Caritas Senegal was officially recognized as an nongovernmental organization by the Senegalese government in 1966. Caritas puts the Catholic Church's humanitarian projects into action. Caritas is active in community health, emergency response, resiliency activities, natural resources management, vocational training, women's empowerment and microcredit. The Caritas website is www.caritas-senegal.org (available in French only).

Justice and Development is a local Senegalese nongovernmental organization based in the Casamance. The organization was formed in 1991 and registered as a nongovernmental organization in 2002. Justice and Developments's primary expertise is in agricultural development, food support to school canteens, environmental protection including mangrove reforestation and creating marine protected areas, disaster risk reduction, and creating early warning systems. Justice and Development works primarily at the community level and carries out activities through village management committees or other local structures.

Catholic Relief Services works directly with community-based organizations to facilitate the linkages between those organizations and local governmental agencies. Community-based organizations play a key role in identifying target households, and organizing and carrying out information, education and communication sessions with beneficiaries.

Senegalese farmers face cyclical disasters, environmental degradation and volatile food prices. Thus, agriculture is a vital program sector in Senegal. Catholic Relief Services takes a holistic agricultural approach by integrating nutrition and effective management of natural resources to increase local food production and promote resiliency. This approach supports the production of nutritious foods including vegetables and the use of innovative techniques to strengthen the resiliency of families dependent on agriculture.

CRS further supports resiliency in agricultural communities through Cash-for-Work and Food-for-Work activities that serve to protect communal natural and agricultural resources.

With increased rainfall during the past several years and with increased population density, peri-urban centers of Dakar have endured repetitive flooding. As groundwater tables have risen, stagnant water, overflowing septic tanks, and lack of garbage disposal are increasing the likelihood of outbreaks of waterborne diseases and malaria. Many inhabitants have been forced to find alternate accommodation during the flooding.

Catholic Relief Services implemented an emergency response project in two of the most affected neighborhoods. Through this program, CRS worked with the communities to remove floodwater, restore healthy living conditions and promote good hygiene practices.

Senegal
Senegal's health care system faces substantial challenges particularly in rural areas where high malnutrition rates are most prevalent. Senegal's distinction as a highly endemic tuberculosis country also challenges the healthcare system.

Catholic Relief Services projects respond to the alarming rates of chronic malnutrition of children under five and tuberculosis, while promoting community health. These efforts focus on the most vulnerable (pregnant women and children). They include the identification, prevention and treatment of malnutrition. CRS projects increase access to mosquito nets, preventive medicines, raise health awareness and increase the treatment of tuberculosis.

Guinea-Bissau
Maternal mortality rates in the regions of Bafatà and Gabú of Guinea-Bissau are among the highest in the world. Contributing factors include poverty, lack of access to health services, and cultural norms.

Since 2009, CRS Senegal has worked through Caritas Guinea-Bissau to establish "House of Mothers" locations on hospital grounds. These promote healthier pregnancies and safe deliveries. Patients receive health and nutritional education, medical treatment and three meals a day before giving birth accompanied by a skilled attendant at the hospital. Community volunteers are trained to identify and refer high-risk pregnant women to the facilities through an outreach program.

Catholic Relief Services partners with local organizations in Kolda, where infection rates are more than two times the national average, to implement an integrated approach for the prevention, testing, treatment and support of people with HIV and AIDS.

To support them, CRS provides food aid, promotes nutritional knowledge and implements activities to decrease stigmatization as a part of the traditional care and support package.

To combat the poverty that limits beneficiaries' ability to cover the cost of medical services, CRS promotes the formation of microfinance savings groups to create a culture of savings and financial independence.

Catholic Relief Services' microfinance program has supported the capacity and growth of local microfinance institutions (MFIs) across Senegal to promote social and economic justice by serving vulnerable communities and poor entrepreneurs.

Proving that the most vulnerable can save, CRS works with rural communities to form Savings and Internal Lending Communities (SILC) groups that create local safety nets and facilitate access to credit, which promotes the development of income generating activities. The program targets women, who are often unable to secure loans from banks or MFIs. The SILC strategy has become a built-in resiliency component of CRS' agriculture, health and water/sanitation projects.

Myriad conflicts exist within and between communities in the Casamance region of Senegal, including those with poor natural resource management. Communities have even taken up arms for access to key resources and control of land considered sacred in the Casamance. Members of the separatist movement, MFDC, have further complicated resource management through their exploitation of wood and cashews for revenue.

Catholic Relief Services was one of the few organizations that stayed during the height of the conflict and it continues to work there today through its Ziguinchor office. CRS applies peacebuilding principles to all of our work in this region.

Vocational Training in Mauritania
Mauritania currently has a youth unemployment rate of 50.8 percent for men and 69 percent for women, with overall urban unemployment at 35 percent as the country struggles to match vocational training programs to the national labor market.

Catholic Relief Services supports Caritas Mauritania which provides literacy and professional training to Mauritanian youth. Each year 120 youth are trained in literacy and 140 receive professional career training in a variety of fields, such as machinery, small business and hairdressing. Forty-three students have been placed with partner companies to begin their professional careers. Courses in French, Arabic and an introduction to mathematics are also offered.