Damaro

17
Aug

The Carapa procera, Guinea, July 2023

The West-African indigenous tree, Carapa procera has multiple properties with huge potential for increasing rural communities’ climate resilience. The oil of Carapa procera nuts are notably used in traditional medicine and for cosmetics. In Upper Guinea, Carapa procera is also used as a wildfire breaker solution. Wildfire reduction is crucial to increase food security, biodiversity and habitat protection and sustain

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2
May

Early fires (Damaro, Guinea), March 2022

One of the causes of the drought is bush fires. As you can see, it’s an early fire. In November, between the rainy season and the dry season, the people of Damaro are allowed to set bush fires to burn only grasses and spare the plants. This policy is put in place as part of the preservation of plants here

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24
Mar

Lack of water in the lowlands (Damaro, Guinea), March 2022

Tenen Sangare explains that she has two types of difficulties in the lowlands: the cows and the lack of water. The cows are free in this dry season and come to graze in her field. The lack of water too: they suffer a lot. If there is no water in a lowland, the production cannot be good.   She can’t afford

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21
Mar

The healer and his medicines (Damaro Guinea), March 2022

Lansiné Camara is a healer in Damaro, displaying the products of his pharmacopoeia. He treats gastritis, internal and external haemorrhoids, and typhoid, which we have managed in hospitals. He also treats liver problems, backache, diabetes, hot feet and blood pressure, rheumatism. It has a product that facilitates childbirth. It also treats sterility. It also combats snake bites, rabies and toothache. 

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20
Mar

Diarakendou dry pond (Damaro, Guinea), March 2022

Mandiou Camara speaks: “I am stopped in the middle of the pond. Look, there is no more water left in the pond. Otherwise it used to be a big pond. It is also a pond where we grow crops. You see, farming doesn’t work. One day a gentleman asked us to lend him our land. We told him that agriculture

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20
Mar

Tomb of a patriarch, Fono Oussou Camara (Damaro, Guinea), March 2022

We are at the tomb of Fono Oussou Camara, the ancestor of the chiefs and ancestors of Damaro, father of Diaraken and Fakassia, Bossoboy and many others. We are at the tomb of the ancestor of all the Damaro people. This is our history. Everyone must know his history. We are at the tomb of Diarakendou. Thank God, this is

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20
Mar

An invented script: the nkan (Damaro Guinea), March 2022

Lansiné Camara, a healer in Damaro, invented an alphabet for himself to write Malinké: his writing is called nkan (it is neither the Latin nor the Arabic alphabet, nor nko), and he names the letters one by one in his notebook. The alphabet has 28 letters. He transcribes all the sounds in Maninka.   He writes for example “I am going

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17
Mar

The colonial stone road Kerouané / Beyla (Damaro, Guinée), October 2022

This stone-marked road through Diarakendou linked Kerouané to Beyla during the colonial era. It was a path that could be followed on horseback. The stones are still visible today and their alignment is still more or less visible depending on the place. They cross the forest which keeps the memory of this road.

14
Mar

Farabolon, the place of circumcision (Damaro, Guinea), October 2022

This place is called Farabolon. I, who am talking to you now, was circumcised here. This is a place of circumcision. I spent three months here with friends. We slept here, we spent the day here, nobody went back to the village during the whole circumcision period. It was our parents who came to bring us food. The men were

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14
Mar

The story of the ‘pregnant’ kapok tree in the Diarakendou forest (Aguibou Sow, CIRD, Damaro, Guinea), February 2022

Mandiou Camara is under the kapok tree of Fatamantou: “Fatamantou is the place where Fataman used to hide. Fataman was a protective genie and that’s where the kapok tree grew. Before, our ancestors came to worship Fataman under this kapok tree by making offerings of chicken, white bread and kola. Fataman fulfilled all their wishes. But since the arrival of

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