Secure livelihoods for vulnerable youth in Senegal

Dear Supporter,

I am writing this report while packing my bag to travel back to Senegal tomorrow.

Since our last update, the negotiations to secure the land needed for the chicken farming project carried on, and culminated in the signing of a very exciting 4-way partnership convention between Aspyre Africa and:

• The DRDR (Regional Department for Rural Development) of Saint-Louis: who are giving us ½ hectare of land on loan for 3 years, with the possibility of extension.
• The CIPA (Agricultural Training Centre): (where the talibés did their training) , who will be in charge of monitoring the technical side of the project.
• AJE (Association Jeunesse Espoir): who will provide the social support for the talibés.

The land is ideally located right next to the CIPA but also within walking distance for all the talibés.

For this upcoming trip, I have meetings lined up to secure the local support we need to build a chicken run for up to 500 chickens. Until the convention was signed, it was impossible to follow up on any leads. This trip will no doubt help us make major steps forward with the project. Do stay tuned for the latest developments via our social media channels.

Meanwhile, following the success in training the first cohort of talibés at the CIPA, we are already in talks regarding the training of further and larger cohorts. Most encouraging is the interest the “government fund for vocational training” has expressed in these projects. This is a great first step towards the sustainability we are aiming for.

Looking forward to writing more in our next report!

Warm wishes and thank you for your continued support.

Savina