Idrissa Aidara’s story, or how the AVENIR project turned a return into success
Some life journeys tell far more than an individual story. They speak of a territory, a generation, and a courageous choice. At 43, Idrissa Aidara, a farmer in Dar Salam in the Goudomp department of Senegal, embodies such a story. A returnee migrant after two attempts at irregular migration marked by violence and imprisonment, he chose the land as his anchor and climate-smart agriculture as his pathway to rebuild his life. Thanks to the AVENIR project, funded by Global Affairs Canada and implemented by MEDA in collaboration with the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT, Idrissa has built a model farm, created local employment, and inspired other young people to believe in a possible future in Senegal. Here is his story.
- Africa
- Climate Action
- Senegal
Idrissa Aidara’s story, or how the AVENIR project turned a return into success
Some life journeys tell far more than an individual story. They speak of a territory, a generation, and a courageous choice. At 43, Idrissa Aidara, a farmer in Dar Salam in the Goudomp department of Senegal, embodies such a story. A returnee migrant after two attempts at irregular migration marked by violence and imprisonment, he chose the land as his anchor and climate-smart agriculture as his pathway to rebuild his life. Thanks to the AVENIR project, funded by Global Affairs Canada and implemented by MEDA in collaboration with the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT, Idrissa has built a model farm, created local employment, and inspired other young people to believe in a possible future in Senegal. Here is his story.
Coming back from afar: when exile fails but dignity remains
When Idrissa speaks about his past, his voice grows heavier. Before becoming a recognized farmer, cooperative president, and mentor to other young people, he was a migrant, twice. Two attempts at irregular migration, two failures, and above all, severe physical and emotional hardship.
“I experienced prison, I was shot. At one point, I truly believed I would not make it back alive.”
When he finally returned to Senegal in 2015, he had few material resources but a deep conviction: he had to rebuild, differently.
Back in Dar Salam in the Goudomp region, Idrissa faced a reality familiar to many returnee migrants: limited structured economic opportunities, social pressure, and sometimes skeptical looks from the community. Yet he refused to give in to discouragement.
“After two failed attempts, I understood that the solution was not elsewhere. It was here, at home, if I could find the right support.”
This realization marked a turning point. Agriculture, long perceived as a low-value subsistence activity, became for him a space of opportunity.
On a 1.5-hectare plot, Idrissa began experimenting. The early days were modest and difficult. Yields were low, access to water uncertain, and labor limited. But he persisted. His ambition was not only to produce, but to create a viable, replicable model capable of attracting other young people.
“I did not want to farm just to survive. I wanted to show that you can succeed with dignity through agriculture.”
It was at this critical moment that the AVENIR project entered his life.