Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR)

As I mentioned in an earlier article, I am working with Oxfam on the R4 Rural Resilience Initiative. It is a joint program with the UN World Food Programme which seeks to enable poor farmers to strengthen their food and income security through a combination of four risk management strategies: improved resource management (Risk Reduction), insurance (Risk Transfer), microcredit (prudent Risk Taking), and savings (Risk Reserves).

The risk reduction component is coordinated in Senegal by WFP, and implemented by national parastatal bodies. It consists of reducing risks linked to both lack and excess of rains (drought / floods).
This means building dams, wells and stone barriers, enriching soils and improving agricultural conservation practices.

Well construction

Stone barrier

Check of dam construction by Amayel Sow, from WFP

Dam construction and water retention in low lands

The question of water retention by dams in low lands is particularly important for women. Indeed, these lands--more subject to weather risks--are traditionally cultivated only by women, and not men. They plant rice and vegetables, but face the risk of having their crops flooded in case of heavy rain, or lost in case of lack of rain. The dams are built with a door in the middle, which allows to regulate the amount of water--and therefore to reduce the risks linked to irregular rainfalls.

In 2013, R4 is targeting 450 families in Senegal. It will be scaled up to 6000 families in 2014, and 18000 in 2015.

Awa Ndao, "Animatrice" La Lumière

Awa Ndao is a technical officer—Animatrice—from the NGO La Lumière, implementing partner of Oxfam for the R4 project.

She has a long experience in field animation, especially in organizing Saving for Change groups in rural areas.

And she has been incredibly helpful with me! She drove me around all the villages of the Koussanar area, where the R4 pilot is being implemented, behind her motorbike.

And as the rainy seasons had started, it was not always easy...

She was also great in helping me communicate with the groups I was interviewing. She speaks perfectly French, Wolof, Mandingue and Pulaar, all the languages of the region. And more than anything, she was able to translate the complex conceptual questions of a Frenchie from Harvard into concrete and understandable notions!

And Awa also has a 1-year marvelously cute little kid, Fodé

Thanks again Awa!!