On June 23 and 24, the signing of the contracts with our new partner villages in the region of Tambacounda in Senegal took place. On this day, after a long preparation, and in the company of local authorities who are present as witnesses, the 30-year partnership between Hommes et Terre and the village officially begins.

As our CEO Kristoff Leue beautifully explained to our new partner villages: “The partnership between Hommes Et Terre and the village is like a marriage. There will be ups and downs, but most importantly, there will be children. The forest will be our child. By signing the contract, we commit ourselves to love, raise and take care of our child – the forest – together. And if we take good care of it from the beginning, one day, it will take care of us as well.”

After 6 initial villages last year, 12 new villages have joined Hommes et Terre Senegal this year. In Burkina Faso and Mali as well, our number of partner villages has grown significantly once again, with 24 new partner villages in Burkina Faso, and 17 in Mali. This means that starting next season, we will be working with a total of 223 partner villages in three different countries. Let’s start raising some forests together! 🌳