Senegal: Strengthening Communities for Sustainable Urban Development

Wooden Fishing Boats or Pirogues at Coast of St. Louis, Senegal. Credit_Fabian-Adobestock.com

Project Overview

Senegal faces numerous urban challenges such as rapid urbanization, inadequate housing, and strained infrastructure. The growth of informal settlements has led to strained access to basic municipal services, congestion, pollution, and vulnerability to environmental hazards. 

The Fédération Sénégalaise des Habitants (FSH), operating across Dakar, Thiès, Louga, and Ziguinchor, supports its members through community mobilization, training in income-generating activities, administrative and financial management, leadership, and advocacy. 

The project aims to address key issues such as expanding FSH’s capacities in new regions, enhancing leaders' skills for national and international representation, and improving members' knowledge of their environments. It seeks to strengthen communication tools for joint advocacy, foster exchanges between community actors and institutional bodies, and reinforce the Federation's organizational structure. 

This project is part of the Building Resilience in Informal Settlements Programme, a partnership between Cities Alliance and Slum Dwellers International (SDI), funded by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), to support civil society organisations working in informal settlements.

 

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Initial Project Results: 2022-2024

The project has successfully supported 239 savings groups, with 483 members. Youth engagement has been notable, with 196 youth members supported across various activities. This involvement has empowered the younger generation to take an active role in their communities. 

Geographically, the project has extended its support to multiple cities and settlements, ensuring a broad reach across urban areas. This widespread support has positively impacted numerous households, improving their livelihood and access to services. 

In terms of capacity building, the project has directly supported 30 individuals through networking and training to address climate change and biodiversity conservation. Profiling and enumeration efforts have been extensive, covering three cities and seven settlements. These activities have provided valuable data to inform future interventions and strategies. Advocacy and information campaigns at both city and settlement levels have raised awareness and mobilized communities. 

Youth have been particularly active in content creation initiatives, furthering community engagement and communication. Regional and national federation meetings, alongside local peer-to-peer exchanges have enabled many community members to share knowledge and experiences, strengthening community ties and fostering collaborative solutions.

 

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Key Achievements: 2022-2024

  • 239 savings groups and 957 savers supported
  • 426 youth members mobilised and supported
  • 128 people supported through networking and training to address climate change or to conserve biodiversity 
  • 50 people supported to better adapt to the effects of climate change
  • 6 settlements profiled 
  • 4 city or national level advocacy campaigns conducted
  • 75 content creating initiatives involving youth 
  • 1 regional or national level federation leadership meeting was held 
  • 3 peer-to-peer learning exchanges 
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