Fatou Mané is simplicity itself, living in a small hut, which is not much to look at. She is the queen of Sipo, a small island in the Saloun delta, in Senegal. The delta is a vast area crossed by bolongs (creeks), at the mouth of the Saloum River. It is there in the region of Fatick, in the centre-west of the country, where the sea inextricably interlaces the continent, creating dozens of tiny, mostly uninhabited islands. A group of rural farmers will welcome you just as they welcome the tourists here – with hope and enthusiasm.

It is this situation that upset the heads of CISV, an Italian non-governmental organization (NGO). “The tourists leave nothing on the island”, explains Emanuel Camara, the head of the local branch of CISV. “They come, take photos and then leave.” What CISV wants to develop is what Mr Camara calls “responsible tourism”.  The tourists should be able to come and discover another culture while contributing to local development.  Following an analytical study, CISV therefore decided to support the construction of a restaurant there, which would be managed by the Association pour le Développement de Sipo (ADS), representing all the inhabitants of the island. 

Sensing an opportunity for development, the Food Security through Commercialization of Agriculture programme (FSCA) joins this effort. Ibrahima Faye, the National Coordinator of FSCA Senegal, explains, “If tourism must be brought back, it might just as well be with local products. This is why we have decided to support development of a market garden perimeter where ADS will produce vegetables and tomato, and set up a fruit juice processing unit, which will provide added value.” 

ADS has just been established; it is a collection of a mosaic of ethnic groups coming from different backgrounds. Sipo is inhabited by people coming from Guinea Bissau, Casamance (south Senegal), Sine, Salou (centre of Senegal) and Mali. They are Mancagnes, Mandjaques, Diolas, Mandingues, Sérères and Bambaras.  The lingua franca is Mandingue, which some have yet to master. After all, we are only the second generation of inhabitants. The French school has only been established recently. There are only two primary classes. Most of the inhabitants therefore have never been to school. 

The glue that holds this community together is Fatou Mané, the Queen of the island. Tourists come especially just to see her. She is always sitting at the entrance of her garden. And she enjoys speaking to everyone. Her son is the chief of the village, which his deceased father founded. The President, Moussa Bagayoko, is young, just 30 years old. He explains that he relies extensively on young people, particularly for community works where youth plays a major role.
The Vice President of the Association is a young woman. For her “sisters”, she asks for training in dye-making, dress-making and a literacy centre. The project has visibly awakened the Sipo inhabitants' capacity to dream.