Senegal
Senegal is on the western-most point of Africa. The country gained independence from France in 1960, and French as well as various indigenous languages are spoken.
The once dense forests of southern Senegal are now shrinking due to lack of rainfall and indiscriminate deforestation, while the north is very dry and consists of sparse vegetation. The central region is characterised by grasslands and trees.
Senegal has been democratic and relatively peaceful for many years, and the country has one of the region’s more stable economies. Despite this, unemployment is high and poverty is widespread – nearly a quarter of the 11.3 million people in Senegal live on less than $1 a day.
Some of the reasons why Plan works in Senegal
A quarter of children under five suffer from stunted growth due to poor nutrition
Only half the rural population have access to adequate drinking water
66% of the rural population do not have access to adequate sanitation facilities
Half of children do not go to primary school
Support an education project in SenegalThis project in Senegal aims to improve schools and provide children in St Louis with quality education, as well as strengthening the communities’ ability to maintain the schools long into the future
Music and rights of childrenIn Senegal, children use music to express their feelings and to speak out for their rights and the rights of others, to help spread awareness of these rights, Plan has collaborated to launch the children's music project – Tund Joor
Floods People living in the suburbs of Dakar are facing very severe floods resulting from torrential rains with over 183,000 people affected. Plan is assisting through the provision of medicines, food supplies, products for the decontamination of schools, and emergency relief shelters
My story - an ex-sponsored child storyNogaye, an ex-sponsored child from Senegal, is proud of what his village and himself have achieved over the years