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Senegal: The Multicolored Salt Wells of Palmarin Sine Saloum

Sine Saloum is a natural region located in the North of The Gambia and south of the Petite- Côte in Senegal. Its area is 180 000 hectares. It is in this natural region that the Saloum Delta National Park is located. It is a delta formed by the confluence of two rivers, Sine and Saloum. It is also an arm of the sea allowing salt water to enter more and more deeply into the land because the flow of the two rivers is quite slow.The multicolored salt wells of Palmarin From an ultralight or an autogire, the show is as unreal! 

Seen from the sky, a territory out of time, as pierced by meteorite falls! Colors galore! This beauty that amazes, are the wells galore! This beauty that amazes, are the wells of Palmarin, kind of cones dug in the middle of the lagoons, in which a very saline water infiltrates the arm of the sea. The multi colored sheets scattered on it shelter the salted salt creating a pallet of black hues green, orange, yellow or white. Palmarin is also an important ornithological site with nearly 80 species of birds coming from Europe, and a permanent dormitory site of flamingos. Palmarin is a locality on the Sine-Saloum Delta. His name would be a distortion of the Portuguese "Palmarimar" ie "Palm" in French. 

The first Europeans to arrive in this part of Senegal would have given this name to the beauty of the place. With thousands of palm trees growing at the seaside. Palmarin in geography If you want to come to Palmarin to see the salt wells, you should know that the rural community of Palmarin stretches a lot of kilometers because it integrates four villages or more than 10 000 inhabitants. So when you say to the locals that you are looking for the city of Palmarin, you will be asked which one between: Palmarin-Ngallou, Palmarin- Fakaw, Palmarin-Djakhanoret, Palmarin- Nguethe! Wow that makes a lot of Palmarins! laugh out loud So to see the same salt wells you have to go to PALMARIN NGALLOU!The beauty of salt pits Palmarin Ngallou For the tourists what interests them to Palmarin are the wells of salts. 

They were dug by locals everywhere along the river. The latter is salty, it must be known here that in the Sine Saloum Delta, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, there are many inlets that sinks into land forming beautiful islands and islets. And since the sea sinks, the salt returns to the same river and the rivers that are called here belongs. Back to our salt, it is collected in thousands of wells that have been dug. Locals pick up the salt and dry it on tarpaulins. Moreover, when you arrive on the site you do not go directly to salt pans of all colors but plastic tarpaulins.It should be known that a good part of the harvested salt is then sent to Gambia (the neighboring country) and by canoe. It only takes four to five hours to complete the Palmarin / Gambia boat trip. Thus, if the locals live with a constant sword

Thus, if the locals live with a constant sword of Damocles with this sea that only grabs land on their homes. It is also this water, which gives food to the inhabitants of Palmain living mainly fishing but also sea salt!

About the Author: Lamine Diop is a Senegalese Asst Project Manager with Made In Africa Project. 

For more info or to visit the Sine Saloum Islands go to MadeInAfricaProject.com 

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Who Knew Senegal Hosts One of the Largest Hip Hop Fests on the Continent?FESTA2H : International Festival of Hip-Hop and Urban Cultures Festival.

By Lamine Diop

The 14th edition was from June 18 to 22, 2019 at Douta Seck

Since 2006, Africulturban develop the biggest Hip Hop festival in Senegal. The Festival showcased talents from lots of countries: France, Belgium, Canada, Senegal, Mauritania, Brazil, Morocco, Gambia, Switzerland, Spain and Denmark.

The festival has mobilized more than 20,000 spectators and had made it possible for more than 150 groups to be familiarized with the Senegalese audience, 

In the program we can note:

- Training workshops as part of the 14th edition of the festa2h: Computer Aided Music, Graphics, Dance (in collaboration with Kaay edition of the festa2h: Computer Aided Music, Graphics, Dance (in collaboration with Kaay Fecc). 

Video, Photo, Deejaying, Slam-Conference with theme for the year 2019: How to build an industry around hip hop? 

With Xuman, Keyti, Akala, Rotjoch, Fla-Battle of Deejay Mix Up-Flow Up 7th edition whose winner of the year 2019 is the rapper Ndoobin who received a sum of 5,000,000 fcfa, a production of maxi (6titres), production of a video clip, participation in a showcase provided by Africulturban.

Indeed, The Flow Up, a springboard for Senegal's hip hop talent, aims to find, produce, broadcast and mentor talented young artists evolving in urban cultures, who suffer from a lack of recognition and visibility.

- 4 concerts : with the presence of international artists like Onyx, Yussoufa, Das EFX, and the talented rappeurs of Senegal.

Note that Senegal has long held the 3rd place in the world HipHop, behind France and the USA.

