In her longread for the Guardian, renowned author and activist Rebecca Solnit writes : “In order to do what the climate crisis demands of us, we have to find stories of a livable future, stories of popular power, stories that motivate people to do what it takes to make the world we need.” (http://bit.ly/3KehypI)

This is exactly what we believe in and do at Hommes et Terre.

We explore and actively deploy the power of stories as a means of dialogue and change in the Sahelian context to engage and unite people in the challenge of ecosystem and community restoration.

La Forêt de Djibril (Djibril’s Forest), a short film created by Hommes et Terre about the problem of desertification in West Africa, tells the story of Djibril, a young Sahelian shepherd who travels far to find the forest his grandfather told him so much about. On his search, he is betrayed and abused only to realise that this forest no longer exists. But then his father comes to his aid.

The film is screened at the beginning of each collaboration with new partner villages, allowing the local communities a better understanding of the importance of ecosystem restoration, and encouraging them to commit to the protection of their environment.

“Because once you’ve won the popular imagination, you’ve changed the game and its possible outcomes”.

Watch La Forêt de Djibril here: