A local farmer shows the land he and his community have been regenerating with Plan

10 November, 2011: Many villages in Senegal live through seasons of drought every year where the availability of water is scarce. These conditions often mean that families relocate to other regions until the effects of the drought start to disappear.

Many villages have been trying to renovate the land and revive the greenery themselves in order to regenerate the land and provide sustainable land to live on all year round. A local villager from Poundium, St. Louis, proudly showed us the results of his hard work: “All of this land was completely desolate before we started tending to it 10 years ago. We have spent lots of time looking after the crops to maintain their growth.” 

Despite this hard work and the strong results, maintaining and protecting the land can be difficult as very often an unauthorised cutting down of trees takes place. The local villages rely on this land for many things including as a source of income for women who use the greenery to harvest herbs to sell in local markets and thereby help provide for their families.

Plan in action

Plan Senegal have put in place training programmes for the farmers of local communities so that they can share their experiences and skills  with other  farmers with the aim of improving farming  methods  and better maintaining the land.

Through this they have learnt how to properly tend the greenery and are no longer planting and watering seedlings but instead tending to the trees and plants that already exist, and in turn naturally regenerating the land. Now many of the villages where Plan has been working are able to house livestock. As a direct result of the re-growth of crops, animals including rabbits, monkeys, squirrels and warthogs are also starting to return. This provides the villagers with another source of income as the development of reserves attract tourists to the area.

In the past, communities had to leave their homes for up to 2 years as there was nothing left in the village, with land left barren and desert-like, and no source of income. A local farmer from Tiénialdé, St. Louis, recounted a time when he had to leave his home and relocate to be able to provide for his family. “Thanks to Plan,” he said, “there is now an infrastructure and families can use their own land to provide for their children”.

Plan in schools

Plan is working in schools throughout Senegal to raise awareness among children of the effects of climate change, teaching them to better prepare for and cope with the challenges.

“It is important for us children to be involved in the work with climate change as we are the adults of tomorrow,” said the president of the environmental club at the C E M Fass school in St.Louis.

Swedish rapper Timbuktu and his band introduce themselves to the children of the YETAM project

31 October, 2011: As part of the Youth Empowerment through the Arts and Media (YETAM) project in Senegal, Plan Norway has teamed up with Swedish rapper Timbuktu and his band to empower children with new skills in media and the arts.

No stranger to Plan, Timbuktu and his band teamed up with Plan Norway in 2009 and travelled to Malawi where they visited projects and held several mini-concerts, inviting children to participate with them.

Well known in both Sweden and Norway, Timbuktu is a hip hop artist using influences in his music from all over the world. He and his band members were in Dakar to hold practical workshops for children on song writing and singing, playing percussion, and recording and editing tracks.

These workshops were designed for the band to pass on their skills and knowledge to the children so that they in turn can go on to teach other children and showcase their talents to their communities. As  Jason ‘Timbuktu’ led the singing and song writing sessions, he encouraged the children to focus on a topic that they are passionate about, giving them the confidence to write songs on subjects drawn from their own experiences.

Learning new skills

Learning new skills from mentors is something Plan has been working towards during the YETAM project. Learning from someone with a little more experience can really help expand children’s talents, and encourage them to go on to do something amazing. “I think that it is important that the children learn from someone older than they are, because with a little guidance they can go on to do great things and become even better at the amazing talents that they have,” Jason tells us.

Plan has been working hard in Senegal to encourage children to express themselves and learn new skills in the arts and media. Media centres here provide somewhere where the children can go to practise their newfound skills and talents.

Popular Senegalese rapper Matador also showed his support for the workshops by joining Timbuktu and his band to inspire participants

Building recording facilities

As well as a two day workshop, Plan and Timbuktu are funding and supporting the development of a new recording studio to be built. This studio is designed for children to come and record their music as well as learn more about the editing and recording process.

 “I love the community feeling you get from Plan. It is inspirational that the people on the front line working with the children everyday are so passionate about helping others,” Jason tells us.

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Devastating effects

For Sam Sam III, a public school in Diamaguene, getting into the building was almost impossible. But with children and teachers eager to start lessons, the community built a temporary bridge so that pupils could start school again. The children’s enthusiasm  to attend school in spite of losing everything to the flooding was palpable and it is this eagerness for education that inspires Plan Senegal to work to keep schools open, even after the impact of the floods on small communities like Diamaguene.

Such floods destroy buildings, home and schools every year, and repairs often cost too much to be carried out  properly in order to avoid more damage. Schools sometimes  have to be torn down, making children’s access to education even harder than before. "We are tired of living in the water every time it rains. we need a healthy environment to live in and go to school like other children in the country," a local school child tells us.

Universal education for children is something Plan works tirelessly to support and make happen throughout Africa and, in Senegal, educational rights for children are on the rise. But with flash flooding in Deamaguene resulting in over 2000 students at Sam Sam III sharing six classrooms, teaching and learning is a struggle for both the children and teachers at the school. Natural disasters like this make the promotion of universal education difficult in Dakar, but Plan Senegal still strives to ensure that as many children as possible receive a good education.

