SENEGAL / RURAL INFRASTRUCTURE

Local communities around the world are getting more involved in making the decisions about what they need and what will be the best use of funds. In Senegal, it is leading to more local ownership and greater incentives to strive for success. WORLD BANK

• Categories: News & Features / News Stories / Unifeed
• Video Length: 00:02:42
• Production Date: 23 November 2009
• Asset Language: Original
• Corporate Name: WORLD BANK
• Subject Topical: ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT; FINANCING
• Geographic Subject: SENEGAL
• MAMS Id: U091123c

Description

STORY: SENEGAL / RURAL INFRASTRUCTURE
TRT: 2.42
SOURCE: WORLD BANK
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: FRENCH / WOLOF / NATS

DATELINE: JUNE 2009, SENEGAL

Shotlist

FILE - JUNE 2009, TOUBA TOUL VILLAGE, THIES PROVINCE, SENEGAL

1. Wide shot, street with tree
2. Close up, street with carts
3. Wide shot, new market buildings
4. Zoom out, old market buildings
5. SOUNDBITE (French) Daouda Tine, President Community Council, Touba Toul, Senegal:
“We decided to build these shops and make them available to merchants who have the means to upgrade them. This is what the local development agency advised and their assistance helped us realize it.”
6. Med shot, interior tailor’s shop
7. Zoom out, sign
8. Wide shot, new buildings
9. Zoom out, showing shop
10. SOUNDBITE (Wolof) Hadi Douf, general store owner, Touba Toul, Senegal:
“Here I sell perfume, body milk, incense, soap, toiletries, disposable handkerchiefs, everything!”
11. Pan left, old building structures
12. Close up, trees outside shops
13. SOUNDBITE (French) Sherif Diagne, Director Regional Development Agency, Theis Province, Senegal:
“The shops are being handed over to the local people. All of them are occupied and on Saturday they are all open for the big market.”
14. Med shot, inside tailor’s shop
15. Close up, sewing machine and hands
16. SOUNDBITE (Wolof) Ibrahim Diop, Tailor, Touba Toul, Senegal:
“Really this shop is much better than the premises I had before. This is more spacious. It is two times bigger and better placed to attract customers.”
17. Pan left, new school buildings
18. Med shot, students going into classrooms
19. Wide shot, classroom with teacher
20. Zoom out, trees and benches
21. Med shot, teacher teaching English
22. Med shot, class responding
23. Close up, student rapper
24. Med shot, class
25. Med shot, exterior students sitting
26. Med shot, students in class
27. Close up, rapper rapping

Storyline

Rural communities are often an afterthought when it comes to the provision of facilities by the state, but Senegal is getting communities to decide themselves what they need and with the help of the World Bank, the government is giving them the means to undertake the projects. In Touba Toul, they decided they needed new shops.

The old market buildings provided no protection and no storage.

SOUNDBITE (French) Daouda Tine, President Community Council, Touba Toul, Senegal:
“We decided to build these shops and make them available to merchants who have the means to upgrade them. This is what the local development agency advised and their assistance helped us realize it.”

There are now 30 new shops offering a variety of goods and services. The World Bank is financing 50 percent of the cost, the regional development council 40 percent and the community raises ten percent itself. The aim is to make Touba Toul the hub of commercial activity for nearly one hundred villages in the area.

SOUNDBITE (Wolof) Hadi Douf, general store owner, Touba Toul, Senegal:
“Here I sell perfume, body milk, incense, soap, toiletries, disposable handkerchiefs, everything!”

Part of the plan includes beautifying the area with trees and providing toilet facilities

SOUNDBITE (French) Sherif Diagne, Director Regional Development Agency, Theis Province, Senegal:
“The shops are being handed over to the local people. All of them are occupied and on Saturday they are all open for the big market.”

Ibrahim Diop set up his tailoring business as soon as he got the premises.

SOUNDBITE (Wolof) Ibrahim Diop, tailor, Touba Toul, Senegal:
“Really this shop is much better than the premises I had before. This is more spacious. It is two times bigger and better placed to attract customers.”

Down the road, the local committee decided new school buildings were essential to accommodate the growing number of students. They also decided to add new toilet facilities and to enhance the environment with trees and seating. The feeling was that improved facilities will help learning.

Getting the community to decide what they need most is a keen incentive to improving the quality of everyday life and connecting to the wider world.