Twenty-five young members of the Daara Hizbut-Tarqiya of Touba had the opportunity to participate in a training and incubation workshop on modern tanning techniques, thanks to the fund for stabile support (FSONAB). On Monday, they received their certificates in the presence of Youssou Diop, president of the Hizbut-Tarqiya movement, and the administrator of the Fonstab.
As part of its support activities, the FONSTAB has set up a fund dedicated to the incubation of young people and women. It is in this context that the 25 young people from the Daara Hizbut-Tarqiya benefited from one week training on contemporary tanning techniques.
A highly symbolic choice, according to Fatoumata Bakhoum, administrator of the Fonstab. She stressed that Hizbut-Tarqiya is recognized for her dynamism and her commitment to the country’s development. This training is therefore essential, because it contributes to the creation of jobs within the DAARA and values local products.
She also said that the FSTAB intends to support young beneficiaries throughout the value chain, from transformation to the marketing of products. She recalled that the collaboration between the Fonstab and Hizbut-Tarqiya began with the financing of a 90 hectare development project in Richard-Toll, intended for the production of cattle food.
According to Ms. Bakhoum, this training now allows participants to work on skins with modern techniques, without using certain chemicals. “Previously, the beneficiaries used chemicals and clubs to soften the skins. Today, we have sent them modern methods that guarantee the quality of the leather, ”she explained.
-With this in mind, she expressed her ambition to set up a project to collect Tabaski sheep skins on a national scale, in partnership with Hizbut-Tarqiya. She also announced the upcoming creation of a modern shoemaking center in Touba, to transform these skins into a variety of finished products.
Youssou Diop, president of the Hizbut-Tarqiya movement, praised the quality of the training and thanked the Fonstab and its administrator. He said that the welfare state no longer exists today, which implies that the State must now support initiatives aimed at improving employability. He also praised the emphasis on security in new tanning techniques: “They insisted on the security aspect, which is extremely important,” he said.
In addition, he considered that the creation of small industrial units in Touba opens up great prospects for the employment of young people. “Touba is a religious city. We cannot plan a development without taking into account its urban function, “he said, adding that visitors must be able to find products that reflect the city’s prestige.
In this regard, he mentioned the Koran and the Khassaïdes, for which leather plays a central role. “Cheikh Ahmadou Bamba has developed a real industry around the Koran in Diourbel,” he said, adding that many disciples had specialized in the manufacture of shoe, as well as that of articles like shoes and belts.
Birane Diop (correspondent)
