Local KNOWLEDGE AT THE HEART OF Rural DEVELOPMENT: Knowledge, Humanitarian Action, and Collaborative Development in a Crisis Context

The participatory mapping implemented by the CRS goes beyond simple geolocation to become an epistemological tool for recognition. Unlike technocratic approaches that fragment reality into imported indicators, this method invites communities to reconstruct their systems of knowledge, risk management, and spatial organization through drawing and collective storytelling. In Mavoumai, this process brought to light not only physical infrastructure but also symbolic landmarks, transforming the imposed space into a lived-in and claimed place. By replacing the question "What are you missing?" with "Show us what works," the facilitators reversed the deficit-based logic. The maps produced highlighted existing resilience systems, such as the identification in Zamalva of local varieties of sorghum (dèl) that are drought-resistant and far better suited to the environment than the hybrid seeds distributed in the past. This process acts as a translation interface, where local knowledge is reformulated without distortion.