SenegalOVERVIEWSenegal has progressed significantly in the past decade, both politically and economically. Senegal is a moderating voice in the Islamic and African worlds as a democratic, predominantly Muslim, secular country. In 2009, the country signed a $540 million compact with the Millennium Challenge Corporation. USAID works with its Senegalese partners to enhance lives by creating jobs, improving access to education and health care, further institutionalizing democracy, and developing the agriculture sector to increase production and incomes. PROGRAMSPEACE AND SECURITYAfter more than two decades of conflict, peace remains elusive in Senegal’s southern Casamance region. USAID’s national reconciliation program supports peace-building activities such as grassroots conflict resolution, peace advocacy, and training to build local negotiation and conflict resolution skills. GOVERNING JUSTLY AND DEMOCRATICALLYWhile Senegal remains one of the few stable democracies in West Africa, its government is becoming an increasingly centralized entity with weak checks and balances. The United States is expanding its efforts to promote government-wide transparency and accountability. Governance issues are also systematically integrated in each sector program. ECONOMIC GROWTH Under the framework of the African Union, the Government of Senegal has prioritized agriculture as a vehicle for pro-poor economic growth and greater rural food security. The U.S. Government’s Feed the Future Initiative supports the country’s efforts by enabling agriculture-led development. Objectives include meeting the demand for food, supporting and facilitating access to strong markets, increasing incomes for the poor, and improving nutrition, especially for women and children. With half of Senegal’s youth unemployed, the country urgently needs jobs. In an effort to speed Senegal’s growth and the country’s capacity to produce and manufacture goods rather than just trade them, USAID helps citizens generate income from local resources, connect to markets, and manage the country’s natural resources. USAID has assisted thousands of producer groups and private enterprises in marketingnatural products (such as baobab, madd, and gum mbepp) and nontraditional agricultural products (such as cashews and fonio) for domestic consumption and export markets. Nearly 3,600 groups were able to increase their revenues by more than 93 percent, and 1,700 new jobs were created. INVESTING IN PEOPLE: HEALTHSubstantial improvements have been made in health in recent years, including a drop in infant and maternal mortality. In an effort to further decrease these rates, USAID supports birth spacing campaigns and prenatal care. To limit the spread of HIV/AIDS, USAID has worked to increase access to and use of quality health services, especially for high-risk and vulnerable groups. In 2009, 44,670 people received HIV/AIDS counseling and testing. USAID also works to reduce malaria-related deaths by targeting children and pregnant women. In 2009, USAID, through the President’s Malaria Initiative, purchased and distributed 452,234 bednets and funded the distribution of another 1.8 million. In addition, the program protected 661,814 people in 176,279 households from malaria with indoor residual spraying. INVESTING IN PEOPLE: EDUCATIONApproximately 57 percent of Senegal’s men and 66 percent of its women over 15 years old are illiterate. Since Senegal has nearly attained universal primary education, USAID works to ensure that future generations are literate and better prepared for the global marketplace by instead supporting higher-quality middle school education and broader accessibility, especially for girls. By 2009, USAID had built or renovated 67 middle schools, allowing more than 42,000 new students to attend school within walking distance of their homes. In 2010, USAID is working with the Government of Senegal to build local capacity to construct nine more schools. Programs also seek to create participatory communities and improve the quality of teaching so that all children have access to quality basic education at the middle school level. Additionally, funds will be dedicated to ensuring that vulnerable and street children, many of whom participate in the Koranic (Islamic) school system, get increased educational support. Back to Top ^
Back to Top ^ | 
