facilities, and employee well-being)
•  Purchase of seeds
• Purchase of pregnant goats
• Training beneficiaries