Improvement of the living conditions of women in the province of Fatick thanks to the financing of microcredits

State : In progress | Number of beneficiaries : 3,000 women and 15,000 children

Project duration : 2022/2028

Place : Fatick region, Senegal

Project funded under a framework agreement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, and by the Jean Kerber Foundation under the aegis of the Luxembourg Foundation

Local partner

Youth and Development (JED) / Eclaireurs et Eclaireuses du Sénégal (EEDS) is a development NGO created in 1936, and established in all regions of Senegal, inspired by Scouting values, at the service of young people and the community. Its mission is to contribute to the improvement of the quality of life of populations, mainly in the field of health, education, socio-economic integration, water and the environment, by preparing especially young people in their role as active and responsible citizens in synergy with the Scouts and Scouts of Senegal.

Context

In Senegal, few women have access to education and/or are kept in school, which reduces their chances of being able to find a decent job. The literacy rate for women aged 15 to 49 is around 52.7%, and for men 65.1%.

There is a strong correlation between the literacy rate and the employability rate. Indeed, the unemployed are mostly without any level of education (69.9%). Moreover, 66.7% of the unemployed are women. This non-employment rate is more accentuated in rural areas. These figures are telling and reveal the typical profile of the unemployed person who is a woman from a rural area and illiterate. Thus, this project is a direct response to the needs of the Fatick area in which the main sectors of activity are trade (46.8%) and agriculture, and where the unemployment rate is 47.9% among women against 17.3% for men.

The mission

Overall objective: Women improve the living conditions of their children in the province of Fatick.

Specific objective: Women empower themselves financially through the creation and development of micro-projects financed by micro-credits.

Activities

  • Development of the entrepreneurial skills of groups for the advancement of women: training of women in leadership and entrepreneurship, professional training for women in different sectors (processing of cereals, fruits and vegetables, small livestock, etc.)
  • Improving the living conditions of women and their families through the establishment of income-generating activities: Establishment of micro-credits for women, development of income-generating activities and tools for monitoring these activities, regular follow-up visits to the women and their activities
  • Development of women’s life skills: Raising women’s awareness of health and child nutrition, organization of talks on child protection

Beneficiaries

Direct: more than 3,000 women

Indirect: more than 15,000children