Senegal Fatick
$103,997 needed of $120,000
Implementing Organization
World Renew
Program Summary
Senegal is located on the Western tip of Africa, bordering the Atlantic Ocean and the countries of Mauritania, Mali, Guinea and Guinea-Bissau and surrounding The Gambia. Senegal is often referred to as ‘the land of hospitality’, whose peace and safety stands out in a region where neighboring countries experience jihadism, coups, and military rule. It has close to 18 million inhabitants, half of whom live in rural areas and are typically engaged in agriculture or animal husbandry.
The Serere ethnic group is the smallest and most conservative of the three major ethnicities in the country. Women in the Serere ethnic group typically work in their husband’s fields to contribute to the family’s nutrition, but unlike many of their neighboring ethnic groups, Serere women do not own any of these crops. This program is serving these vulnerable women by helping them to form women’s associations.
The program combines food security and nutrition programming to improve the well-being of farmer households in 20 villages in the Fatick and Tambacounda regions of Senegal. Through training and coaching on nutrition, establishing Community Agriculture Forums, and training and coaching on sustainable dry and rainy season agriculture, World Renew and local partner Église Luthérienne du Sénégal (Lutheran Church of Senegal), aim to improve the food security and health of 750 households in 20 villages.
Success Stories
A Modern Business
Educational opportunities through women’s self-help groups are making entrepreneurs like Marie Thérèse feel they’ve stepped into a brighter future. Local partner Église Luthérienne du Sénégal (ELS – Lutheran Church of Senegal) serves vulnerable women who belong to the Serere ethnic group. Serere women typically work in their husbands’ fields to contribute to the family’s nutrition, but don’t own any of the crops or proceeds. Joining ELS women’s associations helps them find other sources of livelihood in addition to improving their agricultural practices.
Before she enrolled in modern food preparation and marketing training, Marie Thérèse described her work as grueling. “Traditional methods were laborious and inefficient. I didn’t have adequate equipment. The drudgery directly impacted my profitability and stunted my development potential.”
The inconsistent quality of her products, due to these technical limitations and not to lack of zeal, significantly hindered their appeal to consumers. As a result, her sales were low and her income barely sustained her small business.
Specialized training dramatically reduced her losses and enhanced her efficiency. She now has access to modern equipment for peeling, grinding, mixing, and packaging her products. Her in-depth study of quality control and hygiene standards guarantees food safety and compliance with regulations. What was once an artisanal packaging process evolved into a modern, vacuum-sealed approach. The new techniques improved the quality, texture, and taste of her products, and her customers are now experiencing greater satisfaction and giving her repeat business.
The training revolutionized her marketing practices as well. She created attractive and informative packaging following Senegal’s labeling regulations. She designed a logo and developed a communications strategy that embraced social media as a tool to grow her business.
Marie Thérèse says, “I’ve been able to increase my income and strengthen the sustainability of my business. The remarkable transformation this training has brought to the lives of many women in my community has given us the tools we needed to build a better future. We’re turning challenges into opportunities and dreams into realities.”
Senegal Fatick Program
Led by World Renew and local partner Église Luthérienne du Sénégal (ELS)