Nachhaltige Verbesserung der Lebensbedingungen von benachteiligten Gruppen
HEKS
Senegal

Sustainably improving the living conditions of disadvantaged groups

Senegal Country Programme

HEKS/EPER supports smallholder and cattle-rearing families in Senegal in building stable livelihoods for themselves and for future generations. This is done through improved access to land, the reconstitution and protection of natural resources, sustainable exploitation of resources and by boosting incomes.

Context

Politically, Senegal is a stable country with relatively well-functioning state institutions. It has so far remained untouched by regional security crises, but is grappling with serious economic problems that are threatening internal social peace. The health crisis and the deteriorating security situation in neighbouring countries has hit the Senegalese economy hard, and further compounded domestic problems such as joblessness and poverty. Climate change, appreciable demographic growth and the annual influx of 300,000 young people, whom the Senegalese job market cannot absorb, are exacerbating not just social tensions but also the pressure on natural resources. Those being disproportionately affected by their depletion are rural dwellers, especially women. 

HEKS/EPER's engagement in Senegal is aimed at improving the living conditions of disadvantaged rural dwellers and people living close to cities, at the same time ensuring the sustainability of natural resources, on which 60 per cent of Senegalese depend directly. In this phase of the country programme, HEKS/EPER is therefore also focusing on rural, agricultural and livestock-rearing communities and assisting them in sustainably enhancing and preserving their livelihoods. 
 

Objectives and priorities

The 2022-2026 country programme focuses on improving the living conditions of socially disadvantaged segments of the population. HEKS/EPER believes that this can be achieved by means not limited merely to boosting their incomes. Communities are therefore being included more systematically in decision-making processes under a holistic support strategy. One focus is on more equitable access to resources for local groups of users, and their involvement in the management of those resources. HEKS/EPER and its local partner organizations are active in the Ferlo region in the north-east of the country, in the agricultural areas of Niayes and Petite Côte, and in the Saloum Delta.

HEKS im Senegal
Corina Flühmann

Activities

To achieve these goals, the following activities are envisaged:
 
  • Fostering the technical capabilities of grassroots organizations so that they are able to participate in decision-making bodies in their communes.
  • Taking steps to preserve and regenerate natural resources and ensure their equitable use.
  • Boosting incomes and supporting producer groups in the marketing of their products.
  • Encouraging access to land for small-scale producers and creating a citizens’ watch that can prevent and report breaches of the law (such as frequent land grabs).
  • Assisting civil society partners in becoming involved in national policy reform processes, such as the revision of the land law or the law on herders.

More information...

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