Empowering girls through volleyball
Context
The education of young women in Senegal is a major issue for the development of society. In addition to being an intrinsic human right, education, particularly girls’ education, is one of the most effective means of development, not only for the girls themselves, but also for their families, communities and society in general. However, Senegal, with its 17 million inhabitants, 55% of whom are women, faces the problem of girls’ schooling. *Between 50 and 60% of girls are reportedly enrolled in school. This score is low compared to some neighbouring countries. In fact, the literacy rate is 40% compared to 66% for men, 41% are under 14 years of age and only 1/3 of girls go to secondary school compared to 80% of boys. Access to education thus remains a real problem.
In addition, the practice of sports remains a major challenge. The city of Rufisque, known for its sports and culture, lacks sports facilities and opportunities for these young people to express themselves and develop. The association DKSD (Demoiselles de Keur, Sénégalaises de Demain) is thus trying to change the situation through the use of volleyball, with the aim of enabling the young girls who benefit from it to be accompanied, oriented and/or reintegrated into the school circuit for a better future.
Goals
- Promote access to education and volleyball for young girls in the city of Rufisque
- Promote social inclusion
- Strengthen the resilience of girls and women to domestic violence
- Reduce early marriages and improve the skills and knowledge levels of young girls
- Strengthen sports facilities and infrastructure in Rufisque with the eventual construction of a sports-study academy, the establishment of mentoring programmes and the provision of scholarships
- Mobilise the sports and political ecosystem around issues related to the empowerment of women
- Participate in gender equality in Senegal through sport
Activities
- Organisation of 3-day volleyball camps during the summer school holidays
- Continuous accompaniment of young girls for a period of 12 months with skill building, English and French courses
- Mobilisation of men and the population of Rufisque on gender equality issues
- Awareness-raising workshops on the consequences of domestic violence, dropping out of school, early marriage, etc.
- Raising awareness among young people on the importance of education, key values of living together and women’s health
- Training of coaches and supervisory staff of the association’s local team with financial support from the local authorities
- Management of relations with families and partnerships with cultural actors (artists, comedians, etc.)
- Provision of sports equipment and educational materials to young people
Impacts
- 300 girls and young women from all regions of Senegal are direct beneficiaries of the programme
- Each participant will have an impact on at least 5 people in her family and circle of friends (a total of 1,500 people reached)
- The awareness-raising workshops will be aimed at men and all the inhabitants of Rufisque with the support of the local media and radio stations
- Nature of the beneficiaries: the population of Rufisque, the families of the participating girls, the Senegalese Volleyball Federation, the town hall etc. The federation will benefit from the project as the best talents will be able to join the national team.