ABC successful exhibit in the 2015 Dakar, Senegal Ag Fair

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29 April 2015
ABC successful exhibit in the 2015 Dakar, Senegal Ag. Fair

I am back from a very successful trip to Senegal at the 16th annual FIARA (International Agriculture and Animal Resources Fair), a 15 day event, followed by in country well drilling workshops (more pics) later. I was with my partner Greg all the way from Utah. Some wonderful times of hard work, meetings, tourism, food and longing for more Africa.

With USA Ambassador in Senegal (blue jacket), Greg and USAID Yaajeende Program Todd (with ponytail) . Presenting the Walangane well drilling machine.
With USA Ambassador in Senegal (blue jacket), Greg and USAID Yaajeende Program Todd (with ponytail) . Presenting the Walangane well drilling machine.
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Left to right: Mr. Greg Lesher, Mr. James Zumwalt (US Ambassador to Senegal), Dr. Faye. In the background: the Walangane well drilling machine.
Dr. Faye explaining Walangane technology to the Lebou ethnic group with the Grand Serigne de Dakar (in the turban).
Dr. Faye explaining Walangane technology to the Lebou ethnic group with the Grand Serigne de Dakar (in the turban).

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Left to right: Dr. Faye and Mr. Greg Lesher at FIARA conference in Senegal.
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One of many of Dr. Faye’s show-and-tell about Walangane at the FIARA

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Dr. Faye's intervention during a FIARA workshop on sustainable development through food sufficiency via sound agricultural practices
Dr. Faye’s intervention during a FIARA workshop on sustainable development through food sufficiency via sound agricultural practices

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After the wonderful promotional pics from the fair in Dakar, we went on a drilling mission in the Northern Senegal, precisely in a little village called Ndiaffane in Ourossogui County in Matam Region, about a mile from Mauritania border. Temperature ranged close to 45-47C; a Death Valley mimic!

Look at the resilience of the women carrying buckets of water to fill more than thousand liter basin used for drilling. A feast of delicacy during the drive to feed the drilling team, trainees and observers. The tea and the sweeten sour cream drink were heaven in this hell fire. Yet, these brave women were still elegant, smiling and cheering under the tent in the desert.

This is one of the places we plan to return to drill more wells. A place of hope where everything could grow if the pristine and untapped water is made available as pointed out Greg, our drilling engineer all the way from Utah.

Thank you to brother Greg my partner from Outback Energy Systems, Hinckley, Utah, to Robert Riley, our partner in Houston, Ndiaga Lo of Africa 2000 Freight Forwarding, Houston, to Ousmane Ndiaye our in country mechanical engineer and his team of hardworking, talented apprentices and foreman. To nephew Papa Abdou and lovely wife Mbathio and Moussa Faye. You all are my heroes! But those women remain our inspiration. To Al and Waly, ABC board members.

Please join in to bring water to the ones that feed us: the farmers and herders. The men and especially the African women…the Amazons!

Special Thanks to USAID Yaajeende (Todd, Dr. Sene and team) for the opportunity provided to us to share and contribute.