Surprise your friend with an ethical Christmas gift that protects forests and supports sustainable livelihoods in The Gambia! You will receive an electronic card which you can forward to your loved ones.
Dodo’s Tesito project, funded by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, aims to enhance forest conservation in Gambia, Senegal and Guinea-Bissau through developing an interactive forest map. During the project, the Jiffarong community garden has been restored and 90 women have started a new livelihood as farmers. This is expected to substitute the income from selling firewood and improve the families’ food security. Also a tree nursery was established in the community for the restoration of the community forest. The project also cooperates with the forestry officers in Gambia and organizes forest fire prevention training in the communities and schools.
Choose the gift below and send the amount to Dodo’s account FI0815553000101759 (recipient Dodo ry, reference number 13579) and write “Ethical Christmas gift” + your email address in the message field. We will send an electronic card to your email, which you can forward or print to your loved ones!
The funds collected will be used towards Tesito-project’s co-funding contribution, which is 15% of the annual budget.
Additional training for a farmer in Jiffarong, 10€
As part of the project, 90 women started a new business as vegetable farmers. With the support of an agricultural trainer, they learn the farming methods and skills for their new business. Ten euros can cover three days of additional training for one farmer.
10 tree seedlings to the Jiffarong tree nursery, 30€
Seedlings from the Jiffarong tree nursery are planted both in the community forest for reforestation and in the garden to improve food security. One seedling costs 3 euros, with 30 euros 10 new seedlings can be bought for the nursery.
Fire fighting supplies for one community, 200€
As part of the Tesito project, volunteers from communities are trained by the forestry department to fight and extinguish forest fires. The equipment needed to extinguish a forest fire is also distributed to the communities, for each community the package is worth 200e.
Thank you for choosing an ethical Christmas gift and supporting the project!
Fundraising permit: RA/2020/1705, issued by the Police on the 31st of December 2020, valid from 04th of January 2021 in the entire territory of Finland, excluding Åland
Recipient of fundraising license: Dodo ry, Aleksis Kiven katu 88 G, 00520 Helsinki Business ID: 1108152-0
Contact: sanni.siukola@dodo.org
GAMBIA TESITO PROject
Project 2023-2026
Dodo has been granted MFA’s funding for a continuation project in Gambia, Senegal and Guinea-Bissau! In this four-year project, the goal is to continue applying the forest mapping and monitoring method to the neighboring countries, and further develop the sustainable livelihoods established in the first phase of the project.
One of the main goals is to train local environmental officials, NGOs and community representatives to use the forest monitoring tool in Gambia, Senegal and Guinea-Bissau. The map created in Gambia will be further developed and map for pilot areas in the two new countries created. The aim is to enable the local actors to better participate in decision-making related to land-use which is crucial for the development of equality and democracy. The tool is also expected to enhance cross-border cooperation in forest monitoring.
The aim is to also protect the buffer zone surrounding Kiang West National Park, Gambia’s second largest conservation area. Fire prevention trainings are continued in schools and communities in the Kiang West district, in cooperation with the Forestry Department in Gambia. One of the goals is to reduce the pressure on the forest by creating alternative livelihoods for the residents of Jiffarong, e.g. micro businesses and vegetable farming, to substitute firewood selling as income. Also, a new method, FMNR (farmer managed natural regeneration) is piloted in Jiffarong, and expected to improve food security and soil quality.
All planned activities are implemented in cooperation with Dodo’s local partner NGO Freedom from Hunger Campaign. Project offers opportunities for volunteers to participate, for example through communications and fundraising. If you want to be a part of the global change, join us!
Email sanni.siukola@dodo.org and let us know what you are interested in.
Project 2021–2022
Dodo has been granted MFA’s funding for a new forest conservation project in Gambia! In this two-year projects goal is to apply the forest mapping and monitoring method, that was originally developed for Madagascar by FANC (The Finnish Association for Nature Conservation), and to help residents of the local village of Jiffarong adapt to climate change by creating new sources of income – for example vegetable gardening.
One of the main goals is to train local environmental officials, NGOs and community representatives to use the forest monitoring tool, with the aim of providing an interactive map covering all forest areas in Gambia to enhance forest protection. The aim is to enable the local actors to better participate in decision-making related to land-use which is crucial for the development of equality and democracy in the Gambia.
The aim is to protect the buffer zone surrounding Kiang West National Park, Gambia’s second largest conservation area. Fire prevention training is organized in 15 communities in the Kiang West district, in cooperation with the environmental officials in Gambia. One of the goals is to reduce the pressure on the forest by creating alternative livelihoods for the residents of the target community Jiffarong, which is located in the buffer zone. This will also improve food security and help the locals adapt to climate change.
