The KASAFOR Project: building on achievements and looking ahead

Since 2024, the KASAFOR project has been supporting island communities in the Kafountine area of Casamance in building their resilience to climate change. Through initiatives focusing in particular on the sustainable management of natural resources, the development of economic activities and the preservation of ecosystems, the project aims to provide practical solutions tailored to the realities of island communities.

A mission to take stock and plan for the future

From 10 to 14 August, the KASAFOR team visited the project site to review ongoing activities, consult with partners and prepare for the next stages of the project.

In particular, the mission helped to strengthen our collaboration with Assane Seck University in Ziguinchor (UASZ) on the SHARP tool, which is used to support the monitoring and analysis of the project. These discussions enabled progress to be made on documenting the use of this tool, drawing lessons and guiding future actions.

Tangible progress on the ground

In Abéné, Kafountine and Saloulou, the visits provided an opportunity to meet with partners and local communities and to monitor the progress of activities first-hand.

In Saloulou, the team was able to see that the planned construction work and facilities were almost complete. In Abéné and Kafountine, discussions focused in particular on forthcoming reforestation activities, including a visit to nurseries set up in preparation for the upcoming reforestation days.

These visits also help to identify the difficulties encountered in the field: on some plots, in particular, growers were facing attacks by armyworms. In light of this, the team spoke with the growers and provided advice on how to prevent and control this problem.

Building the way forward with local stakeholders

Beyond simply monitoring activities, this mission served as a reminder of the importance of working in close contact with local realities. Discussions with partners, collaboration with the UASZ and meetings with producers enable us to gain a better understanding of local realities, identify the necessary adjustments and develop appropriate responses.

With upcoming activities now scheduled until the end of October, KASAFOR is maintaining its momentum, drawing on experience gained in the field, the lessons learnt from the mission and the support of all its partners.