Congratulations Madjalia! We are thrilled to announce that our Executive Director, Madjalia Seynou, has been honored with the World of Difference Award by The International Alliance for Women. This prestigious award recognizes her exceptional dedication to empowering women economically and making a meaningful impact in the world. At FarmSahel, we are incredibly proud of Madjalia’s achievement. This award reflects not only her commitment but also the hard work of our entire team in supporting smallholder women farmers in Burkina Faso. Through her leadership, FarmSahel has provided thousands of women with the resources, training, and support needed to improve food security, increase income, and lift their communities out of poverty. Empower Women. Transform Communities. Congratulations, Madjalia! Your leadership inspires us every day. Let’s continue to empower women and create lasting change together.

On August 13, 2024, Public Interest Registry (PIR), the organization behind the .ORG domain, proudly announced that FarmSahel has been selected as a finalist for the 2024 .ORG Impact Awards. This esteemed global awards program honors exceptional mission-driven individuals and organizations worldwide for their significant contributions to society. Chosen from over 1,700 applications spanning nearly 90 countries, FarmSahel stood out for its efforts to unlock the potential of Sahel communities to achieve economic freedom through sustainable permaculture. All winners will be revealed at an in-person awards ceremony on October 8 in Washington, D.C. Finalists from around the world will gather for the event, with each receiving a donation of $2,500 USD. Additionally, all finalists, including FarmSahel, will compete for larger donations ranging from $10,000 to $50,000 USD. The 35 finalists represent the top five entries in each of the seven award categories: ● Community Building ● Quality Education for All ● Environmental Stewardship ● Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion ● Health and Healing ● Hunger and Poverty ● Rising Stars (leaders under 25 making a difference in their communities) FarmSahel is a finalist in the Hunger and Poverty category. Winners across all categories, including the prestigious .ORG of the Year, will be announced during the .ORG Impact Awards celebration on October 8. The .ORG of the Year winner will receive a $50,000 USD donation, while winners of the other categories will each receive $10,000 USD. Beyond the financial award, the recognition from the .ORG Impact Awards will help elevate the profiles of winning organizations, boosting donations, funding, talent acquisition, partnership development, and audience reach.

Dear Supporters, We wanted to take a moment to express our deepest gratitude to The PEF's generous contributions towards digging a water well for the women farmers of Ouda village. Your support has truly made a significant impact on the lives of these hardworking individuals and their entire community. Thanks to your donations, the women farmers of Ouda now have access to clean drinking water, which is essential for their health and well-being. Moreover, the availability of irrigation systems will enable them to cultivate off-season vegetables, increasing their crop yields and improving their livelihoods. Your generosity has empowered these women to practice sustainable farming and secure a brighter future for themselves and their families. We cannot emphasize enough the profound difference your donations have made. Through your kindness and compassion, you have brought hope and positive change to a community that greatly needed it. Your belief in our mission and your willingness to contribute have truly touched our hearts. On behalf of the women farmers of Ouda village, we extend our heartfelt appreciation for your support. Your kindness has inspired us to continue working tirelessly to improve the lives of those in need. We will keep you updated on the progress of the water well project and its ongoing impact on the community. Once again, thank you for your incredible generosity and for being champions of positive change. Your support has made a lasting difference, and we are forever grateful. With sincere gratitude, Madjalia Seynou Executive Director FarmSahel

This recognition is a testament to her dedication and passion for sustainable rural development. We owe a huge thanks to Anna Taft of the Tandana Foundation for nominating Madjalia for this Award, and to all the mentors and supporters who have played a vital role in this journey. A special shoutout to our outstanding FarmSahel team on the ground, whose hard work and commitment have yielded remarkable results. This achievement is a reflection of your unwavering dedication. Let's not forget the remarkable women beneficiaries of FarmSahel, whose tireless efforts and eagerness to learn have been instrumental in making this milestone possible. This award marks a new chapter, and we look forward to many more accolades in the future. Together, we'll continue to empower rural women and build sustainable communities.

