Oussouye
Population: 6,000
Religion : Muslim (30%), Catholic (50%) and Animist (20%)
Most Common Business Activities : Soap products, myrrh, baskets, fruit and gardening.
School Access : There is Primary and Secondary School in this village. The literacy rate is about 80%.
Health Care Accessibility : There is a health clinic and a proper hospital in this village.
Regional Challenges : Environmental degradation, unemployment, land scarcity and a lack of professional training are all issues that face this village.
Recent Community Initiatives : The community built a small nursery center. As well, they built a campground to receive tourists.
Name Ecovillage Association:UFULAL
Ecovillage President: Bourama DIEDHIOU
Adresse: Tel.: 77 564 52 52
Autre contact : Alassane Diédhiou 77 579 47 95
 Background Realized Achievements Geography Environmental Problems Activities Ecovillage Projects Hoped for activities in the framework of a sister Ecovillage
program
1- Background
According to local oral tradition, the village’s
first inhabitant came from the wooded countryside and crossed the Bissau-Senegalese
border after spending three weeks in the village of Karoukheuy in Guinea-Bissau.
It is estimated that this trip occurred over five centuries ago. On the
way, the man, whose name has since been forgotten, discovered a place
inhabited by birds known as “Koussouyone” in Dialo. He settled
at this site and founded a village, which he named Oussouye, “the
cradle of the Koussouyounes.” As time went on, the village grew,
eventually becoming the capital of the Houlouf kingdom and assuming political
responsibilities for the entire kingdom. Today, the traditional political
power embodied by the King is coupled with an administration headed by
a Prefect. These two governing bodies rely on one another, interacting
to better coordinate the decisions and policies that will be implemented
in the town. Cooperation is equally important in everyday residential
life. Divided between three religions (traditional African religion, Christianity,
and Islam), the population lives in harmony despite its religious differences.
Sharing a belief in God’s infinite mercy, residents celebrate kinship
and coming together in addition to their specifically African, Christian,
or Muslim traditions.
2- Realized Achievements
Having noticed the alarming out-migration rate of youth towards big cities
such as Ziguinchor, Thiès and Dakar in search of jobs, the village
initiated development projects to encourage the youth to remain in their
region. These projects include:
- A campground
- A kindergarten
- Cabinetmaking and metal work
- Two rice mills
- A 12 hectare orchard
3- Geography
The rural community of Oussouye is one of the smallest
villages in Senegal. Capital of its department, this rural community,
40 km southwest of Ziguinchor and 30 km from the seaside resort of Cap
Skirring, is surrounded by the rural community of Oukout.
Placed on a plateau, this 155 ha rural community is decorated
by the presence of a green landscape, marked by dense forests broken at
certain places by rivers and paddy fields. In fact, scattered forests
surround the urban space. They border the limits of the small city with
colonies of palm groves located on the slopes of the plateau that come
down towards the shallows. These palm groves are scattered even in the
center of the city, functioning as worshiping places that benefit from
a sacred character.
The soils in the lowlands that border the community are
now sandy and clayey. They are therefore favorable to the culture of rice.
Its closeness to the Bissao Guinea allows this city to
benefit from a sub-Guinean climate with a dry season from November to
May and a rainy season for the other five months of the year.
The noted rainfall varies between 1,200 and 1,800mm per year.
Population
The population of the community of Oussouye is composed
for the most part of young people under 25 years of age. The percentage
of young people is around 65% according to Le Plan de Développement
Urbain de la Commune de Oussouye 1999. Many ethnicities such as Diolas,
Peulhs, Sereres, Mandinkas, and Wolofs share this space. The natives,
the Diolas, compose 70% of the population followed by the Peulhs, with
15%.
Generally this population lives on agriculture, the harvesting of palm
wine, fishing, trade etc…
4- Environmental Problems
The main environmental problems are:
- The population density and limited community space
- The increasing sandiness of rice paddy fields
- The degradation of the mangrove
- The degradation of the sea walls that border the waters of the river
- The salinisation of country spaces and subsequent decrease in the amount
of arable land
- The over-exploitation of natural resources and the threat to the sacred
forest
5- Activities
- Agroforestry
- Agriculture
- Fish farming
- Poultry farming
- Cattle breeding
- Sanitation
- Education
- Training
- Tourisme
6- Ecovillage Projects
Concerning the ecovillage activities,
many projects are planned including:
- The rehabilitation of the sea wall and the mangrove
- Protection and reinforcement of sacred forests
- The rehabilitation of the village camp
- Construction of an ecomuseum and a social and educational center
- Construction of a center for education about family life (traditional
style)
7- Hoped for activities in the framework of a sister Ecovillage program
GEN-Europe to the Senegalese ecovillages
The desired actions for the cooperation of the Oussouye ecovillage and
GEN-Europe shall include:
- Cultural exchanges
- Assessment exchanges
- Logistic and financial support
- Training
Senegalese ecovillages to GEN-Europe
The contribution of Oussouye ecovillage to GEN / Europe will mainly include:
- Arts and crafts
- Pottery
- African culture
- A system if care for elderly people
- Ecotourism |
