University of Massachusetts-Boston/Université Gaston Berger de Saint Louis
Country:
Senegal
Award Date:
1999
Award Amount:
$98,754.00
Cost Share:
$45,973.00
Other Partners:
Sonatel; Lille-Saint Louis (French sister-city partnership); Regional Council of Saint Louis Department of Land Management; Women’s Health Center in Saint Louis; Senegal Foreign Ministry; African Virtual University; National Summit on Africa; Community Teamwork, Inc.; WorldSpace
This partnership improved teaching, research, and outreach capacity in political science, business law, and economics in Senegal. The University of Massachusetts Boston (UMB) secured private funding to build and staff a modest telecenter, which employed two women from the village full time.
In 2002, UMB and WorldSpace representatives visited the Université Gaston Berger de Saint Louis (UGB) and the the adjacent village of Djougoup to conduct workshops on the Internet, distance learning, satellite radio, and the development of a community resource center. In a concerted effort to engage in community development, UGB became fully involved in economic development initiatives with Djougoup.
The Community Resource Center of Djougoub was officially inaugurated in January 2003, in the presence of numerous government dignitaries and all the villagers. The Center, complete with cybercafé, classroom, and kitchen facilities, engaged in various income-generating activities, including tie-dying, poultry farming, and sewing, with a particular focus on the training of women.