The photo shows a field of millet, but millet farming is disappearing in Bandafassi because of the lack of rain. Millet used to be the main source of food, and it is also very important culturally. It is used for celebrations: beer is made from it for traditional Malinké and Bedik ceremonies, and the stalks are used in the dance
In this video, we see a Bedik woman making canaris. She explains that she takes the land up the mountain, that it is not just any land: it is land that was bought by their grandparents at the cost of their lives. Now, every time she digs the land to make canaris, they have to pay a goat, a chicken
It rained this year but not like other years. The rain started early but there were breaks in the rainfall, so it did not rain continuously. This discouraged many farmers. Then the rain came back but it was a bit late. For those who sowed at that time, the seedlings did not reach maturity, so the groundnuts and maize did
Fonio is one of the cereals whose cultivation is essential in West African food agriculture. Shelling this small cereal is a time-consuming task, traditionally carried out by women.