The project

The Mbine Fine Ecotourism Village is an ecotourism project that is part of a dynamic of community, economic and social development. The project is located in the natural region of Saloum in Senegal, and more precisely, in Ndiaffate. The site offers both the comfort of calm and the advantage of being close to the surrounding villages, local shops and health services.

The reasons that motivated us to set up this project are linked to a desire to rebuild the house of our great grandfather Théophile Turpin who died in 1920. The latter had always worked for the protection of the environment. We, witnesses over the years of the progressive degradation of the land he left us as a legacy, made us want to put an end to this situation, by creating an ecotourism village. In addition to tourist activities, we also intend to organize annual reforestation campaigns to gradually restore the environmental damage caused by the strong progression of salinization and the abusive felling of trees.
The challenge of our project is to propose a strategy for the sustainable development of ecotourism capable of integrating local practices, as well as the habits and customs of the environment. This, by putting community dynamics, the well-being of people and the planet at the heart of our actions. Thus, we, the main actors of the project cannot ignore the local population, on the contrary, it will be necessary to consult them and integrate them into our participative actions.

The educational component, which is an integral part of our project, includes a set of agricultural techniques, which we use within our educational farm, which are intended to be formative. The activities developed there aim to achieve more responsible and better quality production. In the future we would like a large part of the products that will be consumed at the Ecovillage Mbine Fine to come from our educational farm created in April 2016. The space is also open to teachers and students who wish to make this farm a place instruction and training.

The crossing of Ndiaffate and the surrounding villages is an opportunity for our guests to come across a myriad of domestic animals that live in perfect harmony with the local population. Life in society in the rural commune of Ndiaffate is harmonized by its rites, its traditions and its openness to the outside world. Its culture remains alive, and is expressed through local music of different ethnic groups, dances, traditional wrestling shows, culinary art, and rituals such as"BAWAAN"(a ceremony of soliciting rain from the water gods).

In addition, the island of Kousmar in the municipality of Ndiaffate is home to a variety of birds including some African migratory birds. The charm of the place perfectly meets the ecological requirements because the island has virgin spaces, preserving a strong natural dimension, still protected from the damage favored by human activity. Ndiaffate, by its authenticity, its geographical position, and its cultural richness perfectly combines tradition and openness.