The Donkosira Experience: Coproduction of and Digital Tools for Local Knowledges, 2018-2019

This West African local knowledge collection make local cultures visible and turn local actors from rural West African areas into producers of knowledge(s), controlling the information diffused on their villages. The resulting photos, videos and texts have been made availlable through a website which is archived here. Donkosira covered villages located in Casamance (Senegal), Kayes (Mali) and Upper Guinea (Guinea-Conakry) and relied on the involvement of ten villagers from those localities: Agnack Petit (Senegal): Alpha Mané, Hady Biaye; Agnack Grand (Senegal): Jacqueline Biaye, René Mané; Bouillagui (Mali): Diangou Diakité, Moussa Traoré; Monzona (Mali): Bakary Diakité, Boubacar Diakité; Damaro (Guinea): Fatoumata Doumbouya, Ansoumane Camara. The inversion of roles between researchers and research participants made the originality of the data collection, which turned villagers into true development actors. The village participants received smartphones enabling them to capture videos and photos in HD, thus being transformed into researchers within their respective local communities. Data collection was therefore under their control, in accord with their own agendas and respecting the expectations of local community members.