{"id":3966,"date":"2025-01-24T09:38:03","date_gmt":"2025-01-24T08:38:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/climatefund.nf-int.org\/news\/die-obstbaumpflanzaktion-im-norden-senegals\/"},"modified":"2025-03-06T11:22:46","modified_gmt":"2025-03-06T10:22:46","slug":"die-obstbaumpflanzaktion-im-norden-senegals","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/climatefund.nf-int.org\/en\/news\/die-obstbaumpflanzaktion-im-norden-senegals\/","title":{"rendered":"The North Senegal fruit trees planting action"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=””]December 2024<\/strong><\/p>\n

Like many in the Sahel region, communities in northern Senegal depend on the land \u2013 its fertile soil, life-giving rains, and green canopy. But in recent years, climate change has begun to disrupt the delicate balance of life. For the villagers of Dimat, Dado, Dou\u00e9, and Loboudou,<\/strong> the landscape has become less hospitable, as floods, droughts and heatwaves threaten their way of life.<\/p>\n

This is where this fruit tree planting action began\u2014rooted in hope and focused on the trees that sustain both nature and people. The goal was simple yet profound: to plant 3,500 trees\u2014mangoes, lemons, and sapodilla<\/strong>\u2014in family compounds across these four villages. Each tree would be a symbol of resilience, providing fruit to combat malnutrition, shade to ease the harsh sun, and roots to stabilize the fragile soil.<\/p>\n

But this wasn\u2019t just about trees. It was about people\u2014teaching, learning, and reconnecting with nature.<\/strong>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_gallery type=”nivo” interval=”0″ images=”3901,3907,3904,3910,3913,3916,3919,3922,3925,3928,3931,3934,3937,3940,3943,3946,3949,3952,3955″ img_size=”large” css=””][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1648031449236{margin-top: -20px !important;padding-top: 0px !important;}”][vc_column][vc_column_text css=””]A delayed beginning<\/strong><\/p>\n

The action was set to take place in October, a time when the soil would have welcomed the roots of new life. But nature had other plans. Unusual heavy rain resulted in floods leaving behind devastation. Villages like Dado and Dou\u00e9 became islands, accessible only by boat. Loboudou\u2019s lone road was swallowed by water. Only Dimat, situated along the national road, remained within reach.<\/p>\n

For weeks, the project team waited, watching the floodwaters recede and the ground dry. By early December, when the situation had stabilized, they knew it was time to act. Together with the village chiefs, the project moved forward.<\/p>\n

The children\u2019s workshops: learning under the trees<\/strong><\/p>\n

The first step was education. Between 10 – 20 December 2024, children from each village gathered under shady trees and along the riverbanks to learn about nature and a changing world due to global warming.<\/p>\n

The workshops were far from ordinary lessons. In a natural setting, the pupils\u2014aged 11 to 13\u2014sat in small groups of ten. Each group had a chairperson and a rapporteur who would later share their reflections with everyone.<\/p>\n

Their first task was to understand climate change: its causes, its impacts, and what they could do to fight back. The students\u2019 answers were simple but honest, reflecting the innocence of their youth. \u201cThe trees are fewer than before,\u201d one child said. \u201cThe rain doesn\u2019t come on time,\u201d said another. The project leaders encouraged them to take these conversations home\u2014to ask their parents and teachers for stories of how things used to be and how they might be again.<\/p>\n

The second part of the workshop was hands-on. Technicians showed the students how to care for the trees they would soon help plant. They mixed soil, replanted seedlings, and learned how to protect young plants from grazing animals. By the end of the day, each child made a promise: to become a \u201cprotector of the trees\u201d in their village.<\/p>\n

And, as all good gatherings should, each workshop began with breakfast and ended with a shared lunch\u2014a celebration of community.<\/p>\n

Village talks and planting day<\/strong><\/p>\n

The work didn\u2019t end with the children. Before planting began, technicians held village-wide discussions to ensure that everyone was ready. They shared practical advice: how to dig proper basins for planting, how to water regularly, and how to prune branches to encourage growth. They emphasized using natural methods\u2014like organic pesticides\u2014to protect the plants and raised the awareness of the importance of keeping away grazing animals.<\/p>\n

When planting day arrived, the villages came alive with activity. Families worked side by side, placing each seedling into the soil with care. These weren\u2019t just trees\u2014they were future orchards, promising food, income, and a greener tomorrow.<\/p>\n

By the end of the project, 3,500 trees had been planted across the four villages: 1,250 mango trees, 1,250 lemon trees, and 1,000 sapodilla trees. Each village embraced the project in its own way, but one thing was clear\u2014all shared the commitment to protect the trees.<\/p>\n

The children became guardians of this new life. They were taught to care for the plants and understand their role in the bigger picture of climate action. These young protectors carried their knowledge back to their homes, spreading awareness like seeds carried on the wind.<\/p>\n

Despite initial setbacks due to the floods, the planting action achieved all its objectives. By involving children and local communities, the project has laid a strong foundation for sustainable natural resource management and ecosystem protection.<\/p>\n

In the Sahel, where every tree matters, these 3,500 saplings are a testament to what can grow when people come together\u2014with their hands, their hearts, and their hopes rooted firmly in the soil.<\/p>\n

Link to the video: The North Senegal fruit trees planting action 2024 \u2013 YouTube<\/a><\/p>\n

We rely on your donations to continue this successful project and expand it to other villages. <\/strong><\/p>\n

Every contribution is welcome! We are especially grateful for regular donations in the context of our tree sponsorships (<\/strong>https:\/\/climatefund.nf-int.org\/en\/treesponsorship\/)<\/strong><\/a>, which enable our Senegalese Naturefriends to plan more reliably: <\/strong>https:\/\/climatefund.nf-int.org\/en\/donate\/<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

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In the framework of the \u2018Fruit trees for Senegal and The Gambia\u2019 project
\nDecember 2024<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":3916,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","footnotes":""},"news":[13],"class_list":["post-3966","news","type-news","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","news-news"],"blocksy_meta":{"styles_descriptor":{"styles":{"desktop":"","tablet":"","mobile":""},"google_fonts":[],"version":6}},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatefund.nf-int.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/3966"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatefund.nf-int.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatefund.nf-int.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/news"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/climatefund.nf-int.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/3966\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4135,"href":"https:\/\/climatefund.nf-int.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/3966\/revisions\/4135"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatefund.nf-int.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3916"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatefund.nf-int.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3966"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"news","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatefund.nf-int.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news?post=3966"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}