West African women farmers selling organic foodThe We Are the Solution campaign was born out of African farmers and peasant movements struggle against market driven agricultural policies for the purpose of creating alternative models, systems and practices that promote food sovereignty. The We Are the Solution campaign is lead by rural women associations and their leaders in West Africa.
Fahamu has provided rural women and their associations in West Africa with advocacy support, learning platforms, networks and knowledge collation which has enabled the launching and consolidation of the We are the Solution regional campaign for food sovereignty and has strengthened the feminist movement for food justice in the region.
Fahamu is developing a training curriculum on women, seed and power. The curriculum is the basis upon which we are rolling out a 2 -3 year movement building and consciousness raising learning process that includes:
1. a bi-annual institute on resource rights and change;
2. an exchange program for rural women for peer learning on the practice and tools for agro-ecological solutions to food sovereignty; and
3. ongoing follow up, accompaniment and support for learning implementation.
The institute on resource rights and change is facilitated by African experts and activists and uses interactive, participatory and experiential learning methodologies. The March 2012 institute was held in Burkina Faso and focused on the development of a campaign identity and regional strategy, as well as on knowledge of the politics behind seed, land, climate and resource justice in Africa. Awa Fall Diop, a Senegalese feminist educator was the lead facilitator while Niyel, an African campaign organization, supported the advocacy and campaigning learning and strategy development. Further, an exchange with Burkinabé farmers using agro-ecological solutions was an integral part of the participatory learning of the first institute session which was held over ten-days.
A dynamic network has grown between rural women and their associations in West Africa through their participation in the We Are the Solution campaign. Through the network, not only are WAS members exchanging ideas and sharing experiences about WAS activities but they have organically begun to share their success, difficulties, achievement and ideas more broadly. It is through this network and the building of a common agenda that WAS campaign members and many more women in rural West Africa are beginning to create a vibrant movement for change. Fahamu is supporting this movement by bringing to bear our expertise, African networks and access.
We Are the Solution is part of Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa (AFSA).