25
Jul

The ploughmen (Banzana, Mali), February 2023

We are with the ploughmen. This year’s wintering is late. The rain started, then stopped abruptly, then started up again. Our first seedlings have all withered, so we have to sow a second time. With the rain nothing is guaranteed, it’s raining normally at the moment and we’re hoping that the rainwater hasn’t done any damage. If the rain continues

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4
Jul

The disappearance of forge wood (Banzana, Mali), February 2023

We are descendants of Fakoly, our parents left Bougouni to come here. There are two Sissoko clans: the Sissoko koromagan and the Sissoko Fakoly. We are blacksmiths. We’ve been blacksmiths since our ances tors and we make hoes, knives, etc. Other blacksmiths make jewellery, others dugout canoes, others braids. Forge wood has become scarce. You have to travel about 20km

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21
Jun

A song of encouragement for farmers (Banzana, Mali), February 2023

Lyrics: The field is completely ploughed, shame on the farmer’s enemy. The field is completely ploughed by the young braves of the village, shame on the enemies of the village. The fields are ploughed, Ousmane Sidibé shame on your enemy. The field is completely ploughed, shame on your enemy! The field is completely ploughed, peul Djibril shame on your enemy!

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2
May

Natural fertilizer in Banzana (Mali), May 2021

My name is Tenenba Diarra, I am from Mali, from the Banzana region. At the time of winter, we take this waste to our fields and put it in a pile. When it has rained twice, we scatter the piles all over the field with shovels and cultivate the field. To prepare our market gardens, we dig a hole and

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24
Apr

Sorghum and small millet harvest in Banzana, Mali, November 2021

Here is this year’s crop of sorghum and small millet. After cleaning it, we put it in the granary and save some of the seeds for next year’s seed.

24
Apr

Okra harvest in Banzana (Mali), November 2021

Fanta Koné grew this okra in her own field. At the beginning of the winter season, the results were not good, but she did not get discouraged. She started by preparing her field well, and then ploughed it halfway through the rainy season. Last year she had more than 10 bags of okra, but this year she had only 5

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20
Apr

The water problem in Banzana (Mali), May 2021

In the past, there was an abundance of rain, this river filled with water and stabilised for a long time, we satisfied all our needs with this water, but in the last 10 years the river no longer holds water. The river is dry 8 months out of 12 (November to June). To deal with this problem, wells and pumps

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22
Dec

Fattening in Banzana (Mali), April 2021

My name is Harouna Fomba from the region and circle of Kayes, in the rural commune of Liberté Dembaya.   My work is breeding, which is called “fattening”, buying lean animals, getting them into shape and selling them afterwards. At a certain time, during the dry season, it is difficult to get natural fodder, and we also have many bush

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22
Dec

A water basin to water a garden in Banzana (Mali), May 2022

“I live in the Kayes region, my name is Djibril Sidibé, my village is called Banzana in the commune of liberté Dembaya. I am a gardener, you see my mango trees, the only reason why the trees do not give enough fruit is the lack of water!   I dug a well in my garden but I only started again

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21
Dec

Water and well management in Banzana (Mali), May 2022

“My name is Fatoumata, I come from Banzana. What I said about the pump applies to the well. Our grandparents used to go to the Kamankolé river, 5 km from Banzana, to get water. They used to go on foot in the morning and only came back in the afternoon, and this water was used for all the household chores.

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