Other planned activities, which will be implemented in cooperation with Dodo’s local partner NGO Freedom from Hunger Campaign, are reforestation of the community forest in Jiffarong, establishing a vegetable garden and setting up a revolving fund.
The new project offers many opportunities for volunteers to participate, for example through communications and fundraising. If you want to be a part of the global change, come along!
Email sanni.siukola-ndure@dodo.org and let us know what you are interested in.
Today, Tesito Project is holding an opening event for the new @ekoenergy sponsored food processing station in Jiffarong, bringing together beneficiaries, community members, and media representatives. 👏🏽🎥
Yesterday, the FFHC team transported the final equipment and supplies to Jiffarong, including a solar dryer that makes it possible to dry and preserve food, strengthening food security and livelihoods. 🥭🥜
You can support this work by taking part in our Christmas Gift Campaign, helping promote sustainable livelihoods, food security, and climate resilience in Gambia. 🎁
Check the link in bio for more info. 🌱
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Tänään Tesito-hanke järjestää avajaistilaisuuden @ekoenergy rahoittamalle elintarvikkeiden jalostusasemalle Jiffarongissa. Avajaiset kokoavat yhteen hyödynsaajia, yhteisön jäseniä sekä median edustajia. 👏🏽🎥
Eilen FFHC:n tiimi kuljetti viimeiset laitteet ja tarvikkeet Jiffarongiin, mukaan lukien aurinkokuivurin, jonka avulla ruokaa voidaan kuivata ja säilyttää pidempään, vahvistaen ruokaturvaa ja toimeentuloa. 🥭🥜
Voit tukea tätä työtä osallistumalla joululahjakampanjaamme ja edistämällä kestäviä toimeentuloja, ruokaturvaa ja ilmastokestävyyttä Gambiassa. 🎁
Last month, the Kafuta Forest School held a forest monitoring field training in Kiang West National Park as part of the Tesito project. 🌳
Ten final-year forestry students took part, learning how to use satellite data to detect fires and understand their impact on forest cover. 📡
The training was led by Principal Momodou Lamin Njai, who shared skills he had gained during Tesito field trips throughout the years. 📍
Students explored real fire data from the region and studied small fires in the area around the Dumbuto community, within the buffer zone of Kiang West National Park. 📊
The practical exercises helped them connect satellite information with real-world forest management and understand how careful monitoring can support forest protection. 🌍
By the end of the day, students felt more confident using the tools and better equipped to contribute to forest conservation. 🔨
Read more from the blogpost, link in bio! 🔗
**
Viime kuussa Kafutan metsäkoulu järjesti kenttäkoulutuksen Kiang Westin kansallispuistossa osana Tesito-hanketta. 🌳
Kymmenen viimeisen vuoden opiskelijaa pääsi seuraamaan, miten satelliittidataa voidaan käyttää metsäpalojen havaitsemiseen ja niiden vaikutusten ymmärtämiseen metsäkannalle.📡
Koulutusta johti rehtori Momodou Lamin Njai, joka jakoi opiskelijoille Tesiton kenttäretkillä vuosien varrella oppimiaan taitoja.📍
Opiskelijat tutustuivat dataan alueen metsäpaloista ja analysoivat pieniä paloja Dumbuton kylän ympäristössä Kiang West National Park-kansallispuiston suojavyöhykkeellä. 🌍
Nämä opit auttoivat heitä yhdistämään satelliittihavainnot metsien suojelun käytännön työhön ja ymmärtämään, miten huolellinen seuranta tukee metsien suojelua. 📊
Päivän päätteeksi opiskelijat olivat itsevarmempia työkalujen käytössä ja valmiita osallistumaan metsien suojeluun.🔨
For the third year, Madagascar-based NGO Manondroala has worked with Dodo to strengthen mapping skills for forestry professionals in Gambia, Senegal, and Guinea-Bissau. 🌍
Manondroala GIS experts, Angela Tarimy and Daulphin Razafipahatelo, have a long collaboration with the Finnish Association for Nature Conservation. Building on skills they developed in previous projects, they now lead online GIS training in the Tesito project, guiding participants over several weeks. 📆
This year, participants learned to track forest cover changes, analyze satellite data, and create maps for planning, reporting, and conservation. 🌳
The sessions were fully online, in two languages (French and English) interactive, and adapted to each country’s experience, and relied entirely on free software and open satellite data, making the methods easy to replicate without any commercial tools. 💻
Through this program, methods developed in Madagascar are now shared across West Africa, supporting forest monitoring and conservation efforts. 🌱
Read more, link in bio! ⬆️
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Tänä vuonna oli kolmas vuosi peräkkäin, kun madagaskarilainen järjestö Manondroala ja Dodo tekivät yhteistyötä vahvistaakseen metsänhoidon ammattilaisten kartoitustaitoja Gambiassa, Senegalissa ja Guinea-Bissaussa. 🌍