Hip hop Galsen 4 Eva

Lamine Diop is a Senegalese Project Manager with The Made In Africa Project

Learn more about visiting or investing in Senegal at www.MadeInAfricaProject.com 

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SHEA BUTTER (KARITE): A West African Natural Resource

By: Oumy Seck

Think globally ,act locally , this is the first saying for successful preference for all things local and this preference is emerging as a global trend .

So it’s a big pleasure  to introduce you the shea butter also called karite.It’s a fat that is extracted from the nuts of shea tree and it means (LIFE) in Mandingue langage. We mostly have it in west african countries. In kedougou Senegal, it’s a daily activity for women to prepare it.

WHY SHOULD WE USE IT ?

It has been used as a cosmetic ingredients for centuries

It’s safe for all skin because it doesn’t contain chemical irritants and it doesn’t clog pores.

 It also reduce your risk of dryness. 

It have been found to have anti inflammatory properties.

You even can apply shea butter directly to your skin.

If your hair is naturally curly or porous ,consider using shea butter as conditioner.

It’s not only for women but also for men, it’s good for your barber and help efficiently for the growth of your barber. 

In the end, shea butter has lots of good things that can help us in our life routine. 

You can purchase Shea Butter direct from West Africa at www.MadeInAfricaProject.com 

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The Lagoon of Somone (Senegal) by Lamine Diop

Sept. 16, 2019

In recent years I have discovered a heavenly place, which I would like to share with the rest of the world. Indeed, I often go to the Somone to record my sounds and visit some friends.

So one day, after recording, I wanted to go to the beach to relax. This is how I was proposed to go to the lagoon, a decision I did not regret, because the place was beautiful, indescribable. Since then I've been bringing people here now to visit, and have a good time.

A lagoon is a generally shallow body of water separated from the sea by a shoreline (tombolo, Lido ...). Often made of fine sand, this cord naturally changes, it is vulnerable to the assaults of the sea (storms, tsunamis) and various forms of artificialisation. Lagoons are sometimes called coastal ponds (or barachois in Acadian).

From a scientific point of view, the lagoons constitute a model of a paralic ecosystem.

When the body of water is separated from the sea by a reef rather than a shoreline, it is more like a lagoon in French (in the English speaking countries the two terms are confused under the name "lagoon")

Want calm and preserved nature? Discover the lagoon of Somone, an enchanting site 1h30 from Dakar. On the Petite-Côte, Somone, named after a small local river, invites you to relax. Somone has its source in the Ndiass massif, near Thiès, and descends to the Atlantic Ocean. Its mouth, separated by a tongue of sand, forms a nature reserve. Since 1999, the Somone a nature reserve. Since 1999, the Somone Lagoon is a protected area of 700 hectares and is a paradise for bird lovers. Indeed, the lagoon contains 172 species. Sandbanks and mangrove roots, at low tide, are the favorite place of many birds that come to feed.

On board a pirogue, you can easily observe pelicans and different types of birds. There is also the mangrove that borders the lagoon with mangrove trees. This extremely rich but very fragile ecosystem is developing at the junction of the fresh water of the rivers and salt water of the ocean.

Mangroves are essentially fish breeding.We also meet women who cross the lagoon to go to work, loaded with pans that they wear on their hands with elegance.You will probably make a little stop in front of a 300 year-old baobab, the only one in the lagoon to have withstood the sea air.

A walk to do for nature lovers while waiting to discover the charms of Sine Saloum or Casamance.

You can then have a drink or lunch at Rita restaurant or at Rasta.

Lamine Diop is a Senegalese Assistant Project Manager for Made In Africa Project. www.MadeInAfricaProject.com 

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The Impact of Female Empowerment

By: Mia “Gigi” Davis

As our society shifts and we emerge into a new day that reflects the brilliance of our design, we have to begin to take steps to shift our perspective of how we see women and how we empower them in society.

It has been proven time an again that empowering women strengthens the whole community, one family at a time. It is important that we mold a society that allows young girls to flourish academically, emotionally and mentally, while encouraging civil involvement. 

The greatest strength to a woman is her ability to understand her mind and body. With this understanding, determining the proper time to procreate holds high regards in her access to potential wealth and education. By encouraging the deferment of procreation until she has had the opportunity to explore her values, benefits not only her but her family, as a whole. 

Positioning women to be the best versions of  themselves, stimulates a shift in consciousness that becomes contagious. Empowering the minds and lives of women directly impacts our overall collective conscious. As we begin to adjust to a new way of co existing which adheres to holding women in a new regard, we will release the mental chains that have our interactions and relationships between men and women strained and dysfunctional. 

Recognizing reverence towards the existence of women is recognizing reverence for the existence of oneself.  This simple truth strengthens our societies. When dealing with women, as a whole, let’s learn to replace the word fear with respect, in all regards.

Article by: Mia “Gigi” Davis

Photos by: RJ Mahdi

Models: Gigi & Emily