Seynabou Diatta is determined to build a bright future for herself and her family.
“I want to offer a better life to my children, the one I didn’t have!”
She joined Trees for the Future’s (TREES) Forest Garden training program in early 2020.
“Thanks to TREES, my life has changed positively. It is a year that I will never forget,” she recalls.
We caught up with Seynabou at the end of 2020, when she was just one year into the program. At the time, she was already seeing the dramatic benefits of sustainable farming techniques and the Forest Garden Approach.
Seynabou joined Trees for the Future’s Forest Garden training program in 2020.
“The whole family was delighted to be able to eat their appetites. The production was beyond my expectations, I harvested about 200 kilos of vegetables including tomato, eggplant, lettuce, okra. It was great to watch my kids eat their fill,” she said back in 2020.
Two years later, her success continues.
Today, she has more than 2,380 trees on her land and she and her family are thriving.
“Since my integration of the project, I feed my family properly and I support all the expenses of my large family.”
Seynabou recalls the challenges of providing for her special needs children and a 40-person household.
“I was very poor, but my situation got worse once I became a mother. Because I have different children who need a lot of care and attention,” explains Seynabou Diatta.
With her children’s disabilities, she says it was difficult for her to conduct daily activities, but once she had her first harvest, she was able to make sure her children were healthy and comfortable.
With her improved income, Seynabou has gotten her family on a health insurance plan.
“With my harvests, I bought sheep and goats, I installed an irrigation machine in my Forest Garden and I subscribed to health insurance for myself and my family,” she says.
She is also a main supplier of fruit trees, selling to other farmers and producers in the area. Through her Forest Garden, Seynabou has successfully secured a steady stream of income for her family year-round.
“This project is my most important source of income and I know that this is just the beginning. Because with TREES everything is possible!”
Today, Seynabou has made a place for herself as a leader in farming and agroforestry in the region.
“This project is my most important source of income and I know that this is just the beginning. Because with TREES everything is possible!”
“Her dedication can be seen in the beauty of her Forest Garden,” says Djiby Diouf, the lead TREES technician for Seynabou’s project.
“Being a Lead Farmer of the TREES farmers in my area has made me more responsible and encourages me every day to give my best to succeed in my country,” she says.
At last count, Seynabou has 2,387 trees growing in her Forest Garden. She is one of 147 farmers in her TREES project. Together, they’ve planted roughly half a million trees on their farms, improving their land and more than 2,800 beneficiaries.
Help reach more farmers like Seynabou with land- and life-changing training and resources. Donate to Trees for the Future, today.