Tag: Mali
Groundnut cultivation during the rainy season (Bouillagui, Mali), May 2021
During the rainy season, groundnuts are grown in Bouillagui. Without chemical fertilisers, groundnuts are grown in the sandy field. The field is first ploughed with an ox-drawn plough, it can take 2-3 days, and for 1-2 weeks the groundnuts are planted.Then the weeding begins with a small daba. During 2 to 3 months the peanuts ripen, and then the harvest
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
Maize seeds in the village of Bouillagui (Mali), May 2021
Maize seed is grown in Bouillagui during the three-month winter season. The seed is chosen for the fastest harvest, which helps families who do not have enough millet. Maize is cultivated in the slightly sandy fields without industrial fertilisers, it is sufficient to use cow dung as a natural fertiliser. Sowing takes place around July, and it is harvested in
Consequences of the lack of wood on blacksmithing (Bouillagui, Mali), May 2021
In Bouillagui the blacksmiths are facing serious problems with charcoal, due to the lack of wood in the forest caused by global warming. The tree they use for forging is different from the others. It is called “djebee” in Soninke. It is a big tree that gives a slightly reddish wood. They have to go to Kayes to buy coal.
Deforestation and collecting wood in Bouillagui (Mali), November 2021
Deforestation in Bouillagui is due to global warming and the cutting of trees during the rainy season. Finding wood for cooking is becoming very difficult in the Bouillagui forest. Women used to go to the fields very early in the morning to cultivate and collect wood in the evening when they returned to cook with it. The situation has prompted
Growing “gros mil” (fêla) in Bouillagui (Mali), May 2021
We are going to tell you about the big millet (called fêla in the Soninké language) which is grown in Bouillagui during the winter. It is a very fast seed, which gives a lot of millet. It is grown a lot, but there are also other millet seeds grown in Bouillagui. This one is fast and can withstand a lack
The roast tree (Bouillagui, Mali), November 2021
In 1914, a tree called roast tree was discovered in Bouillagui by a hunter called Boubou yaguè (“Boubou the honey seeker”). In those days, the forest of Bouillagui had only this tree. There was famine, and it was with the nuts of this tree that our parents fed themselves. The nuts were delicious, but they were also used as a
Road repair (Bouillagui, Mali), October 2022
During the rainy season there are certain problems in Bouillagui, such as the degradation of roads. In order to find sustainable solutions to this problem, which is due to climate change and the rainfall that degrades some roads, the villagers decided to rebuild the roads. Using stones and gravel, a day’s work was organised to asphalt the roads, which is
Cutting trees to make charcoal (Bougarila, Mali), October 2021
The second job that people have during difficult periods is the cutting of trees in the bush to make wood to sell. We have seen that this practice is very useful to them because it allows them to get through these times. In addition, the trees grow again even if it takes a little time. The question we are asking
Canaris making in Bandafassi (Senegal), May 2022
In this video, we see a Bedik woman making canaris. She explains that she takes the land up the mountain, that it is not just any land: it is land that was bought by their grandparents at the cost of their lives. Now, every time she digs the land to make canaris, they have to pay a goat, a chicken