The reasons for the project in Senegal

The project in Senegal aims at promoting highly innovative initiatives for integrated development, entailing coordinated action in various sectors (rural development, vocational training, improving the condition of women, fishing), into which the factor of innovation can be introduced, making the most of the resources (human, social, and financial capital) offered by the Senegalese who work in Italy.

After a detailed, demanding course of co-planning carried out by the foundations together with the organizations involved in the initiative (who in turn, thanks to their experience and strong presence in Senegal in the sectors identified, have represented the instrument of constant communication and planning with the local partners involved), the advisability emerged of developing the foundations’ joint initiative in Senegal by following three main, well-defined strategic directions:

The first: To make the most of the experience gained and the results achieved up to now in Senegal, thanks also to the contribution of international bilateral cooperation entities (including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs) and non-governmental organizations (including Italian ones) in the organization of specific processing and distribution chains of farm and fishing products, and of economic sectors with a high potential for growth, continuing the processes already in motion and implementing strategic actions to complement the activities of every chain and sector.

The second: To make the most of the experience gained in specific sectors (agriculture, fishing, and livestock raising, microfinance, responsible tourism) by the individual Italian non-governmental organizations and associations of Senegalese immigrants involved, placing this at the service of the entire initiative with an eye to supplementing, complementing, and maximizing the impact of the actions proposed.

The third: To make the most of the role that the associations of Senegalese immigrants in Italy can play, both in Italy and in Senegal, in co-development initiatives, by offering them continuing, concrete professional support from Italian NGOs during the co-development actions that they are already carrying out in their home country.