Senegal

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Senegal

AVN’s activities in Senegal are currently focused on public and community initiation, such as the NV Fouta project (2016>2021) then the DEFI-VN project currently implemented in 3 northern departments with the collaboration with the NGO Le Partenariat.

This strategic choice has been considerably bolstered by the growing interest of Senegalese institutional actors to opt for the NV technique for their community construction needs, thus providing the NV market with added visibility (model buildings) and recognition (political integration).
Through the NV Fouta project, the training of local workers is increasing, and the interest of technical actors in being trained to work on NV projects bodes well for a proliferation of projects in the coming seasons.

Country information

Population in 2021: 16,8 million (51% rural)
GDP per capita: $1,636 (World Bank 2021)
Climate: Sahelian

Key data

2007-2010: 1st buildings in the Matam region
2011: Opening of northern regions with the NGO Le Partenariat
2013: 1st local AVN team and opening of the Thiès region
2014: Preparation of a multi-year project led by the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development and focus on kickstarting
the public and community markets
2015: Collaborative partnerships with CSOs and refugee rehousing
project in Mauritania, at the Senegalese border
2017: Start of the NV Fouta Project
2022: Start of the DEFI-VN Project

Buildings constructed

In Senegal, no private market seeding activity is carried out. AVN’s intervention strategy in Senegal focuses on initiating and supporting public and community markets, through the implementation of the DEFI-VN project in northern Senegal with the NGO Le Partenariat.

To date, the Senegalese VN built stock represents approximately 117 projects carried out for an area of approximately 10,700 m2, for the benefit of more than 5,200 people.

Results

In 2021-22:

4 worksites completed representing a built area of 1,200 m2
3 community buildings
3 localities with at least 1 NV building (80 since the start of the programme)
25% of sites found independently by NV masons (without AVN’s intervention)
854 new user-beneficiaries

Update August 2022

Training of the workforce

In 2021-22, 52 apprentices, masons, artisans and entrepreneurs including 2 Trainer Masons are active in the Senegalese NV market.

Results

In 2021-22:

52 active apprentices, masons, artisans and entrepreneurs (+108 %)

Update August 2022

Notable projects and activities

Here is a selection of remarkable projects and activities implemented in Senegal in recent seasons:

DEFI-VN Project (2022/2025)

The project "Development of a sustainable construction and training sector via the Nubian vault in the Departments of Kanel, Matam and Podor" says DEFI-NV follows the VN-Fouta project. The DEFI-NV project is carried out by the Departments of Kanel, Matam and Podor within the framework of decentralized cooperation with the Department of Yvelines. It is supported by the AFD on the FICOL mechanism and supported by AVN, the Maison des Yvelines and the NGO Le Partenariat.

See the article "Launch of the DEFI-VN project in Senegal"

NV Fouta Project (2016/2021)

From 2016 to 2021, with funding from the Yvelines Departmental Council, AVN and the NGO Le Partenaire (LP) implemented this program to popularize and disseminate the NV technique to local authorities and associations, in the departments of Podor, Matam and Kanel mainly (North zone, Fouta region). Its objective was to support local authorities and CSOs in their NV construction projects, to train players in the NV sector (masons, companies, design offices, etc.) and to support the authorities in integrating NV in their development plans for the sustainability and duplication of the project.

Download the leaflet "NV Fouta Project" (french)
Download the guide "Typology of Nubian Vault buildings in Senegal" (french)

Projects completed

Construction of NV storage buildings and poultry houses in the Thiès region

Enda Pronat, a Senegalese NGO concerned with promotion of ecologically sound agriculture, has been a partner of AVN since 2016 for the construction of NV storage barns and henhouses.

The aim of the project is to train local masons in the NV concept and to create a market for the construction of NV barns and henhouses, thus directly benefitting the producers.

Learn more

The "Green Village" project

Implemented by the Senegalese-Belgian association Malem Auder, this pilot project aims to convince the farmers of the same village to build their own NV houses through community self-help. The population agrees to supply the construction materials and unskilled labour and AVN would cover the cost of transport and the masons (from Burkina Faso) during the construction period.

The construction of these buildings will accelerate the training of local apprentices in a new zone and the development of a NV market. Construction of a series of demonstration buildings (houses) in the same village is also a way of raising awareness amongst the population of the zone and and local actors (institutional, traditional, associations etc.)

Learn more