Plan in action

Along with providing school equipment for children after the floods, including books, bags and stationary, Plan Senegal is also providing disinfectants to keep schools clean and free of  waterborne diseases like cholera.

Plan Senegal has also been funding pumping vehicles to extract the water from heavily flooded areas, helping to speed up the recovery process so that communities can start to rebuild their lives. Plan has provided sandbags to help soak up the rainwater that remains, making paths safer and more accessible. "With the help of Plan we can go to school despite the fact our area is under water. We do not have to risk waiting for months before joining classes again," a local school child from the Diamaguene region says.

The participants posing for a commemorative photo

In the framework of the 2011 edition of the World Social Forum Plan West Africa Regional Office fully participated in 4 days of activities organized together with the interagency that regroups Plan International, ActionAid, Ancefa, FAWE, OneWorldUK, Oxfam International and World Vision. Plan also facilitated a panel of children to entertain their audience on violence against children. 

During 4 days of presentations and debates all partners emphasized the need to work together around the themes of violence against children, right to education, universal access and inclusive education for all children together with duty bearers. They encouraged governments, journalists and decision makers to collaborate in order to develop and reinforce the legal system of sanctions and punishments.

Panel of children

During the forum, children spoke out to fight child abuse and guarantee better future for others

“Today violence affects everyone, but the consequences are much more visible and destructive for children, especially for girls,” said Boudy, a 16-year-old participant.
To respond to these challenges, the participants presented a number of solutions to improve the state of child protection in education in Africa.

“Violence against children is a big concern in Africa. Sexual and work exploitation, corporal punishment and neglect are mostly due to poor communication between children and their parents, poverty, neglect and ignorance of children’s rights. The phenomenon of violence affects child development and is against his rights,” said Mouhamed, a 17-year-old participant to the forum.

During discussions with adults and youth participants to the forum, the panelist debated over the need to enforce sanctions against perpetrator of school violence; and the need for more and better training for teachers to help them educate children without violence. Moreover, combating only school violence is not sufficient, but efforts need to be made to stop violence at home. Finally, they invited all children to break the silence and speak out to fight child abuse and guarantee better future for others.

To conclude they issued recommendations to the governments, parents, children and schools.

“We urge governments to invest in schools’ infrastructure and encourage parents to enroll their children at school and especially make efforts to keep girls at school. Teachers and trainers must protect children against corporal punishment. Fight against violence must remain a priority for everyone,” they concluded.

The World Social Forum was held in Dakar between 6 and 11 February 2011 at the University Cheikh Anta Diop.

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Each guest received a copy of the 2010 "Because I am a Girl" report

25 November 2010: Plan Senegal in collaboration with Plan West Africa Regional Office officially launched the 2010 "Because I am a Girl" report at the British Council in Dakar, Senegal.

The report was launched by a representative of the Senegalese Minister of Culture, Assane Dia in the presence of the British Ambassador in Senegal, H.E Chris Trott, Plan Senegal Country Director, Mie Takaki, and Plan West Africa Acting Regional Director, Amavi Akpamagbo.

Giving girls a voice

“The importance of girls’ rights to protection and education cannot be overemphasized for the social and economic development of any country. The government of Senegal is aware of this and supportive of Plan’s efforts to help lift girls out of poverty,” said Assane Dia, the representative of the Minister.

As for Plan Senegal Country Director, she pointed out that despite the differences that may exist among children in terms of their social and economic environment, religion and race; they all have the same rights but girls’ rights are less respected than those of boys. She called on the government of Senegal to invest more in girls as this will have not only a positive impact on the health and education of girls in Senegal but also on those of their children when they become mothers.

The British Ambassador, H.E Chris Trott expressed satisfaction over the choice of the British Council to host the event and pledged to work with Plan and other relevant partners to help promote girls’ rights in Senegal.

The "Because I am A Girl" launch event gathered more than 150 partners including representatives of  children’s and youth organizations, relevant UN agencies, INGOs, national and regional media.

Educating on risks and opportunities

Prior to the launch of the event- which took place in the evening- Plan West Africa organized a one-day workshop on the same day with 40 youth participants – mainly girls- to familiarize them with the 2010 edition of the ‘Because I am a Girl’ (BIAAG) report and get their views on this years’ theme: Digital and Urban Frontiers: Girls in a Changing Landscape.

“We organized this workshop on the BIAAG report with girls because children and youth not only have the right to information but also to be heard on issues that concern them,” said Frederic Bambara, Plan West Africa Communications Advisor and facilitator of the workshop.

Participants took active role in the workshop which raised their awareness of the risks facing them in cities

During the workshop participating youths were given the opportunity to say what cities and new technologies mean to them and discuss the problems in groups. Participants also created interactive presentations to respond to questions, such as: why girls leave rural areas for cities, the dangers associated with their exodus and the opportunities and threats linked to the use of information technologies by adolescent girls.

“This workshop is useful to me; it has increased my awareness of the opportunities and dangers linked to living in a city and to the use of the information technologies. I hope that similar workshops will be organized for children and youth groups across Senegal,” said Awa Mballo, a 17- year-old girl working with Plan Senegal as a youth reporter since she was 11.

