In the peaceful Bananköröda neighborhood, the name Karamo Lanciné Traoré is synonymous with courage and perseverance. Blind for several decades, this old man refuses to give up and divides his life between market gardening and teaching the Koran, proving that dignity and hard work take precedence over pity.

Having gone blind while attending Koranic school, Karamo turned this ordeal into strength. "God made me blind, but he didn't take away my passion for fighting," he says calmly.

Earth as guide and therapy

Under the scorching sun, Karamo bustles about in his garden on the banks of the Milo River. His precise gestures, guided by touch, demonstrate an intimate knowledge of his environment. “If you lose your sight, God opens another mind for you. I can't see, but I have a very broad field of thought. When my children bring me here, I recognize the plants by touching them. It's God who guides me,” he explains with a smile.

A father, he grows lettuce, onions and other vegetables for a living, categorically refusing to beg: "I prefer to work and eat the fruit of my efforts."

The double whammy of flooding

Despite his courage, Karamo was hit hard this year. Floods from the Milo River ravaged his two gardens, washing away all his crops. "We thought there would be no more flooding after September 10, but God decided otherwise. The water washed everything away," he laments.

Despite this loss and the difficulties associated with the lack of equipment and drilling during the dry season, Karamo remains optimistic, his faith unshakeable.

His greatest wish remains to provide a home for his family and to complete the pilgrimage to Mecca: "I still live in a rented apartment, with many dependents. I pray to God to help me have a house and complete the Hajj."

Karamo Lanciné Traoré is today appealing to local authorities, NGOs, and people of good will to provide support in the form of agricultural equipment, seeds, and assistance tailored to his circumstances. His story is a true lesson in courage and humanity in Bananköröda.