15/07/2017
And here it is the Guineans’ turn to go to Senegal and see the project’s results on the field.
On 7 July 2017, 48 young people from the beneficiary associations left for Djaobé, Kolda region in Senegal. Young people with a great desire to observe the techniques of the Senegalese brothers, but above all with a great desire to confront and make or consolidate friendships. You know, an exchange is also synonymous with celebration. Party started at 6.30 in the morning with deafening music that accompanied us (together with the holes in the Pirada road) to Pirada where a small agricultural fair organized by AJASP (our beneficiary association) was underway with the sale of chickens, eggs and vegetables produced by young people. Then, having loaded the young people of Pirada, we crossed the border without too many problems where the young people of Kolda welcomed us with so much enthusiasm. And then the party continued: on the 8th evening a wonderful concert made many people dance in a large square. People of two different nationalities, but united by a common language: Fula. Of course we didn’t understand anything, but we had a lot of fun with them.
But not just dances. We saw with our friend Silvia from ACRA a desire to grow together, hopes sparked by the started activities that generate yields, interests linked to the land, agriculture and livestock. Desire to work, to get your hands dirty, desire to try, desire to risk, that desire that very often infects and that motivates you to continue this path of growth alongside them with the splendid entertainers and with all the local team that up to this moment have shown that they have courage and a desire to dare.
What surprised me, however, was the return: young people together who, without guidance, like a stream of consciousness reflected on the positive things seen in order to be able to replicate them. Together they reflected on the risks of irregular immigration. The women already wanted to return to the gardens proud of their production and were already talking about the rice transplant. Young people from transformation centers talked about their problems and how others had solved them. And that’s where the solution came out. There is little to do: exchanging, meeting, being together is dangerous. Dangerous for all those who do not want to make progress. Dangerous for the lazy. Dangerous for those who do not want to look ahead and improve their situation. Dangerous for those who hinder young people.
Meanwhile, small economies are taking hold. Small associations of young people are trying their hand at small investments made. Small groups of management committees update their accounting sheets and move on… Together…
