Mariame Condé has been a ‘seed family’ in the village of Kofilakoro since January 2022. She harvests the Carapa procera (Kobi) species. Let’s hear her describe her experiences in her mother tongue, Konianke, translated by Sékouba Condé, one of the supervisors at our partner organisation GUIDRE:
My name is Mariame Condé, a seed family. This project has changed my life. In 2022, I was pregnant and collected 20,000 seeds. The project paid me 1,000,000 GNF, which was a relief. At the time, my husband had gone to Sigiri, a mining area, to search for gold, and our harvest was almost gone. I used the money from Arborise to buy food and clothes for my son.
In 2023, I received 1,000,000 GNF and bought two sheep. I also got a large tarp that makes collecting seeds easier. After the seed harvest, I used the tarp to dry my rice and for my children to sleep on.
In 2024, I received another 1,000,000 GNF from Arborise and increased my sheep count. I’m happy with this project because it helps us and fights poverty. I now have 7 sheep, which are savings for my children.
Our seed harvest is done, but I profit from my sheep, and we women have formed a group (CGC SABOUGNOUMA DE KOFILAKORO). Each year, we produce lots of peppers, okra, and peanuts. It’s thanks to this mega Arborise-Guidre project that our lives have changed.
I’ve never seen a project like this that gives so much money to our husbands (land families) and us, while helping create forests that bring water to our streams. Mr. Condé, you know that from 2021–2023, the stream you once crossed dry now has water year-round.
I love this project because it keeps its promises. We’ve always received everything in the agreement—and more, like fencing, tarps, machetes, plows… always on time.
