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Results
Country Profile
Canada's Commitment
The Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) has long been a development partner of Senegal. CIDA has invested over $800 million in Senegal since 1962.
CIDA's 2001 – 2011 Senegal programming framework aims to help reduce household poverty by 50 percent by 2015. In harmony with the objectives of Senegal's Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP), this framework centres around two priorities:
- Education: Activities in this sector focus on two priorities of the Ten-year Education and Training Plan (PDEF) that Senegal has developed. These two areas are basic education (formal and non-formal) and technical and vocational training.
- Grass-roots economy: The program supports the development of microfinance, which gives Senegalese households and small economic operators (especially women and youth) easier access to savings and credit. The program also helps to build the technical and organizational capacities of small entrepreneurs.
CIDA's official development assistance to Senegal comprises assistance to the Government and support to the activities of Canada's partners including international organizations, such as the World Bank, and the many Canadian non-governmental organizations working to promote development.
Canada has identified Senegal as one of the 25 development partner countries in which CIDA will concentrate the major part of its bilateral (country to country) assistance. The Senegal program has already more than doubled its budget estimates for the next five years. CIDA will increase its support for key Senegal-led programs.
 Results
- Support for PDEF Phase I (2001–2004) helped to achieve significant progress in education, especially access to primary education.
- Through project support to the adult and youth basic education action plan (Phases I and II), CIDA helped to reduce the number of people who cannot read or write. CIDA has provided literacy training for 307,000 people since 1997 (75 percent have been women).
- CIDA grass-roots economy projects have also helped to improve economic indicators. Among other things, Senegal's onion industry has become much more competitive. Market gardeners now are better organized and stronger negotiators, thanks to the rural entrepreneurship support project.
- Results achieved in the microfinance sector indicate greater access to financial services for workers excluded from the formal banking system, especially women.
Country Profile
Long cited as a model of harmony among ethnic and religious groups, Senegal is one of Africa's oldest democracies. Power has been transferred smoothly since Senegal became independent in 1960. Presidential elections in 2000 allowed for a non-violent change of government. Senegal has an active civil society, and the press is strong and free.
Senegal is also a pillar of regional economic development. It plays a dynamic role in African diplomacy. It was one of the founding countries of La Francophonie. Senegal's president, Abdoulaye Wade, has clearly shown his commitment to promoting the adoption of the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD). This is an initiative that African leaders adopted in 2001 for the future of Africa.
Senegal's economy is growing. However, the resulting wealth is not equitably distributed. Senegal is thus one of the world's poorest countries. The rate of productivity is low. The unemployment and underemployment rates are high, especially among youth. Not everyone has access to basic education. Illiteracy is widespread, especially among women and girls. Environmental degradation is also an obstacle to development in some regions of Senegal, where accelerating soil erosion and disappearance of the vegetation cover are causing a food security problem.
The Government of Senegal has a Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP). This document is the result of an extensive participation process based on sectoral strategies. In cooperation with its technical and financial partners, Senegal has initiated a major program of reform, whose priorities are public finance and contracting. These efforts aim to improve the investment climate. Other aspects of policy dialogue include combating corruption more effectively, reforming the justice system, and improving urban mobility. These are currently priorities for the donor community.
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