After visiting Senegal in February of 2025 (as a member of the Harambee House delegation), I felt compelled to return and support the amazing and much-needed work being done there.

The Harambee House Citizens for Environmental Justice, headquartered in Savannah, Georgia, has been doing environmental work for over 30 years. Thanks to its founder and executive director, Dr. Mildred McClain, they have trained hundreds of people in hazardous waste management, job readiness, and capacity building in real-life arenas where Black and Brown communities are suffering from industrial toxicity in the ground and in the air. But it doesn’t stop here.

The Harambee House is partnering with Dr. Ousmane Aly Pame, founder of REDES (a French acronym which refers to a network of people dedicated to the Emergence and Development of Ecovillages across the Sahel), who is leading the way in the development of ecovillages from Senegal and Mauritania to Mali, Niger, Chad, and the Sudan. In addition to wells being installed, plant nurseries, which distribute thousands of trees, are also a significant part of this work. Small solar stations are popping up, biofuels are being explored, community centers built, and children are receiving educational materials. People are also making a living. Can you blame me for wanting to return?

Dr. Ousmane Pame talks about the need for ecovillages across the Sahel:

https://youtu.be/_D6OBcw2n0M?si=gHNHDpJHp-Yz7gkK

My interest in small scale community living began years ago. I took seminars about the ecovillage lifestyle and lived and worked at Earthaven Ecovillage (www.earthaven.org) in Black Mountain, North Carolina. Subsequently, I designed a hands-on ecovillage project for children and teens called, “An Eco-hood Does Good!” (www.shine.earth). Thanks to the Harambee House, I have had the opportunity to work with young people across the country on this project.

Florida A &M Sankofa Summer Camp

St. Helena Island De Gullah Way After School Program

Now I will be rolling up my sleeves with grown folks on the Continent. Villagers there are beginning to see the ecovillage as a viable method of restoring communities where desertification is a growing problem, causing cultural disintegration, economic strife, and the exodus of young people. Having clean, accessible water is essential in restoring the culture, as well as the land. The Harambee House is currently supporting the installation of numerous wells throughout northern Senegal. Desert sands are on the road to becoming reforested, green oases again.

This work requires funding, additional personnel, supplies, equipment and other resources. The Senegalese government has joined with REDES, in addition to The Global Ecovillage Network (www.gen.org) and other organizations, including local and international universities.

To sum it up, REDES seeks to do the following:

1. Restore the land and its ecosystems, thus push back the desert;

2. Introduce sustainable and alternative energy modalities;

3. Provide an accessible water source in every village;

4. Create meaningful work for the people, especially women and youth;

5. Restore cultural practices that have been experiencing a slow death and

6. Create a network of people invested in regenerating the land and its people

What will I be doing?

Digging Wells? Installing solar panels? No, but I will be helping to further the work, which means:

• Producing documents about REDES and assuring their dissemination both locally and internationally

• Nurturing and securing partnerships, especially with American organizations and universities

• Teaching English to children and adults in my host village (Guede Chantier)

• Assisting people in the process of envisioning the restoration of their communities by engaging them in sketching and hands-on modeling

• Teaching about composting and other regenerative agricultural practices

How you can help

I need a number of things for my safety and well-being while living in and visiting the remote villages of Senegal. (I'm leaving around October 25th and returning early in 2026.) If you have an item you would like to purchase on my behalf, just let me know. Otherwise, all funds raised will be used to acquire the items listed. Any excess funds will be donated to the Harambee House. Here’s her list:

Gear and stuff

https://a.co/d/ihJtYgZ $22.99

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C4NW2CTV? psc=1&ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_ct_1WHTN11813K6XY84B4G4_1

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B007W5D13O? psc=1&ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_ct_1WHTN11813K6XY84B4G4

https://a.co/d/3HwqWAm

The need for ecovillages across the Sahel.

Health/medical

Vaccines:

Covid vaccine

Yellow fever - $250

Malaria pills - $30

insect repellent

first add supplies

Things to purchase upon arrival:

In lieu of green smoothies:

Beet powder - $15 x 2=$30

Spirulina - $15 x 2 =$30

Flax meal - $5 x 2 =$10

Plant based protein powder - $30

Stevia - $6 x 3 =$18

Fundraising goal: $4000

$2000 for Amakiasu’s initial expenses and $1000 each to the Harambee House and REDES

Thank you so much for your kindness and generous support!

To make additional donations to REDES or the Harambee House, please follow the links:

Here is an in-depth article about the ecovillage movement in Senegal at its inception:

https://fieldstudyoftheworld.com/senegalese-villages-fight-desertification-poverty-becoming-ecovillages/