The Fedevaco selects arboRise and invites us to submit a development project for the Diaspora Award. This training programme is aimed at associations and social and solidarity-based enterprises run by diasporas established in the canton of Vaud. Three prizes will be awarded to the winning projects: the first prize winner will receive CHF 10,000, and the second and third prize winners will receive a promotional video of their project.
For arboRise, this is an opportunity to strengthen our skills and to develop a cooperation project that complements our reforestation action, by benefiting from the expert advice of Fedevaco (remember that this umbrella organisation of 49 associations active in development cooperation has been putting its expertise and know-how at the service of public authorities in the Canton of Vaud for over 30 years).
What is our project?
In the context of our reforestation activities, we note that traditional knowledge related to trees has been lost, whereas a few generations ago, communities maintained real agro-forests. Fortunately, not everything has been forgotten and our intention is to revalorise local silvicultural knowledge.
On the one hand, we want to use the skills of recognised national Guinean institutions. The ENATEF in Mamou, for example, trains around 30 young forestry professionals each year. On the other hand, we want to engage older women who have traditional knowledge. They are the ones who know the old recipes, who know how to prepare traditional remedies, who remember the ancient wisdom linked to the trees and their products. We want to organise a dialogue between several of these elders in the presence of the young women farmers, so that the diversity of memories can be expressed and so that this moment can be a memorable collective learning experience.
The aim is therefore to enhance the local intangible heritage related to trees and to contribute to agricultural outreach in the community.
Of course, our initial intention will evolve. This is precisely the aim of our participation in the Diaspora Award: to enrich and improve our initial idea to ensure a sustainable impact.
