Transjardins presents four projects in Senegal, each aimed at improving market garden production and nutrition for vulnerable populations. A ‘seed production’ component, developed in partnership with organic seed company Agrosemens, completes the package to help these projects become self-sufficient in the medium term.

Rufisque (Dakar region)

In 2021, Dessine l’Espoir created an educational vegetable garden on the roof of the ‘Le Petit Prince d’Handiscole’ school.

Founded in 1998 by Anna Gaye, this inclusive school caters for 60 disabled and non-disabled pupils.

The urban vegetable garden designed by the association uses innovative metal structures to optimise space by enabling crops to be grown in tiers. The crops are grown in recycled plastic tubs and cans. The children are involved in the daily upkeep of the garden.

Dawady (Tambacounda region)

Set up in 2017 with the support of the Belgian Cooperation via ULB Coopération, the Dawady agroforestry garden is a community project for a group of women. Located next to the Dawady health centre, this market garden area benefits from a borehole, a water tower and processing premises. In 2019, 134 women were trained in agroforestry techniques and joined an economic interest group (EIG). Part of the garden is specially reserved for vulnerable pregnant women, with vegetables distributed by a mobile midwife. Since 2020, this project has been extended to support five outlying villages.

Bala (Tambacounda region)

In 2021, The Ivory Foundation is funding the creation of an 800m2 garden dedicated to the production of organic seeds at the Bala medical centre, near Tambacounda.

The centre, set up by Kaicedrat in 2012, provides medical care to the people of this remote town and 20 villages 20km away.

The seeds are selected for their adaptation to local conditions and provide a basis for the gardens in the surrounding villages. This project strengthens food self-sufficiency and supports local agro-ecological practices.

Sandiara (Mbour region)

Th Ivory Foundation has begun working with APAF Senegal and Agrosemens to develop a local farmers’ seed production chain.

An initial farm was supported in 2019 in Diokhar, equipped with a solar well and cultivated using agroforestry principles.

In 2021, a second farm was set up in Nobandane, increasing production capacity, followed by a third in Sandiara.

The aim is to produce vegetable seeds that are adapted to the climate and meet the needs of local consumers.

  • Below is a selection of articles published about gardens in Senegal

Vegetable donation for pregnant women in Dawady, Senegal

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In Dawady, a small town 1.5 hours by track from Tambacounda in eastern Senegal, the community garden set up in 2018 by The Ivory Foundation next to the local health center fulfills two objectives:It hosts 150 women in a large … Read More

Bala farm, Senegal

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The “wintering” period is not the most favorable for seed production, with its heavy rains favoring the development of diseases such as mildew.Abdhouramane, the man in charge of the Bala garden, has nevertheless maintained a varied production during this period, … Read More

Maintenance of the Dawady community garden, Senegal

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In Dawady, eastern Senegal, the community garden installed by The Ivory Foundation next to the health center is coming back to life after the well was overburdened.As the water level had dropped, the well had to be deepened by a … Read More

Senthiou Maka garden, Tambacounda region

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The rainy season began 1 month ago in the Tambacounda region, and the landscape has undergone a metamorphosis…. The arid expanses have given way to cultivated fields, to produce cereals for 3 months that will be stored for the following … Read More

Games with the children of the Handiscole school in Rufisque

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Designing Hope has provided educational games based around vegetables, which are particularly popular with the children at the Rufisque school. Joseph is in charge of these classroom activities, as well as working directly on the school roof to water and … Read More

Maintaining the garden with the children of the Handiscole school in Rufisque

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Several times a week, children from the Handiscole school in Rufisque help to maintain the vegetable garden installed by Designing Hope on the school’s roof terrace. Joseph, the gardener, accompanies the children along with their teachers.

Presentation of leaflets on nutrition to the women of Ndioum, Senegal

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A series of manuals on nutrition, published by The Ivory Foundation, has been distributed to the gardens funded by The Ivory Foundation in Senegal. The manuals stress the importance of a balanced diet, and encourage women to grow a variety … Read More

Visit of the Ndioum’s garden

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Ndioum is one of the 20 villages visited by Bala’s mobile team in eastern Senegal. The Ivory Foundation financed the creation of a shared vegetable garden for the women of the village. This plot has been fenced off to protect … Read More

Daily watering and maintenance of the garden by children at the Petits Princes school, Rufisque, Senegal

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Every day, the children of the inclusive school of the Petits Princes in Rufisque, accompanied by their teachers and Joseph,  the person in charge of the garden, take part in the watering and maintenance of the planters.

