RFI shines a spotlight on LIFE’s work in Senegal

For her flagship RFI programme “Un jour au village” (A Day in the Village), journalist Kpenahi Traoré takes her microphones to Senegal. In the first episode of the series, broadcast on 17 May 2025, she takes us to the heart of Sine-Saloum in western Senegal to meet young people on a training course that combines tourism and agroecology.

Training to build a sustainable future

Sine-Saloum has high youth unemployment. In the heart of the region, the Cœur Yakaar centre tackles poverty by offering vocational training in agroecology. The aim? To give young people real prospects in their own village, so they don’t have to move to the big cities.

Local processing that strengthens the economy

The students process the crops grown at the centre on site. They turn them into food products such as jams and peanut powder, and into cosmetics such as bar and liquid soaps and oils. These are then sold in the centre’s organic shop or distributed locally. The ambition is clear: to build a sustainable, inclusive local economy, especially for young women.

Why does this series matter?

Food, climate and social crises are multiplying around the world. These reports offer a valuable insight into the local, sustainable solutions that communities are leading themselves, with support from partners such as LIFE.

Kpenahi Traoré hands the microphone to the women and men who live these changes every day.