Mali is facing a particularly difficult situation due to national and international crises, which have led to major difficulties in the supply of basic products. Despite this, many beneficiaries have stressed the importance of the support offered by the project, which is a source of encouragement for us.
As Tereo’s direct contact for our partners in the South, I have the privilege of working closely with our colleagues in the countries where we operate, while regularly carrying out follow-up and reinforcement missions within our projects.
During November 2023, I had the opportunity to represent Tereo on our first official visit to the “ Sugu Horon ” project, launched in Mali in collaboration with the local Joeli Devenir association just over a year ago.
In fact, Tereo supports a solidarity network bringing together dozens of agricultural producers in the peri-urban area of Bamako, thanks to the work of Joeli Devenir technicians. During my mission, I accompanied our Joeli Devenir colleagues on their visits to beneficiaries, offering practical, personalized training in the adoption of the best production techniques.
The visit to the weekly markets was also very enriching. I had the opportunity to discover the five markets organized by the project network, located in different parts of the city. These markets enable beneficiaries to exchange and sell their products to more than 200 committed consumers belonging to the same network.
Although my mission focused mainly on our project in Bamako, I took the opportunity to meet our colleagues from Terres Jaunes in Ségou while I was in Mali. Tereo had been running a hospitality and agroecology training project , which was officially completed in 2022. I saw the efforts made by Terres Jaunes to make the project self-sufficient, with the Doni Blon training center and the Benkadi Bougou farm-school still in operation, generating income from their products and services. Terres Jaunes even occasionally offers free training at these facilities.
During my stay, I also met with former Tereo beneficiaries in the region to assess the sustainability of our actions. I was greatly encouraged by their testimonials, some of which highlighted how the agro-ecological principles and techniques they had learned from us had strengthened the resilience of their production in the face of Mali’s constraints. These beneficiaries were asked by their neighbors to share their knowledge when it became difficult to obtain imported agricultural products. These stories have strengthened my conviction to become more involved in Tereo’s actions.
These experiences clearly demonstrate that projects focusing on agroecology and food sovereignty can truly ensure the success and sustainability of agricultural development in Africa!
