Yacouba Sawadogo, a peasant farmer from northern Burkina
Faso in Africa, has succeeded where international agencies failed. Over the last
twenty years he has become a pioneer in the fight against desertification and
hunger. Yacouba's struggle is pure, inspiring drama. It is about one man's
determined efforts that have the potential to benefit many thousands living in
the Sahel region of Africa.
As early as the 1970's, the Sahel became a bleak land as
a result of severe drought combined with overgrazing, poor land management, and
overpopulation. By the 1980's the region, which once had a population of some 30
million, suffered from severe poverty and starvation. While many abandoned their
traditional homelands, Yacouba decided to remain steadfast against the creeping
desert.
The Man Who Stopped the Desert tells Yacouba's story,
partly though dramatic reconstruction. As a young man, he fought the accepted
wisdom of the traditional land chiefs who opposed his farming techniques. But
Yacouba remained undaunted. Through the combination of his vast reforestation
project and the adaptation of an ancient agricultural 'zai' planting technique,
his name is now synonymous with reversing the process of desertification and
combating food shortages. Yacouba's work over a quarter century has resulted in
the successful rehabilitation of farmland, the regrowth of forests, and the
return of many to their homeland, as well as praise from international
organizations eager to learn more about his techniques.
Running Time: 62 minutes Grades 7, Adult Closed
Captioned, Scene Selection A film by Mark Dodd
'Yacouba's story is both incredibly timely and
important given the current crisis in many parts of the world with
desertification. It is also rare to find a conservation story with such an
upbeat and inspirational ending'. -Diana El-Osta, National Geographic
Channels International
'Yacouba single-handedly has had more impact on
conservation than all the national and international researchers put together.
In this region tens of thousands of hectares of land that was completely
unproductive has been made productive again thanks to the techniques of
Yacouba.' - Chris Reij. Vrij University, Amsterdam
'Mark Dodd's achievement is to inform and inspire in
equal measures. Perfectly pitched cinematography and narration by Hugh Quarshie
engage beautifully with a moving story of struggle and success.' -Dick
Meadows, Producer, BBC
'At last a film we have been waiting for. Not the 'basket
case' Africa of HIV headlines and aid relief but a real story about real people
to inspire us all. Fabulously filmed with a masterful narration to match.' -
Sally-Ann Wilson, Commonwealth Broadcasting Association
Special Jury Award, UN International Forest
Film Festival Official Selection, 1st San Francisco Green Film
Festival Official Selection, Wild & Scenic Environmental Film
Festival Judges Special Selection, Wildscreen 2010
