Citizen initiative in Yoff: Salimata Dieng is betting on endogenous development
The sociologist of work and organizations and deputy to the national secretary general of Patriotic Youth of Senegal (Jps-Pastef), Salimata Dieng, launched, on March 7 in the commune of Yoff, the citizens’ initiative called “Actions, Citizenship and Solidarity”, a platform of community actions focused on the promotion of endogenous development.
According to the initiator, this project stems from a desire to drive, from local authorities, concrete actions for the benefit of local populations, beyond political divisions.
“We believe that development must first be endogenous, because it comes from local authorities. Endogenous economic development is the true barometer of a country in the process of transformation,” explained Ms. Dieng in an interview.
The launch day brought together several local development stakeholders, including customary authorities from Yoff village, representatives of civil society and political leaders. Young people from different political groups also took part in the meeting.
The Minister of Youth and Sports, Khady Diène Gaye, patron of the event, as well as parliamentarians and officials of the Patriotic Youth of Senegal (Jps), honored with their presence this ceremony, which was also marked by a panel bringing together political actors and members of civil society.
Yoff, “choice of heart and reason”
The head of patriotic youth indicates that she chose the commune of Yoff as the setting for experimenting with this initiative for both personal and symbolic reasons.
“This is the town where I live and where I was born. It’s a choice of heart and reason,” she confided, also evoking the commitment of her grandfather, a former member of the management committee of the Yoff Ngaparou district, in local development initiatives.
Through “Actions, Citizenship and Solidarity”, Salimata Dieng and her colleagues intend to implement actions in four priority areas: social, health, environment and entrepreneurship.
The launch is already effective, the initiators of the platform now intend to move on to the operational phase by taking civic and solidarity actions for the benefit of the populations of the municipality of Yoff, in a dynamic of local development driven by community stakeholders.
Salla GUEYE