The Sentiou Maka vegetable garden in Bala, Senegal

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Sentiou Maka is one of the community vegetable gardens set up on the outskirts of Bala. The solar pump has allowed good irrigation of the garden and within three months, it has been fully cultivated. Thanks to the expertise of … Read More

Visit of the Dawady garden, Senegal

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The Dawady garden, located next to the medical center, provides 150 women with three plots of land each, with access to water. 25% of the surface is reserved to produce vegetables for the pregnant women looked after at the health … Read More

Seed training at Dawady garden, Senegal

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A training session has been organized by The Ivory Foundation and Agrosemens to train the women of Dawady in the use of organic fertilizers and seed production. Natural ingredients such as Neem oil and Neem cake (organic residue after pressing … Read More

Productions at the Bala garden, Senegal

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Since its creation two years ago, the garden in Bala has developed well, thanks to the work of Abdurahman. The plot produces both vegetables for consumption and seed production.  It combines fruit trees such as papaya with fertilizer trees that … Read More

Bissap harvest in Sentiou Maka

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The women of the village of Sentiou Maka have harvested bissap leaves from their communal vegetable garden, which they will be cooking to accompany the semolina. This traditional plant is used both as a drink, by decocting the flowers, and … Read More

Preparing the cultivation beds at the Sandiare farm

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As part of the seed project involving Agrosemens, APAF and The Ivory Foundation, a new greenhouse has been set up at Sandiara to complete the production system, giving priority to one variety per species at each site, in order to limit … Read More

The airlock of the greenhouse in the garden of Bala, Senegal

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To guarantee the tightness of the greenhouse and thus the varietal purity of the seeds produced in Bala, we have installed an airlock lined with an “insectproof” textile to avoid cross-pollination. A project supported by Agrosemens and The Ivory Foundation.

Visit of the gardens, Bala, Sénégal

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Abdourahman, the head gardener of the Bala garden, is also in charge of three gardens in three outlying villages.  With the support of The Ivory Foundation, stakes and fences have been purchased to delimit market gardening areas operated by about … Read More

Growing at the Petits Princes school in Rufisque – Senegal

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6 months after the installation of the vegetable garden on the roof terrace of the Petits Princes school in Rufisque – Senegal, the containers have been filled with a variety of vegetables. They have benefited from abundant rainfall, and the … Read More

Sowing in the seed greenhouse of the Bala centre (Senegal)

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The Ivory Foundation has developed a reproductive seed production project in Senegal with the organic seed company Agrosemens. The Bala medical centre in eastern Senegal, near Tambacounda, is one of the pilot sites associated with this initiative. Abdourhamane, head of … Read More

Papayer of Bala garden, Senegal

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On agroforestry schemes, fertiliser trees and fruit trees are intercropped to maximize the productivity of the market garden schemes. The former fertilise the soil for market garden production, and the latter provide additional income through fruit production.  Here in pictures … Read More

A Nursery of Fertilising trees at the Bala garden, Sénégal

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The Bala seed farm follows the principles of agro-forestry, where a fertiliser tree nursery has been set up.  The seedlings are prepared in plastic bags deep enough for the trees to develop strong downward roots. The seedlings are prepared in … Read More

Discovery of the new bins in the garden of Rufisque

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New structures have just arrived on the terrace, and will make it possible to increase the surface area cultivated on the roof terrace of the inclusive school of the Petits Princes in Rufisque. The children came to discover these new … Read More

Installation of structures at the school in Rufisque, Senegal

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The metalworker has finished making all the structures for the roof terrace garden at the school in Rufisque. The children, enthusiastic, participated in the installation of the plastic containers, which, once filled with soil and compost, will soon welcome new … Read More

Carnival at the Petits Princes school in Rufisque, Senegal

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For Shrove Tuesday, all the children of the Petits Princes school in Rufisque went down the street with musical instruments for a festive walk in the district. 

Proplast: the plastic recycling company in Rufisque, Senegal

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We chose to use recuperation bins for the plantations. For that, we contacted the company Proplast, a Senegalese specialist in plastic recycling. We ordered 400 jerry cans of different sizes, cut in half. Depending on their depth, they will be … Read More

Preparing the growing containers at the school in Rufisque, Senegal

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After collecting branches and cutting them into small pieces, the children at the Petits Princes school in Rufisque spread them out in the bottom of plastic recycling bins to form a water reserve.  They then fill the bins with a … Read More

Nobadane Greenhouse Installation (Senegal)

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The Nobadane farm is located 10km from Diokhar. In order to increase the production of seed farms in the MBour region, the Ivory Foundation financed the construction of an additional greenhouse of 200m2. APAF has identified one of its agroforestry … Read More

Bourel Garden in Dawady, Senegal

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Dawady’s farm school is located 60km from Tambacounda in Eastern Senegal, with the local expertise of Am Be Khoun and the financial support of The Ivory foundation and ULB cooperation. After its establishment, The Ivory Foundation commissioned Am Be Khoun, … Read More