Photo © RET International

Article by RET Global Communications & RET in Mauritania

M’BERA REFUGEE CAMP, MAURITANIA – On July 3, farmers, school directors, and community leaders gathered here to mark the official launch of this year’s reforestation and planting campaign, kicking off the critical rainy season that runs from July through September.

The event brought together 181 farmers who work the camp’s market gardens, alongside school directors, representatives of local community groups, partner organizations, a UNHCR official, and the head of the World Food Programme’s (WFP) field office in Bassikounou. Together, they celebrated months of preparation aimed at making the camp’s agriculture more resilient and more productive.

Photos © RET International

Since December 2025, these farmers have taken part in training on agroecological farming — methods that work with nature rather than against it, using techniques like soil enrichment and tree planting to protect crops and improve harvests over time. In recent months, they treated their soil, prepared their land, and dug holes for new trees. Ahead of the rains, RET International distributed seeds suited to the region’s dry climate along with tree seedlings meant to shield crops from wind and sun, enrich the soil, and strengthen the gardens against future shocks.

At the launch, the WFP field office chief commended the farmers for their dedication and encouraged them to keep tending the newly planted trees, with the goal of turning this site into a model for sustainable farming across the region — one that helps stock school cafeterias with fresh, local food and pushes back against food insecurity in the camp.

The effort is part of a broader push to link farming directly to what children eat at school, ensuring that healthier soil and stronger gardens translate into steadier meals for students year-round.

This activity was carried out under the Model School pilot project, funded by the World Food Programme and implemented by RET International since December 2025, in M’bera Refugee Camp, Mauritania.

---