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Better Building in Africa
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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 2023: 17,3 million (51% rural)
  • GDP per capita: $1,598 (World Bank 2022)
  • 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 122 projects carried out for an area of approximately 10,700 m2, for the benefit of more than 5,200 people.

Results

In 2022-23:
  • 7 worksites completed representing a built area of 2,500 m2
  • 5 community buildings
  • 4 localities with at least 1 NV building (83 since the start of the programme)
  • 1,146 new user-beneficiaries

    Update August 2023

Supply Training

In 2022-23, 68 apprentices, masons, artisans and entrepreneurs including 4 Trainer Masons are active in the Senegalese NV market.

Results

In 2022-23:
  • 68 active apprentices, masons, artisans and entrepreneurs

Update August 2023

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.

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.

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

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