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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Project Results: 2022-2024

The project has successfully supported 239 savings groups with 957 members. Youth engagement has been notable, with 426 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 128 individuals through networking and training to address climate change and biodiversity conservation. 50 people had their adaptive capacity enhanced. Profiling and enumeration efforts have been extensive, covering 6 settlements. These activities have provided valuable data to inform future interventions and strategies. 4 Advocacy and information campaigns at  city and national levels have raised awareness and mobilised communities. 

Youth have been particularly active in 75 content creation initiatives, furthering community engagement and communication. A federation meeting, alongside 3 local peer-to-peer exchanges, enabling many community members to share knowledge and experiences, strengthened community ties and fostered collaborative solutions.

 

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Improved Solid Waste Management in Senegal 

Neighbourhoods face significant challenges due to poor waste management and environmental degradation. A rapid assessment revealed issues such as uncontrolled waste dumping and incineration, driven by limited access to waste collection services. In response, the project provided training on solid waste management to over 200 households, covering collection, sorting and recycling techniques, while also supplying regulatory trash bins. 

This initiative reduced public waste dumping and empowered communities to implement sustainable waste practices. Collective efforts by savings groups further expanded bin distribution to an additional 75 households, demonstrating a community-driven approach to environmental health. 

Alongside waste management, urban greening efforts were significant. More than 600 plants and trees were planted around pergola structures in a zone close to desertification. This component, enhancing resilience, was carried out thanks to partnerships between local groups and authorities. 

 

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