Ousmane Willane’ Story
There are many reasons why Ousmane and his family are celebrating and we hope you will too!
Just look at the fruits of his labors. Just look at the size of the trees he has grown over the past 4 years!
As we celebrate our 26th birthday on August 18, we’re also proud of our 26 years of collaboration with the United States Peace Corps. We currently have 15 Peace Corps Volunteers, both current and former, serving critical functions at our headquarters in Silver Spring and across projects in four countries.
Just last month, through the Peace Corps Response program, we fielded a former Peace Corps Volunteer from Togo. This volunteer now serves as a Technical Advisor for our projects in Senegal.
You can see the tremendous impact of our collaboration with the Peace Corps in Senegal’s growing cashew industry. Each year, we grow and plant tens of thousands of cashew trees in forest gardens around Senegal. We’re also very active in training farmers for ongoing cashew tree management and marketing.
Ousmane’s Journey to Forest Gardening
Ousmane Willane is 50 years old and lives in the village of Keur Lay Lobe, Senegal. His immediate family includes nine people, but after his uncle passed away, Ousmane began caring for his uncle’s family as well.
Now, there are 25 mouths to feed in his household every day!
Ousmane transitioned from being a peanut farmer with limited options to a successful forest gardener. Today, he grows jujube, cashews, mangoes, and a wide variety of citrus trees. His citrus trees serve as a source of cuttings for his neighbors, whom he teaches to graft high-value, delicious fruit trees like mandarin, lime, orange, mango, and grapefruit.
Expanding His Impact
Ousmane has two Forest Gardens under development. One is on a small plot of land just behind his family compound, where he grows high-value vegetables and fruit trees. His second Forest Garden covers a two-acre plot that was completely bare four years ago.
Enough years of killing himself in crop fields made Ousmane turn to the forest garden. And he is so glad he did! Last year he made $1,100 from the same field that struggled to produce $400 in peanuts in previous years.
In addition to beans and hot peppers growing among the trees, Ousmane also cultivates small plots of peanuts, millet, and maize. With the proceeds from his Forest Garden, he purchased a horse, two new sheep, and a cart to transport products to market.
A Healthier Future for the Willane Family
This diversity in production brings the Willane family much more income. They also enjoy a wide variety of nutritious foods.
It’s especially critical that young children eat nutritious food before the age of two, as this is when their brains are developing. Now, instead of relying solely on peanuts and a small income, Ousmane can provide vitamin-rich fruits for his kids.
Growing a Community
Ousmane’s story is a beautiful example of the collaboration between Trees for the Future and the Peace Corps.
Together, we have worked extensively in Senegal to develop the cashew supply chain. This includes farmer agroforestry training, seed selection, seedling production, and marketing.
Ousmane now serves as a lead farmer for both Trees for the Future’s and the Peace Corps’ training programs.
Why does he volunteer for two organizations? Because his Forest Garden is permanent and life-changing, and he wants everyone in his community to grow one.
As Ousmane graduates from our four-year program, we celebrate that farmers like him — and his wonderful children — can now truly taste the fruits of their labor.
