Education Senegal Project #29284

Secure livelihoods for vulnerable youth in Senegal

by Aspyre Africa

Project Report | Dec 3, 2018
Global Giving evaluation visit & Year End Campaign

By Savina Geerinckx | Project Leader

Dear friend of Aspyre Africa,

GlobalGiving Evaluation visit

As you may already be aware GlobalGiving regularly sends evaluators to visit partner projects, complete in-depth organizational assessments and ensure donations are used responsibly. During these visits evaluators conduct interviews with staff members and volunteers, identify training and support needs, and ensure a good assessment of a project’s transparency and effectiveness.

It was with great pleasure that we welcomed GlobalGiving Evaluators Anna Maria and Isabella to Saint-Louis at the beginning of November. A very full and varied schedule had been drafted alternating in depth discussions on topics like governance, finance and fundraising with field visits to see the work and meet with beneficiaries, partners and other stakeholders.

Quote from the Evaluators: “We visited Aspyre Africa's projects in Saint-Louis and carried out an in-depth evaluation of the organisation over the course of four days. During this visit, we were impressed with the strong relationships Savina and Veronique have built with local NGOs, businesses and government. Most of all, it was inspiring to see the impact the work of Aspyre Africa is having on young people in Saint-Louis, by building their confidence and providing them with the tools to access sustainable, fulfilling careers. We wish Aspyre Africa all the best in continuing their amazing work and we hope that others across not only Africa but other continents too will recognise the value of the model they are building.”

YEAR END CAMPAIGN: Sustainable Livelihoods for Talibes in Senegal (COHORT 2)

With the help of our local partner AJE, we are in the final stages of securing the needed support for the construction of the chicken coop for the first cohort of talibes. We also secured the commitment for technical support from the largest chicken feed producer in Senegal, whose technical advisor personally came to assess the plot and give us advice. All 18 talibes are doing well and are eagerly awaiting the chicken coop to start their income generating activity. Meanwhile however they continue doing small jobs to pay for food and necessities. The great news is that some have already put their newly acquired skills to great use and earning from it.

Following the successful training of this very first cohort of talibes in a government-run vocational training centre last year, we have decided to replicate this (pilot) project with another cohort of 20 talibes. This time however the government and training centre will cover all the training fees (horticulture & aviculture), which means that Aspyre Africa can focus its funding on providing a dedicated social worker and a career advisor for vulnerable students. We will also cover the cost of essential equipment and other expenses to allow the talibes to either set up their own business or find employment after training. It is our aim for this project to serve as a model, opening the door to formal vocational training centres to talibes, and to be replicated at a national level to tackle issues of youth unemployment and economic migration.

We truly hope you will continue to be our partner on this journey and support us for our 2018 Year End Campaign. Please check our updated project page for more details.

Have you ever considered becoming one of our regular supporters?

3 good reasons for you to become a regular donor:

Through your commitment you will allow Aspyre Africa to spend more time on programmes work and less on fundraising, thereby directly increasing our efficiency.
As part of the GlobalGiving Year End campaign new recurring donations up to $200 will get an additional 100% match on the initial donation (as long as it remains active for at least four consecutive payments).
It is the most convenient way to spread your donations over a year, without ever having to worry about it.

Thank you for your continued support.

Warm wishes, Savina

Permalink

Sep 4, 2018
September update

By Savina Geerinckx | Project Leader

Jun 7, 2018
Chicken farming towards a sustainable livelihood

By Savina Geerinckx | Project Leader

Graduation portraits

Dear Friend of Aspyre Africa,

Graduation Ceremony

On the 20^th April, Senegal’s national day of the Talibe Child, our partners and us proudly witnessed the culmination of the 10-month journey that has given our young beneficiaries the skills they need to secure a livelihood. Wearing their graduation polo shirts and surrounded by their friends, they were all smiles as they received their certificates. It felt like a true milestone for all who were present, including some reporters.

Sustainable livelihoods

While their individual ambitions today may differ, all of them came out of the training with a love for horticulture & aviculture, and a real motivation to put to good use what they have learned. All of them are also facing the same reality: they must urgently secure an income to cover their daily expenses while finishing their Koranic learning.

It is not surprising therefore that following the great success of the aviculture module during their training, the talibés themselves suggested chicken farming as a first and collective income generating activity. Following a market analysis as well as lengthy discussions with all those concerned, they are confident that the profit will allow them not just to cover their expenses, but also to save up for the purchase of the equipment they will need to start a second activity in horticulture.

Access to land, local funding, & support

We will soon have access to a piece of land located very closely to the training centre and which belongs to the Ministry of Agriculture. Committed to finding sustainable solutions and aware that a chicken-farming project requires a bigger infrastructure investment than what we had anticipated; we explored the possibilities of mobilizing local support. Things are looking very promising and the investment will most likely also benefit future cohorts of talibes who will receive the same training.

The vocational training centre’s expert in aviculture will provide the technical support for the management of the chicken-farming activity. In addition, social support will be provided by our local partner (AJE) to guide the talibés and most importantly to explore with them their longer-term options.

Your support

Despite the delays on the ground, we are confident that the decisions made will help achieve our goal of securing the livelihoods of these young men. Any additional funds raised for this project will go towards buying extra equipment, further technical capacity building as well as extra support to individual income generating projects. Thank you so much for your trust in Aspyre Africa and for making this possible.

With warm wishes, Savina

Horticulture teacher handing over a certificate

Veronique (Aspyre Africa) with happy beneficiary

Group portrait with certificates

Me with our beneficiaries

Permalink

‹ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 ›

About Project Reports

Project reports on GlobalGiving are posted directly to globalgiving.org by Project Leaders as they are completed, generally every 3-4 months. To protect the integrity of these documents, GlobalGiving does not alter them; therefore you may find some language or formatting issues.

If you donate to this project or have donated to this project, you can receive an email when this project posts a report. You can also subscribe for reports without donating.