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Participants could familiarise themselves with different techniques for taking pictures 

24 November 2010: Plan Senegal and Plan West Africa Regional Office with support from UKNO and Shoot Experience organized a one-day training workshop on photography for 40 children and youth as part of the 2010 Shoot Nations exhibition. The initiative aims at promoting the right to participation of children and youth in West Africa (in development and to promote their rights through media) and getting their views on ‘city living’ – the theme of the 2010 edition of Shoot Nations.

Providing with lifelong skills

Shoot Nations is a photography project for children and young people (aged 11 to 25) organized by Plan International in collaboration with the UK- based Association "Shoot Experience“. Each year young participants are asked to submit 3 photos on a given theme to share their views on the world surrounding them. The photos are then shown to people in power, like the UN.

“We decided to organize the photography workshop to help children acquire universal skills for the future,” said George Anang’a, Plan UK Development Education Adviser. ‘’This year, we have chosen Senegal to represent the project, young people in Senegal and in Africa,’’ he added.

Participants -mostly adolescent girls who came from youth organizations based in Senegal (Plan’s Radio Guneyi youth reporters, African Movement of Working Children and Youth, and youth participating in Plan’s School-link and climate change projects) were familiarized with the use of cameras, what makes a good photograph and could appreciate the power of pictures to communicate messages.

Awa, a 17-year-old student, said: ‘’I am glad we could pass the messages using photography to present our city the way it is during the day, the differences between social statuses in Dakar. The workshop opened my eyes to the things I haven’t seen before’’.

What does Dakar mean to you?

After the technical part of the workshop, the participants went on a photo tour to Dakar- the capital city of Senegal- to put into practice the techniques they have learnt. By taking pictures children responded to the following questions: what does “city” mean to you; growing up in the city as a boy or a girl; from country to city, from city to country, people on the move. The photos showed a variety of landscapes, people, streets, places and events across Dakar.

”I am interested in photography and I really benefited from the workshop. It helped me discover different aspects of photography, like colors and lighting,’’ said El Hadji Amadou Diop, a youth workshop participant.

Working in groups participants had to select three best photos representing city life

Following their photo trip, participants selected the best pictures taken during the trip. These pictures will be added to the Dakar Shoot Nations exhibition starting from 25th to 30th November at the British Council.

“Now, we are going to level up the exhibition and include the photos taken in Senegal to the exhibition in London in December, and in Colombia in January 2011,” said Hannah White from Shoot Experience.

A similar Shoot Nations training workshop on photography and an exhibition were held by Plan West Africa Office (WARO), Plan UK and Shoot Experience in Burkina Faso in 2007.

Listen to the testimony from a youth workshop participant.

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Due to stagnant water schools are closed and children miss lessons

18 October 2010: Plan has released US $200,000 from the emergencies contingency fund to provide support to the communities affected by seasonal heavy rainfall in the areas of Dakar and St Louis.

Since mid August, seasonal heavy rains have caused extensive damage in Senegal. The squalid areas of the capital city Dakar and St Louis, a city in the north of the country, were especially hard hit.

In Dakar, 94 neighborhoods with 400,000 residents were impacted by the floods. Families from 774 households were displaced and sought shelter with family or friends on dry ground, or in schools serving as temporary shelters. Community facilities- five schools and two health clinics- were also damaged in Diamguène Sicap Mbao neighbourhood.

In St Louis, 900 families were affected by the flooding including 235 families being sheltered at 15 schools because their houses were inundated with flood water. School has been postponed until the flood waters recede and the families can return and rebuild their houses.

Deteriorating conditions

In both cities, the affected zones provide fertile ground for the outbreak of disease. Access to drinking water is deteriorating, with some families walking great distances for clean water. Nearly 2,000 household latrines were damaged or destroyed. There is concern about the increased threat of disease outbreaks. Families are using flooded latrines and empting sewage into the streets at night, raising the risk of cholera, malaria, diarrhoea and skin diseases. Children and the elderly are especially susceptible to sickness.

Plan’s response

Falilou Seck from Plan Senegal Disaster Focal point described Plan’s approach to assisting the disaster affected communities: “Plan is a child-focused organization. We provide disaster assistance to families and communities with the overall goal of improving children’s health, safety and access to education.”

Currently, Plan is working in three of the hardest hit communes in Dakar: Medina Gounass, Djiddah Thiaroye Kao and Diamguene Sicap Mbao. Working with local partners and members of the community, Plan will be distributing:

• sand bags
• disinfectant products to kill mosquito larvae and germs
• mosquito nets
• medicines
• food (oil, sugar, rice)

Families continue to live in flooded houses which provide fertile ground for the outbreak of disease

In addition to supplies, Plan volunteers are also working in the community to raise awareness of health risks and how to prevent them by using the disinfectants. Teams of volunteers are also working to repair and clean flooded buildings.

Plan community work crews are placing a priority on fixing schools so children can return to their studies quickly. Some schools might be still closed for the next 2-3 months if the volunteers do not clean school buildings on time.

“We are helping people after this disaster, but also working with them to seek long-term solutions,” said Mie Takaki, Plan Senegal Country Director.