Mariam Sow visits the TERAL Living Lab in Thiafoura and inaugurates CREATES' new podcast studio

In May 2026, CREATES had the honour of welcoming Mariam Sow, one of Senegal’s leading voices in peasant movements and agroecology, for a day of exchange between Thiafoura, Ndioukh o Fissel and Ngaparou.

The visit began in the community garden of the TERAL Living Lab in Thiafoura, where CREATES is supporting local agroecological initiatives. Mariam Sow met with Nicolas Sarr, a young agroecological entrepreneur from Ndioukh o Fissel - another village where CREATES is working. Nicolas was leading a practical training on the establishment of nurseries, plant production, composting and grafting.

Beyond technical training: thinking about territories

The discussion quickly moved beyond the technical dimension. Mariam Sow and Nicolas Sarr exchanged on:

• the growing pressure of agribusiness around rural communities,
• the challenges faced by young agroecological entrepreneurs,
• the need for local organisation in the face of rapid territorial change.

Women, young people, members of the community and the village chief took part in the discussion while continuing the practical work in the nursery. The exchange created a direct connection between concrete field activities and broader questions of land, water, autonomy and rural livelihoods.

This is what the TERAL approach is about

For CREATES, this is at the heart of the TERAL approach. Agroecology is not treated only as a set of farming techniques. It is also a way to strengthen local capacities, connect communities, support collective organisation and create spaces where territorial issues can be discussed from the ground up.

A long-term documentary process

The visit also formed part of CREATES’ ongoing audiovisual work on rural transformations in the department of Mbour. For almost a year, CREATES has been filming the effects of land pressure, agribusiness expansion and changing rural economies on farming communities. Ndioukh o Fissel, where Nicolas Sarr comes from, is one of the key villages featured in this documentary process.

First episode of the new podcast studio in Ngaparou

In the afternoon, Mariam Sow visited CREATES’ new podcast studio in Ngaparou, where she recorded the first episode of a new podcast series. The conversation focused on her book Loumbi Nguido, la paysanne, which recounts an exceptional life trajectory and offers an important contribution to the memory of peasant struggles in Senegal.

This first recording marks an important step in CREATES’ effort to document, preserve and circulate the voices of those who have shaped agroecological and peasant movements in Senegal.

A day that brought together several dimensions of CREATES’ work

The day brought together several dimensions of CREATES’ work:

• practical agroecological training in the field,
• inter-village knowledge exchange,
• territorial dialogue,
• documentary filmmaking,
• podcast production,
• transmission of peasant movement histories.

CREATES warmly thanks Mariam Sow for her visit, Nicolas Sarr for his contribution to the training, and the community of Thiafoura for hosting this important moment of exchange.