Dear Donors, We wanted to take a moment to express our deepest gratitude for your generous contributions towards digging a water well for the women farmers of Simbri village in Bindé. Your support has truly made a significant impact on the lives of these hardworking individuals and their entire community. Thanks to your donations, the women farmers now have access to clean drinking water, which is essential for their health and well-being. Moreover, the availability of irrigation systems will enable them to cultivate off-season vegetables, enhancing their crop yields and livelihoods. Your compassionate act has empowered these women to achieve sustainable farming practices and secure a brighter future for themselves and their families. We cannot emphasize enough the profound difference your donations have made. Through your kindness and generosity, you have brought hope and positive change to a community that greatly needed it. Your belief in our cause and your willingness to contribute have truly touched our hearts. On behalf of the women farmers of Simbri village, we extend our heartfelt appreciation for your support. Your kindness and empathy have inspired us to continue working tirelessly to improve the lives of those in need. We will keep you updated on the progress of the water well project and its impact on the community. Once again, thank you for your incredible generosity and for being champions of positive change. Your support has made a lasting difference, and we are forever grateful. With sincere gratitude, Madjalia Seynou Executive Director FarmSahel

We are thrilled to Announce that Madjalia Seynou, Founder and Executive Director of FarmSahel is a 2023 Women for Zero Hunger Program Finalist! Each finalist presented inspiring projects tackling hunger and food insecurity across Africa. Their innovative ideas, passionate teams, and demonstrably positive community impact were truly remarkable. Congratulations to all Winners! FarmSahel, Women Smiles Uganda and ChildVoice International who have been selected for their exceptional contributions to fighting against hunger in Africa! These incredible women will receive crucial financial support and a transformative six-month mentorship program to further empower their work. The grand prize winner, to be announced at the end of the year, will also have the opportunity to showcase their project at the 2024 Stop Hunger Event, unlocking additional crowdfunding potential. WIA Philanthropy and Stop Hunger are eager to support these trailblazing leaders over the next six months.

In late 2022 Burkina Faso was one of the western Sahel countries to receive an onslaught of heavy and unpredictable rain. From June to October of 2022, over 800 people died, and flooding destroyed millions of hectares of farmland. Human-caused climate change made the 2022 wet season 20% more severe, exacerbating the chronic food security crisis facing Burkina Faso and the Sahel. Crops in most of the Western Sahel received 40% less water than needed. As a result, in Burkina Faso, crop production dropped by 10% compared to the previous five-year average. Food prices rose significantly due to a low harvest and a lack of imports hampered by the war in Ukraine. Experts wanted to find a link between the 2021 drought and the 2022 deadly rainfall in the Sahel. Unfortunately, it was impossible to detect trends or plan preventative measures due to a lack of weather instruments. Now Burkina Faso is modernizing its technology to track and predict the weather as the onslaught of climate change continues. The European Union funded a pilot program called ClimSA which started in Burkina Faso and is now moving to 17 other West African countries. This program allows countries like Burkina Faso to better predict and track weather. Over 300 stations across Burkina Faso take measurements of temperature, precipitation, humidity, radiation levels, and atmospheric pressure. With this information, trained Burkinabe meteorologists can refine forecasts and monitor the impact of climate change. Weather stations and weather prediction systems were severely lacking across the entire continent of Africa. From 1990 to 2019, Africa received only 3.5% of global funding for climate research. Now, with the ClimSA program, meteorologists are able to communicate better with the general public. In Burkina Faso, agricultural bulletins are sent to local radio stations in eight different languages with specialized weather reports. With over 900,000 daily listeners, farmers are taking advantage of the new information. They are able to know when to plant and listen to seasonal weather forecasts. The meteorologists also use the large radio audience to explain to farmers how to improve yields, manage water, and refresh degraded soil. The information collected has shown that there has been a steady increase in temperatures in Burkina Faso over the years. Rainfall is coming late in the season and only as heavy and destructive downpours. As meteorologists were setting up the new advanced weather systems across Burkina Faso, in Egypt, a breakthrough was made at COP27. The United Nations Climate Change conference provided an agreement called "loss and damage," which plans to fund vulnerable countries hit hard by climate disasters. The governments involved in creating the agreement will establish a transitional committee to make recommendations on funding arrangements at COP28. This committee's first meeting will be in March of 2023. For the globe to transition into a low-carbon economy, it is estimated to cost between $4 to $6 trillion a year. Activists continue to worry about the promise of change, but the lack of action as developed countries have not yet met the $100 billion per year by 2020 as promised. The new loss and damage fund will help countries like Burkina Faso continue to mitigate climate change disasters. ClimSA is another tool that will be life-saving to farmers and rural Burkinabe people who may be in a storm's path. But, unfortunately, developed countries need to do more not only to finance but to transition into a zero-carbon economy. https://unfccc.int/news/cop27-reaches-breakthrough-agreement-on-new-loss-and-damage-fund-for-vulnerable-countries https://www.lemonde.fr/en/le-monde-africa/article/2022/11/09/cop27-burkina-faso-uses-improved-methods-to-predict-rainfall-and-extreme-weather-events_6003529_124.html https://www.carbonbrief.org/west-africas-deadly-rainfall-in-2022-made-80-times-more-likely-by-climate-change/