Manondroalan GIS-asiantuntijat, Angela Tarimy ja Daulphin Razafipahatelo, ovat tehneet pitkään yhteistyötä Suomen Luonnonsuojeluliiton kanssa. Aiemmissa hankkeissa kartuttamansa osaamisen pohjalta he järjestävät nyt Tesito-hankkeen GIS-koulutuksia. 📆
Tänä vuonna osallistujat oppivat seuraamaan metsien muutoksia, analysoimaan satelliittitietoja ja tuottamaan karttoja suunnitteluun, raportointiin ja suojeluun. 🌳
Koulutukset toteutettiin täysin verkossa, kahdella eri kielellä (ranska ja englanti), interaktiivisesti ja sovitettuina kunkin maan kokemustasoon, ja ne perustuivat täysin avoimiin ohjelmistoihin ja satelliittiaineistoihin. Menetelmät ovat helposti toistettavissa ilman kaupallisia työkaluja. 💻
Kiitos Daulphin ja Angela, että ajatte Madagaskarilla kehitettyä menetelmää ja osaamista Länsi-Afrikkaan. 🌱
Last week, forestry department continued spreading fire prevention awareness in schools around Kiang West National park. 🔥
This year, the training sessions were held in Manduar, Dumbuto and Keneba schools (in the picture). 🏫
The workshops were organized to encourage pupils to learn about the importance of forests, the causes and impacts of deforestation, how to prevent bushfires and how climate affects both nature and communities. 🌳
In Gambia, fires are often human-caused, and they remain the number one threat to biodiversity, forests and environment. Preventing fires is one of the most effective ways to protect nature, wildlife habitats and local livelihoods. 🌾🍅
The goal of these training sessions is to inspire the young generation to take an active role in protecting their environment building a greener future for all. 🌱
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Viime viikolla Gambian metsäosasto jatkoi palotorjunnan ja ympäristötietoisuuden levittämistä kouluissa Kiang Westin kansallispuiston ympäryskylissä. 🔥
Tänä vuonna koulutukset järjestettiin Manduarin, Dumbuton ja Keneban (kuvassa) kouluissa.🏫
Työpajojen tarkoituksena on kannustaa oppilaita oppimaan metsien merkityksestä, metsäkadon syistä ja vaikutuksista, metsäpalojen ehkäisystä sekä ilmaston vaikutuksista luontoon ja yhteisöihin. 🌳
Gambiassa tulipalot ovat usein ihmisten aiheuttamia, ja ne ovat edelleen suurin uhka biodiversiteetille, metsille ja ympäristölle. Tulipalojen ehkäiseminen on yksi tehokkaimmista tavoista suojella luontoa, villieläinten elinympäristöjä ja paikallisten elinkeinoja. 🌾🍅
Koulutusten tavoitteena on innostaa nuorta sukupolvea ottamaan aktiivinen rooli ympäristönsä suojelussa ja rakentamaan vihreämpää tulevaisuutta kaikille. 🌱
Meet Binta Barrow, one of the 90 women farmers in Jiffarong. We invite you to step into her world as she shares what a typical day looks like, balancing family life and her work in the community garden. 🌾
“Hello everyone! My name is Binta Barrow, and I come from Jiffarong. I am a farmer here. I wake up at 7 a.m., and the first thing I do is prepare porridge for breakfast for my children before starting my day at the garden.” ☀️
“By 8 a.m. breakfast is finished, and an hour later I head to the garden to cultivate onions, tomatoes, okra, hot peppers, sweet peppers, bitter tomatoes, and eggplants until 12 p.m. After this, I return home to prepare lunch for the family.” 🍅
“If I happen to be making domoda (stew), I prepare the fish and take two liters of water, pour it into the cooking pot, and place it on the fire. I add ground peanuts and allow it to boil before adding tomato paste, fish, sliced onions, and pepper, and leave it to simmer. Once ready, I serve the dish to the family for lunch.” 🍲
“From 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. I return to the garden and continue weeding until 5 p.m., and conclude the day by watering the crops in the evening.” 🌙
**
Binta Barrow on yksi Jiffarongin naisviljelijöistä. Hän jakaa, miltä tyypillinen päivä näyttää kasvimaalla työskentelyn ja perhe-elämän merkeissä. 🌾
”Hei kaikki! Olen Binta Barrow Jiffarongista. Olen maanviljelijä täällä. Päiväni alkaa kello 7 keittämällä puuroa lapsilleni aamupalaksi ennen töiden aloittamista puutarhassa.” ☀️
”Kello kahdeksaan mennessä aamiainen on valmis, ja tuntia myöhemmin suuntaan puutarhaan viljelemään sipulia, tomaattia, okraa, chiliä, paprikaa, etiopianmunakoisoa ja munakoisoa kello 12 asti. Tämän jälkeen palaan kotiin valmistamaan lounasta perheelle.” 🍅
”Jos satun tekemään domodaa (pataa), valmistelen kalan, kaadan kaksi litraa vettä kattilaan ja laitan sen tulelle. Lisään rouhittuja maapähkinöitä, annan kiehua ennen tomaattipyreen, kalan, sipulin ja chilin lisäämistä ja annan hautua hiljalleen. Kun ruoka on valmista, tarjoilen sen perheelle lounaaksi.” 🍲
”Klo 15.00–16.00 palaan puutarhaan ja jatkan kitkemistä klo 17.00 asti. Päätän päivän kastelemalla palstan vielä illalla.” 🌙...
