In Senegal, pits with dates that are eaten when you break Ramadan will no longer be thrown in the trash. The National Agency for Reforestation and the Great Green Wall has launched a fundraising campaign to restore them so they can then replant the land, losing 40,000 hectares of forest per year.
as reported from Dakar, Thea Ollivier
Several associations gather to participate in the collection of dates, this fruit is eaten by Muslims when fasting is broken.
At the end of Ramadan, these seeds will be donated to the National Reforestation Agency, led by former Environment Minister Haïdar el-Ali, who will replant them in the northeastern part of the country.
“Date palms grow well throughout the Ferlo area, as the humidity allows. But they are also very interesting for biodiversity, he explains. This allows the animals to spread. The tree holds – with its roots – water and attracts rain … So it really is a tree that can live in very high temperatures. Other tree species would not survive in these arid, very hot areas ”.
Involve and raise awareness of the population for the project
And for the environmental activist, we need to plant fast. This fundraising operation is therefore an opportunity to raise awareness among the population to participate in the replanting of the land:
“We had to involve people in this big operation to replant our land and therefore we have to plant with benefit. The date palm is an economically very interesting tree. Senegal imports dates, but it would be good if Senegal produced its own dates. “
The replanting office hopes to collect several tons of dates at the end of the holy month. By the same token, lots of baobab seeds have already been collected by churches during the Easter period, while a traditional juice is prepared on this occasion based on monkey bread.
►Listen too: It is in your nature – The great green wall, a good circle
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