Country Profile

CRWRC is working with churches in Senegal called to Isaiah 40:1-11 ministries. In a country that is 94 percent Muslim, and where there are fewer than 5,000 Protestant and evangelical Christians, CRWRC provides a framework for community action, equipping the poor and marginalised to transform their communities. In the assurance of God’s grace extended to all creation, CRWRC works through collaborations among partner churches, other Christian groups, and communities.

A 20-year civil war in the southern half of Senegal continues to take lives, chiefly through anti- personnel mine explosions. The country has the second highest number of people living with AIDS in the Sahel sub-region, and the third highest rate in the sub-region among young women ages 15-24. Senegal struggles with a weak resource base and a growing population of which less than one-fifth of school-age children are in school. Senegal is currently designated by the United Nations as one of 49 least developed countries in the world.

CRWRC’s works with national partners to engage Biblical justice while practicing a systematic approach to health improvement and reducing disparities in access to resources. AIDS care and prevention has been part of CRWRC Senegal’s programme for over 14 years. Poverty reduction through developing critical consciousness about oppression, building empowerment and working toward societal change establishes a culture of peace-making and civic responsibility. Community transformation based on the capacity to live out justice is an approach that values diversity of all kinds and the creativity that exists in the community.

Fast Facts

Population:  12,521,851 (July 2007 est.)
Area Comparative:  slightly smaller than South Dakota
Literacy rate:  39.3%
Life expectancy:  56.69 years
Population below poverty line:  54%
Gross Domestic Product per capita:  $1,800 (2006 est.)
Religions:  Muslim 94%, Christian 5% (mostly Roman Catholic), indigenous beliefs 1%
Languages:  French (official), Wolof, Pulaar, Jola, Mandinka

(From the World Factbook. Click here for more information on Senegal.)

Partners

Evangelical Lutheran Church of Senegal (EELS)
With EELS, CRWRC has programmes in adolescent health, AIDS prevention, literacy and agriculture and livestock management. In all these programmes, we are working together to understand what justice means in this context, and how to uphold values of Biblical justice. The adolescent health, justice, AIDS prevention and Training-for Transformation (see below) programmes are closely linked, building collaboration and mutual learning as well as providing opportunities for leveraged action. Graduates of the adolescent health programme are working through community advocacy action plans to improve conditions for adolescent health. The church-based AIDS prevention programme links up with the adolescent health programme to improve their actions at community level.

New initiatives in the Fedannde Joloff (milk production) programme are bringing farmers and herders together to establish collaboration in managing natural resources and in economic development. The CRWRC-Senegal African Development Education (Training-for-Transformation) Network is supporting these initiatives through training and conflict management.

Partners Worldwide is providing consultation for the livestock improvement programme.

United Methodist Church of Senegal (MEMUS)
The African Development Education Network-Senegal (ADEN/RAEDS) has grown out of the CRWRC/MEMUS Training for Transformation programme. This network has enabled 11 church and community-based organizations take action on justice and economic issues, including working against the circulation and trafficking in small arms, assistance for women and girl migrants, building a culture of peace by women in Casamance, and parish-level development. Other programmes of member organisations include agriculture, literacy, micro-enterprise, and literature development in local languages. Because MEMUS brings together community members of various religious backgrounds to design and implement these programmes, they are also creating a space for discourse and relationship-building. Working together, community members are overcoming their differences and working for common goals.

CRWRC partners and collaborators have established a forum, with a number of Commissions including: civic education, AIDS, literacy and rural programmes. These Commissions work voluntarily, both in mutual learning and reinforcement among organisations, as well as on specific programmes that they have decided they want to develop with communities. This has given us scope for actions in diverse areas such as: working with children affected/infected with AIDS, participation in the region-wide development of civic education materials and reinforcing the REFLECT literacy approach.

CRWRC Staff

Wyva Hasselblad (USA)
is the full-time expatriate staff for Senegal. She is joined in her work by Ndeye Fall and Jatu Weber, who are national staff.

Email: sencrwrc@orange.sn

Staff Newsletters

Take time to read a staff newsletter- direct from the field!

Hasselblad_April08.pdf
Hasselblad_Nov07.pdf
Hasselblad_Nov06.pdf
Hasselblad_Jan06.pdf
Hasselblad_Oct05.pdf