L’Association La Saisonnière, based in Ouagadougou, is a women’s association that trains vulnerable women in agroecology. Through this training, women learn how to grow certified organic vegetables and strengthen their economic position.
Participants also learn to use climate-smart agricultural techniques. These include harvesting rainwater with methods such as zaï and half-moon bunds. In addition, they produce carbonised briquettes from plant waste. These briquettes offer a more sustainable alternative to cooking with charcoal.
L’Association La Saisonnière works to improve the living and working conditions of women and marginalised groups, including internally displaced persons: people who have been forced to flee their homes but remain within their own country.
Since its official founding in 2006, the organisation has mainly worked with women, although some men are also part of the community. Decision-making is led by women. This is significant in Burkina Faso, where women are often seen as subordinate to men.
Madame Sophie Sedgho leads the organisation. Her ambition goes beyond teaching agricultural techniques. Through La Saisonnière, women are supported to drive their own economic development and provide for their families.
Working together on sustainable land restoration
World Waternet works with l’Association La Saisonnière on several projects. As part of the ECDD-GIRE and Blue Deal programmes, La Saisonnière provided hands-on agroecology training to local beneficiaries to help restore land in the Green Belt of Ouagadougou.
The training focused on agroforestry techniques and setting up a plant nursery. A nursery was created to grow 5,000 fertilising trees. These trees support water management projects in Burkina Faso and help local water committees with reforestation, riverbed protection and erosion prevention.
Building on a valued partnership
World Waternet values its successful collaboration with l’Association La Saisonnière and looks forward to expanding this partnership in other areas in the future.
L’Association La Saisonnière represents an important ideal: empowering women and marginalised groups through organic farming, ecological awareness and practical action.
