Senegal
Sectors
Peace Corps Volunteers currently work within six sectors.
Sustainable-Agriculture Volunteers serve as extension agents, providing valuable services to rural communities which may lack information and materials. Agriculture Volunteers promote the transfer of appropriate skills and technology through demonstrations, while living with their counterparts in their villages and speaking the local languages of the farmers. Enhancing rural agricultural production is a key strategy for the Government of Senegal because of the increased migration to urban areas. Peace Corps strives to raise rural living standards within communities.
By integrating traditional gardening techniques with the available resources of Senegal’s urban community, Peace Corps-Senegal's Urban Agriculture Sector has become a respected leader and advocate in micro and urban gardening in Senegal for the past 5 years. From working with individual households and farmers to some of Senegal's largest hospitals, the Urban Agriculture Sector has greatly impacted the agricultural expertise of counterparts and also the nutritional and income-generating needs of many throughout Senegal.
Environmental Education (EE) Volunteers help empower school communities (teachers, students, parents, other community members, and outside organizations) to work collectively to address the major environmental problems in their communities. Volunteers work directly with schools and community groups and help plan and implement conservation activities, such as school gardens and tree nurseries, village cleanups, latrine construction, and other projects. Most EE Volunteers live in rural areas or small towns and work with primary or middle schools.
Peace Corps Senegal Health Volunteers work to increase the capacity of people to take charge of their own health care. Volunteers are active in health education and awareness programs, training of community health liaisons and other personnel, and the development of health information, communication and healthcare management programs. Many Volunteers work on projects to reduce malaria incidence, improve nutrition, expand access to clean water and enhance knowledge of sanitation. The aim is the adoption of healthier practices by individuals, a greater availability of health knowledge, facilities and skills in communities, and, as a result, reduced disease and early mortality.
Peace Corps Senegal implemented its first agroforestry project in the 1980s in response to the extensive deforestation that has been taking place in the country for decades. After evaluation of its initial efforts, Peace Corps refined the focus of the program, with a greater emphasis on comprehensive agroforestry extension. Volunteers focus on helping farmers primarily in rural areas adopt forestry techniques for income generation, improved agricultural production, animal forage, live fencing, and environmental resource protection.
Community Economic Development Volunteers in Senegal work to foster entrepreneurship and individual initiative throughout Senegal. Volunteers work in agribusiness, waste management, handicrafts and eco-tourism sectors while promoting and teaching entrepreneurship in schools and communities. Volunteers provide direction through counseling, consulting and training in business related skill sets to a variety of organizations from women's groups to government organizations.
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