About

Home » About

AFRICA DAYS

SOS SAHEL’s annual event, is an essential meeting with its network of partners.

SOS SAHEL is an international NGO and an expert in the environmental and food security space working with the most vulnerable populations in the Sahel to ensure that they are heard with respect and dignity on an international scale. SOS SAHEL values the potential of the Sahel by supporting initiatives of local actors and investing in sustainable solutions in the Sahel. We are convinced that this is the best way to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and the African Union 2063 Agenda. SOS SAHEL initiates and implements flagship programs to ensure food security and climate change. The “Green Initiative” aims to restore 360,000 hectares of land and create 100,000 jobs in six Sahelian countries.

Africa Days 2024 contributes to the integration of the African Crops Alliance, a new network aiming to bring together a wide range of partners: institutions, businesses, and local actors, to exchange and promote sustainable solutions for food security in the Sahel. The 7th edition of Africa Days aims to raise awareness about the issues of Africa’s lost crops, encourage the consumption of local produce, and create a committed community for improving the global food system and recognizing indigenous crops on the continent.

Africa Days celebrates the incredible potential of the Sahel and allows for the formulation of recommendations to strengthen knowledge and skills on the ground. Our previous editions have demonstrated this:

In 2022, the Africa Days Forum “Together to Achieve the Great Green Wall” took place in parallel with COP15 on May 16 in Abidjan. 4 “Champions” of the Great Green Wall were honored and the event concluded with the signing of a partnership agreement between SOS SAHEL and the Pan-African Agency of the GGW, aiming to strengthen collaboration between States and civil society actors particularly within the framework of the Great Green Wall countries
In 2021, Africa Days took place in a hybrid format, allowing dialogues between field actors and investors. During the pre-forum, SOS SAHEL and its partners reflected on the territorial approach and support for the initiatives of local leaders.

Africa Days

The Africa Days 2021 were virtual with a small in-person component in Dakar. Rapid urbanization and population movement from drylands were examined in depth and fed into dialogues between stakeholders in the field and investors. During the pre-forum, SOS SAHEL and its partners thought about the territorial approach as well as the initiatives of leading local stakeholders. Then, during the Forum, technical and financial partners discussed the mobilization of resources that are lacking in territories which are too far from traditional banking circuits.

Download the 2021 booklet

Program

Agri-Hackathon – May 25 to 28 2020

Dakar, Sénégal

Through the Agri-Hackathon SOS SAHEL aims to identify innovative technological solutions with the potential to modernize agricultural production, strengthen food value chains and ensure economic inclusion of family farmers in the Sahel. Following exchanges during the Africa Camp, where Sahelian farmers came together to discuss their agricultural needs and problems, teams of developers will be invited to bring their prototypes to the Agri-Hackathon 2020 where they will be working with local experts to ensure their solutions are suitable to the field.
The Agri-hackathon will close with pitching sessions at the Africa Days Forum and prizes will be awarded during the Africa Days Gala.

Forum – May 29, 2020

Hotel Pullman Dakar Teranga

The Africa Days forum is organized thanks to the generous support of the Hôtel Pullman Dakar Teranga. The forum brings together a variety of specialists from national and regional institutions, the private sector and civil society organizations for exchange and debate as it pertains to large-scale solutions for food security, employment and economic growth in the Sahel. The forum will also include the Agri-Hackathon technology pitching sessions.

Charity Gala – May 30, 2020

Hotel Pullman Dakar Teranga

This year, SOS SAHEL is organizing the Fourth Edition of the Africa Days Gala thanks to the generous support of the Hôtel Pullman Dakar Teranga. The event, which will follow a new format, will feature a VIP dinner and awards ceremony for sponsors and participants, followed by the Jam Sahel concert which will be open to the public for those who wish to buy tickets.