Tambacounda, June 11 (APS) – Sixty-six thousand women and young people will benefit from entrepreneurship support in the regions of Tambacounda (east), Sédhiou and Kolda (south), and the departments of Rufisque and Guédiawaye (west). ), as part of a project to support economic and social empowerment (PAFEJ), APS learned on Tuesday from the director of the said project, Dominique Owekisa.
“We want to support 66 thousand women and young people in three regions, and the departments of Rufisque and Guédiawaye, of which 58 thousand women are in groups, six thousand young people and two thousand women entrepreneurs,” he said.
Dominique Owekisa specified that for women entrepreneurs, this is specific and specialized support in the areas of financial analysis, accounting, human resources, while for young people, it is support for creation of their businesses.
The project supporting the economic and social empowerment of women and youth in Senegal (PAFEJ) is implemented by “Développement international Desjardins”, which signed a contribution agreement with Global Affairs Canada (MAC) in September 2022.
As part of the deployment of the project, at the national level, a memorandum of understanding between AMC and the Ministry of Economy, Planning and Cooperation (MEPC), was signed in January 2023. The duration of execution of the project is planned for 6 years (2022-2028).
“The particularity of the target regions is that they are areas which have difficulty developing, where the project’s partner financial institutions do not have a remarkable presence,” explained Mr. Owekisa.
According to him, the project operates in regions where the poverty rate is high, but also marked by low coverage of financial institutions.
“We take those who have already benefited from other AMC projects to go to financial institutions, find out their needs and develop with them new products, financial services that support these members,” said the project director.
He added that “being able to work with financial institutions and provide solutions such as the transfer of digital currencies, the use of digital channels, requests for information from financial institutions is essential”.
“We positively appreciate this project, especially on the financial education aspect which women greatly need today”, for her part supported the president of the regional consultative committee of women of Tambacounda, Haby Coulibaly.
The project beneficiary recognized the importance of training on financial education. ”When you receive funding, without financial education, you are heading straight for failure, hence its importance,” she said.
She continued that ”the project also trains on other modules such as women’s rights, gender issues, which are equally important and which will serve women”.
BT/ASB/OID
 – Senegalese press agency){kind=link}