RFI: LIFE supports women's rural entrepreneurship in Senegal

In this third episode broadcast in the program “A day in the village” on RFI, journalist Kpenahi Traoré once again takes her listeners to Sine-Saloum, to meet young women trained by the Keur Yakaar project, supported by LIFE. A strong testimony on the return to the village and rural entrepreneurship.‍

Leaving the city to return to the village

In Senegal, the rate of young people aged 15 to 24 without jobs, training or education reaches more than 43% in rural areas. Faced with this observation, projects like Keur Yakaar, meaning the house of hope in Wolof, offer concrete perspectives. Supported by LIFE and the Swiss NGO Tereo, this program supports young people, mostly women, in free training combining agroecology, hotels, livestock and bakery.

The example of Awa Sanokho, poultry farming as a life plan

Awa Sanokho, 26, left Dakar after the death of her father to return to Samba Diallo, her native village. Thanks to the Keur Yakaar training and funding of 400,000 FCFA (about 609 euros), she was able to create a chick farm, becoming the only poultry farmer in her village,” It's the locals who buy me the chicks, that encourages me.. “ she confides. Her activity not only allows her to meet her needs and help her mother, but also to repay the loan granted, while inspiring young girls in her region.

LIFE, a partner committed to the field

For Emile Badji, director of the Keur Yakaar Center, the challenge is clear: to offer sustainable alternatives to migration. The LIFE grant makes it possible to ensure free training and to build courses adapted to each young person. Thanks to this support, vocations are born, projects come to fruition, and above all, lives change.

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🎧 To listen to or relisten to the episodes, click here

👉 episode 1

👉 episode 2