Kerfalla Camara, executive director and founder of the Guinean centre for entrepreneurs (Maison Guinéenne de l’Entrepreneur – MGE), a dear friend and longstanding partner of GRET in the country, passed away on 12 September 2023. We pay tribute to this highly skilled, generous, lively man, who devoted his entire life to agriculture and the development of those who work in this crucial sector for Guinea.
Kerfalla was a fervent defender of people working downstream in agricultural value chains (rice, palm oil, potatoes, coffee, cacao, etc.) and contributed substantially to their organisation and their professionalization. He facilitated their integration in inter-professional forums and their access to markets, enabling fairer distribution of income and rebalancing of power relationships within value chains. He worked more than anyone in Guinea to defend and promote the role of women and their professional organisations in these value chains. He also strongly supported the promotion and valorisation of local products, in Guinea and elsewhere.
Kerfalla’s commitment to the world of agriculture was deeply rooted in his love for his country and his people. For him, agriculture was the key to the country’s future and he devoted years of his life to working alongside stakeholders in agricultural value chains, training them, supporting them and inspiring them. Kerfalla’s work reached lives in the most remote corners of Guinea, and his heritage is visible in all of the country’s regions. Thanks to his efforts, many rural families were able to improve their lives.
Kerfalla’s personal and professional qualities were recognised by colleagues working in fair development in Guinea and internationally. Thanks to its director’s charisma, skills and ethics, the MGE conducted many projects in Guinea, with numerous partners, to fight against inequalities, defend the interests of those working and living in rural areas, and promote local products. A significant example of this is Guinea’s first official protected geographic indication (IGP) for Ziama Macenta coffee.
GRET is proud to have worked for more than 15 years with Kerfalla and the MGE on various actions in Guinea: support for structuring and for inter-professional consultation within value chains, development of best practice guidelines for rice and palm oil in Guinea, the national charter on good quality local rice, dissemination of more sustainable and more ecological agrifood processing methods, implementation of a collective mangrove rice brand, and a Protected geographical indication (PGI) for Baroness pineapples from Friguiagbé… It was with great pleasure that we addressed many common challenges together.
Kerfalla will remain in our memories as a model of commitment, perseverance and passion. Today, as we mourn his loss, we must also celebrate his extraordinary life and contribute to the continuation of his work, perpetuate his legacy and continue the fight for a fairer, more sustainable world.
Rest in peace Kerfalla Camara, your work continues to bear fruit, and your impact will be lasting!
