Project to Support Families in Poverty

Context

Initiated and managed by the Department of Sanitary Action and Disability Services of the city of Dakar, the Project to Support Families in Poverty of is one of the strategic programs implemented by the city as part of the National Plan against Poverty.

Mission

Through a strategy promoting local initiatives, the Project to Support Families in Poverty aims to integrate the poor and marginalized population in the economic fabric.

Implementation

This is a rotating credit system for the benefit of families that allows them access to self-management by organizing themselves around income-generating activities.

These income-generating projects may cover a wide variety of activities: dyeing, weaving, chair rental, rental of kitchen utensils, poultry farming, baking, fish trading, hairdressing, and commerce (local products, thrift stores, local cereals, ready-to-wear, cosmetics, haberdashery, fabric, juice etc.)

The duration of the individual projects is different than for the group projects. For individual projects, the duration is 12 months, including two which are deferred. For collective projects, it is a period of 17 months, including two which are deferred. The fixed interest rate is at 1% of the funding.

To be eligible for this assistance, participants must: be indigent or be part of an economic interest group (EIG); send a funding request to the mayor of Dakar; dwell on the communal perimeter of the city of Dakar; present a viable project and be supervised by the DASS; and have a qualification and/or an ability to carry out a revenue-generating activity.

Results observed

The main beneficiaries of the project are the women, the youth, the elderly and the disabled. 390 beneficiaries have been funded. The starting fund available was slightly over 72 million francs. The amounts of the individual funds varied between 50,000 FCFA and 200,000 FCFA, and for the collective funding, the amounts were between 500,000 FCFA and 2,000,000 FCFA.