Dakar

Senegal

A City with Soul

Energetic young people show off their talent from the lab to their projects.

Young Cities came to Senegal in 2019. 28 young activists from a diverse set of backgrounds were given the opportunity to address the issues that meant most to them. They launched 4 projects which each tackle different forms of cultural violence. Using a variety of creative media – concerts, films and live streams – they showed a creative side we haven’t seen before.

Our Youth Innovation Lab was characterised by song and dance, with everyone joining in. It showed us that Dakar truly was a city with soul.

Although the projects are now finished, in 2021 we will be supporting the deployment of the city’s first community perception survey on violent extremism through our City Initiative mechanism.

Our work in Senegal would not have been possible without the help from the municipality of the Ville de Dakar and our local partner, Africulturban, a Dakar-based NGO specialising in combining culture with social activism.

Our Impact in Dakar

We aim for relevant and strategic impact at scale. Working closely with young people in identifying the needs of their communities and the challenges they face, we ensure that the solutions we support them in developing are targeted and sustainable.

Breaking cycles of violence and preventing digital harms

Documentaries, concerts and Facebook live discussions help to construct positive narratives in the community of Dakar.

Our activists led four different projects to address some of the factors that underpin pervasive cultures of violence among young people and reinforce their ongoing marginalisation.

Each, using its own unique medium, challenges violent narratives and constructs positive alternative ones in their place: Wessuna, a short documentary produced by ex-convicts examined and countered the stigma of conviction; a series of Facebook Live panel discussions called ‘Clic Intelligent‘ highlighted the dangers of online bullying; and a concert led by local rapper Riich Bii raised awareness about gender based violence in the city.

The projects helped to generate conversation around issues that are usually ignored or avoided. They helped to raise awareness of the cultural underpinnings of violence and gave other young people the opportunity to construct positive narratives instead.

Dakar Projects

Through mentorship, seed-funding and network-building, we support young people to transform ideas into tangible initiatives that make a positive change in their communities.

project

Wessuna – It’s Over

Senegal | Dakar

A short documentary set and screened in their community raises awareness on youth recidivism and how it’s influenced by the stigmatisation of offenders.

Find out more

project

Riich Bii

Senegal | Dakar

A citizen action march followed by two concerts led by a local rap group that aimed to raise awareness of gender based violence in Dakar.

Find out more

project

Clic Intelligent

Senegal | Dakar

A digital awareness-raising and educational campaign aimed at reducing online hate speech, harassment, bullying and abuse committed by young people.

Find out more

project

Youth Municipal Council

Senegal | Dakar

A research project aimed to identify factors that contributed to or detracted from healthy relationships between police and young people in Grand Yoff, Dakar.

Find out more

See all

Testimonials

Young Cities really helped me develop my own ideas and projects. Through the programme, I’ve had a tangible impact on the youth of Dakar.

Team Member

Riich Bii

The implementation of Young Cities will allow for better resilience, and enable the city of Dakar to better deal with the multiple challenges that arise at the regional level.

Representative

Ville de Dakar municipality

Gallery

See less

Our partners

The organisations and municipal governments we work with are essential to the success of the Young Cities programme. Together, we continue to effect genuine, relevant change in the communities in which we work.

Africulturban

Africulturban were invaluable in helping Young Cities support a truly diverse range of projects. Their expertise in utilising culture and entertainment as mediums for activism were instrumental in enabling our youth activists to successfully deliver highly creative campaigns.

Visit their Facebook page

Ville de Dakar, Senegal

The municipality of Dakar have been our partners since early 2019. Through close collaboration and their willingness to engage in dialogue with youth, all parties have been able to gain more insights into the challenges facing the city.

Visit their Facebook page