Senegal

Our impact

Context

For more than two decades, Socodevi has been working in the Casamance, Tambacounda, Thiès, Saint-Louis and Sine Saloum regions to strengthen climate resilience, professionalize economic enterprises (co-operatives, economic interest groups), and increase women’s economic empowerment. Interventions combine sustainable and climate-adaptive agricultural practices, Nature-based Solutions (ecosystem restoration and inclusive governance of natural resources), access to financial services and agricultural insurance, value chain strengthening (production, processing, and marketing), and the economic structuring of organizations across various sectors (beekeeping, social housing, agriculture), in collaboration with public and community partners.

Objectives and expected results

  • Strengthen women’s economic empowerment.
  • Promote the adoption of agricultural insurance to increase economic resilience.
  • Increase climate and economic resilience of women and their communities.
  • Improve access to financial services tailored to women farmers.
  • Promote inclusive and sustainable management of natural resources and ecosystems.
  • Develop nature-positive, sustainable value chains.
  • Foster the adoption of Nature-based Solutions (NbS) for ecosystem conservation.
  • Transform gender and intergenerational relations.
  • Strengthen the production, dissemination, and use of reliable climate information.
  • Improve local governance and water management.

Sectors of activity

  • Climate change adaptation
  • Agroforestry
  • Agriculture
  • Agricultural insurance
  • Women’s entrepreneurship and gender equality through women’s empowerment
  • Economic development
  • Beekeeping
  • Social housing
  • Biodiversity conservation
  • Ecosystem protection
  • Fisheries

Results and impacts

Nature-positive approaches and inclusive governance in mangroves

  • In the heart of the Sine Saloum Delta and Casamance, thousands of women are adopting Nature-based Solutions (NbS) that restore mangroves, reduce coastal erosion and soil salinization, and generate local income through the sustainable use of natural resources (oyster farming).
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Managing climate risks: agricultural insurance at scale

  • In Casamance, 7,705 women were trained to use climate-smart financial products; 4,544 men were sensitized through community dialogues. With CNAAS, over 83,000 farmers were enrolled in agricultural insurance in targeted regions—securing livelihoods and strengthening the financial resilience of 844,000 household members.

More inclusive and high-performing co-operatives

  • In Thiès and Casamance, Socodevi strengthened model co-operatives (productive investments, member services, gender equality), supporting 4,700+ households and laying foundations for local growth, diversification, and improved post-harvest practices.

Household resilience & women’s leadership

  • In Sédhiou, Kolda, Tambacounda and Ziguinchor, co-operatives and 15 women-led economic interest groups are strengthening their capacities (governance, climate-smart technical practices, leadership), improving household well-being and resilience.

Valuing beekeeping for sustainable income

  • Support to CAC/Miel strengthened beekeeping techniques, quality, and marketing — benefiting 305 beekeepers.

Cross-project synergies and innovation scaling

  • A “lever effect” brought together grassroots organizations and territories supported by PROCED, FAR, and RÉSILIENCE: more than 2,000 people directly reached through networking, knowledge sharing, and joint action.

Historical foundations: co-operative housing & food security

  • Socodevi strengthened the co-operative housing movement (URCCHT/UNFCS) and supported rice cultivation in the Senegal River Valley — laying a long-term foundation for access to decent housing and food security.

Testimonials

“Our ancestors have always preserved the mangrove. In the past, there was no modern fishing. There was only oyster harvesting.”

In her village in the Sine Saloum Delta, Aïssatou Sambou highlights the continuity of ancestral knowledge: mangroves provide food, protect shorelines, and sustain the local economy through oyster harvesting. The Natur’ELLES project builds on this community-based governance by strengthening ICCAs/MPAs, equipping local associations (patrol boats, GPS, infrastructure), and placing women at the heart of decision-making. It operates in the Sine Saloum and Casamance deltas, helping to mitigate the effects of climate change and support conservation efforts, with a direct reach of several thousand women and an estimated 85,000 indirect beneficiaries by the end of the project.

  • Aïssatou Sambou
    Resident of the Kawawana ICCA (Sine Saloum)

“Socodevi Farmer Field Schools saved my apiary. There, I learned modern climate change adaptation techniques that are respectful of bees and allowed me to improve both the quality and quantity of my honey.”

Within CAC/Miel, support from PROCED combined hands-on training (climate-smart beekeeping, hygiene and quality), shared equipment (e.g., a wax press for foundation sheets), and management tools to secure supply, quality, and marketing. The result was a sharp increase in volumes and stronger positioning of the co-operative in the regional market. Between 2019 and 2022, production capacity increased from approximately 2,500 liters to nearly 10,000 liters, and turnover tripled.

  • Fatoumata Niamadio
    President of GIE SARE SOUMA (CAC/Miel – Kolda)

“I have been a member of Kissal Patim for over 10 years. The association supports us every year with seeds, fertilizer, and even with mechanized peanut and maize harvesting.”

Thanks to RÉSILIENCE, her group accessed financial literacy training, inputs, and mechanized harvesting support — securing the agricultural season and improving production quality.

  • Mme Kadidiatou Diallo
    Village of Mballocounda, Médina Chérif (Kolda)

Projects in Senegal

Natur’ELLES

Through the project Preserving Mangrove Ecosystems and Strengthening Women’s Leadership in Natural Resource Management (Natur’ELLES), Socodevi works to improve the living conditions of vulnerable communities in the Sine-Saloum Delta and Casamance, Senegal. The project particularly targets women who rely on mangrove ecosystems for their livelihoods, by strengthening biodiversity, promoting more inclusive governance, and increasing the […]
  • Funded by:
    Global Affairs Canada
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RÉSILIENCE

Socodevi’s project Strengthening Agricultural Insurance for Women in Casamance (RÉSILIENCE) aims to strengthen the resilience of women farmers from the Casamance and Tambacounda regions of Senegal. Project activities focus on agricultural insurance training and capacity building, particularly in the context of climate change, with the goal of increasing the economic empowerment of women and their […]
  • Funded by:
    Global Affairs Canada
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Partners

Donors

  • Global Affairs Canada
  • MRIF (Ministry of International Relations and La Francophonie)
  • Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
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Contact

Senegal Office
Édifice de OFAD, BP 165 Kolda, Bagadadji, Route Nationale 6 (RN6), Région de Kolda – Vélingara
(+221) 33 899 70 33

Other countries of intervention

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Niger

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  • Funded by:
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