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At the age of 45, this daughter of a local Mouride dignitary and mother of two has decided to go into agricultural production, where the majority of local women are mere laborers in fields often belonging to their husbands.

"I chose to be an agricultural producer rather than go to the cities to join the ranks of women without work or reduced to maids..." says Sokhna, thanking CORAF and USAID for enabling her to produce and sell certified seeds.

Campaign after campaign, she has become an icon in this male-dominated milieu. A member of the certified seed producers' cooperative in the commune of Kahi, she collects performances season after season, to the point of becoming a reference in the commune.

Supported by CORAF's PSAO, the Seed Program for West Africa, between 2012 and 2017, she produced 10 tons of corn, 10 tons of sorghum, and almost as many peanuts in 2017. Although she refuses to talk about money, this mother of a family claims to earn enough to cover all her needs throughout the year.

Thanks to the income from the sale of certified seeds, she is able to finance her two children's schooling and provide them with independent social and health care. Generous, she regularly helps the villagers with food, seeds and money.

"Here, everyone respects her, the men first and foremost," says an admiring villager. When asked about her success, Sokhna Amy Mbacké prefers to remain modest, saying: "I chose to be a seed producer rather than go to the city to join the ranks of unemployed women or be reduced to an all-purpose maid. I love seed production and I find it fulfilling,"she says, thanking CORAF and USAID for enabling her to produce and sell certified seeds.