As empowering local partners is at the core of Tesito, FFHC Financial Officer Mr. Babanding Jaiteh is participating in an Advanced QuickBooks Desktop Training. 🌍
This training continues the capacity-building program that was started in 2023, aiming to strengthen the professional growth. 📚
During the training, Mr. Jaiteh has learned to set up a Chart of Accounts, to organize transactions efficiently, create classes, manage customer and account data, resolve issues, and link main and subaccounts. He also gains hands-on experience generating targeted and automated reports. 💼
Also, the training by CONNEKT improves financial transparency and efficiency across the organization. ⚙️
This dedication reflects the heart of the Tesito project: improving internal practices, and ensuring resources are used effectively to create lasting impact. 💪
**
Kumppaneiden osaamisen kehittäminen on keskeinen osa Tesito-hanketta. FFHC:n talouspäällikkö Babanding Jaiteh osallistuu parhaillaan Advanced QuickBooks Desktop -koulutukseen 🌍
Koulutus jatkaa vuonna 2023 alkanutta taloushallinnon osaamisen kehittämistä, jonka tavoitteena on vahvistaa ammatillista taitotietoa. 📚
Koulutuksen aikana Mr. Jaiteh on oppinut laatimaan tilikarttoja, luomaan kululuokkia, hallitsemaan asiakas- ja tilitietoja, ratkaisemaan ongelmia sekä linkittämään pää- ja alatilejä. Lisäksi hän on saanut arvokasta kokemusta kohdennettujen ja automatisoitujen raporttien laatimisesta. 💼
CONNEKTin järjestämä koulutus tukee myös FFHC:n taloudellista läpinäkyvyyttä ja tehokkuutta. ⚙️
Tämä sitoutuminen kuvastaa Tesito-hankkeen ydintä: sisäisten käytäntöjen kehittämistä ja resurssien tehokasta hyödyntämistä kestävän muutoksen aikaansaamiseksi. 💪...
Thanks to a generous grant from @symbioosiry , Tesito has begun important preparations for the upcoming rainy season at the community garden.💰
With this funding, local partner FFCH and the community members have planted 327 lemon tree seedlings along the garden fence.🍋
The trees have been planted inside the garden, near the fence, as when the trees grow, they will create a natural shield against the strong winds, heavy rains, and storms that often arrive during the rainy season. 💨☔️
Women farmers are responsible for taking care of the seedlings. The trees are an essential part of the project’s sustainability plan, as in the future, the income from selling the lemons can be used to cover the costs of repairing and maintaining the garden.
This activity brings Tesito closer to its goal of creating sustainable livelihoods, with local ownership at the core, where women farmers are able to independently cover the garden’s expenses even after the project ends. 🪴
Read more about the lemon tree seedlings in the blog post (link in bio).
**
@symbioosiry luonnonsuojeluapurahan ansiosta Tesito on aloittanut tärkeät valmistelut kasvimaalla tulevien sadekausien myrskyjä varten. 💰
Saadun rahoituksen avulla kumppanimme FFHC on yhdessä jiffarongilaisten kanssa istuttanut 327 sitruunapuun tainta kasvimaalle.🍋
Puut on istutettu kasvimaan sisäpuolelle aidan viereen, ja kasvaessaan ne luovat luonnollisen suojan sadekauden aikana usein esiintyviä voimakkaita tuulia, rankkasateita ja myrskyjä vastaan. 💨☔️
Naisviljelijät hoitavat ja kastelevat istutettuja taimia. Taimet ovat tärkeä osa hankkeen kestävyyssuunnitelmaa, sillä tulevaisuudessa kasvimaan korjaus- ja ylläpitokulut voidaan rahoittaa sitruunapuiden hedelmien myynnistä saaduilla tuotoilla.
Tämä aktiviteetti vie Tesitoa lähemmäs sen tavoitetta luoda kestäviä toimeentuloja, joissa paikallinen omistajuus on keskiössä, ja viljelijänaiset pystyvät itse rahoittamaan kasvimaan kulut myös hankkeen päättyessä.🪴
Lue lisää taimien istutuksesta blogista (linkki biossa)....
