The mini fish farm project has long been a need for the community of Ndombo. A significant amount of the village’s wealth comes from Lake Taouey, a branch of the Senegal River. Before the construction of the Diama salt dam, women would use this river to fish with their bare hands, where fish bites would cause exposure to tropical diseases. Since the dam’s construction, Ndombo’s 30 female fish sellers go to St. Louis at 5 a.m., (105 km from Ndombo) to stock up on fish. They return to the community market around 9 a.m., and then those who market dried fish return to Thiago in the blazing evening heat. The establishment of a fish farm run by the women of Ndombo Sandjiry at Lake Taouey would greatly decrease the time spent collecting and selling fish as well as provide a plentiful source of the desired freshwater tilapia. Not only does fish farming provide food security and income for women, but it eradicates cases of fishing-related accidents.

To ensure sustainability, women have organized themselves into the operating and marketing commissions which will be responsible for studying the fry (baby fish), deciding how much will be sold, and transporting the fish to market. In five years, fish production could satisfy food security throughout the village and the profits the women receive from sales will be used to increase the number of floating cages. Each fish seller can sell 5 to 10 kilograms per day, for a total of around 300 kg. The goal is to supply the local market with 10 to 40 floating cages in 20 years. Additionally, women are considering delivering fresh fish to expand profit margins and reduce losses. Finally, the women plan to buy a car in the next 5 years to expand sales to major cities nearby.