To tackle the challenge of training and professional integration of out-of-school or uneducated youth in Casamance, the International Youth Foundation (IYF),
With financial support from USAID, the International Youth Foundation (IYF) partnered with Synapse Center to prepare 2,400 young people under the YouthMap Casamance program, helping them integrate harmoniously into the local socio-economic fabric by equipping them with the necessary basic, behavioral, and technical skills.
The goal was to strengthen the life skills of young people and support them in developing and implementing community service projects, helping them apply the skills they acquired during the program. It also aimed to demonstrate to communities that young people are capable of leading initiatives that benefit them while contributing to solving local problems or improving their living conditions.
Odyssey program
Program process
The program was implemented in the regions of Ziguinchor, Kolda, and Sédhiou through different interconnected stages:
Training for facilitators
Firstly, the selection and training of 60 facilitators and 26 coachs.
Youth training
Secondly, the training of 2,400 young people in the Passport to Success curriculum modules, complemented by the implementation of community service projects.
Community projects
The implementation of 100 community service projects (CSP). Community service projects offer young people the opportunity to provide a service to the community, strengthen their community roots and provide solutions to societal problems identified in their communities.
For more information on the programme, download the one pager.
Tangible impact and prospects
The results of the YouthMap Casamance programme go far beyond its intentions. Thanks to an approach focused on skills development and community involvement, this initiative has had a tangible impact on the lives of hundreds of young people and their communities. Discover the scale of this transformation and the tangible impact on the region’s development through key figures.
3
Regions
2500+
Recipients
2400+
Pupils Students
100+
Community services
projects
Teacher & Student beneficiaries
Ndeye Fatou DIOP
Innovation sociétale
Ndèye Fatou has undergone many of the experiences that forge personalities and forge new paths…
Rouguiatou Gano
Enseignant à Kolda
Rouguiatou Gano is a very dynamic woman with the ambition to make a mark in her field. Her sole motivation lies in instilling a new vision and hope in the younger generation.
Samboudiang Kambaye
Enseignant à Ziguinchor
For the past 30 years, Samboudiang Kambaye has volunteered his time to support and educate young people, particularly those in difficulty, through various programs such as USAID/EPQ and YouthMap Casamance.
Fatou GNABALI
Art & Economie Créative
Fatou Gnabaly is a lively young woman with strong interpersonal and communication skills that are truly inspiring!
Stories from former participants
Dive into the heart of our training programme through the inspiring stories of those who have experienced it first-hand. Each story reflects a unique journey, challenges faced and opportunities seized. These participants share their experience, their transformation and the impetus they received to realise their ambitions. Their success is our greatest achievement.
Ndeye Fatou Diop, Ziguinchor
YouthMap Casamance—Fatimata Baldé
YM Casamance—Fatou Gnabali
Partners
As part of the implementation of YouthMap Casamance, Synapse has developed a reference partnership with organisations just as conscientious and committed to the development of disadvantaged communities. The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the International Youth Foundation (IYF) have joined the programme with a view to developing and strengthening the capacities of young people in the Casamance region, thereby helping to lay the foundations for the development of young people who care about the development of their communities and are equipped to achieve it.
