Women lead village renewal after displacement in Senegal
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After more than thirty years of forced displacement due to conflict in the Casamance region of Senegal, women in the village of Bissine are leading efforts to rebuild their community.
People began returning to Bissine, in the commune of Adéane, starting in 2022 as peace gradually returned after the village was abandoned in 1992.
The Regional Development Agency of Ziguinchor, the government of Catalonia, and other partners provided the women with a processing facility to help them revitalize the local economy. The new facility will allow women to better process and preserve local products like mangoes and madd (a local plant) and generate income. Ismëla Manga, representing the village chief, emphasized the hardship of losing one’s home and dignity through displacement, and described the facility as a symbol of the women’s courage.
Awa Sagna, president of the women’s economic interest group, explained that while the women have access to local resources, they previously lacked the equipment needed for conservation and processing. Arona Sonko, the mayor of Adéane, highlighted the importance of supporting women to strengthen the resettlement process and encourage local economic development. The building cost approximately 10 million CFA francs.
Anna Rosés i Belló, a delegate from the government of Catalonia in West Africa, affirmed her institution’s commitment to supporting women affected by the conflict and strengthening their economic independence. The new facility represents a community’s determination to move forward and build a more prosperous future through the work of its women.
