Plagued by political instability, economic crisis and the terrorist threat, the Sahel region faces numerous challenges that push populations to live in misery. In the face of such a situation, AfricTivistes launched the Sahel Insight project, which promotes best practices and citizen mobilisations in favour of public policies adapted to reducing inequalities in the region. After training 75 young people who, since 2022, have been carrying out campaigns to this end specific inequalities in Burkina Faso, Chad, Niger and Senegal, the panAfrican network kicked off this month an awareness-raising and advocacy campaign to fight against inequalities in a bid to amplify the national actions carried out so far.

The disparities noted in the Sahel particularly access to essential services result in part from poor policies, notably under-investment in priority sectors such as access to water, electricity, health services, quality education, infrastructure and budget information, etc.

Between January 2022 and March 2023, AfricTivistes, in partnership with Wildaf, Wacsi and Oxfam, deployed the Sahel Insight project in Chad, Niger, Burkina Faso and Senegal. An online campaign and a series of training sessions built the capacity of  civil society actors and committed citizens in areas such as leadership, digital communication and advocacy, risk management, gender issues, among others.

Moreover, these actions have allowed participants to initiate digital campaigns in their respective countries to fight against various types of inequalities affecting the Sahel. The four communities of change agents created, the Sahel Activistes, have used social media with the establishment of three online platforms and communities to carry out their actions in favour of the populations.

This second phase of the project is centred around an online awareness-raising and advocacy campaign on inequalities in the Sahel, aiming to provide a framework for reflection with key stakeholders and the production of a documentary film.

This series of activities also aim to strengthen collaboration between Sahelian civil society organisations (CSOs) and local authorities to achieve the set objectives.

Follow the ongoing campaign on our platforms and social media.

For more information, please write to us at :info@africtivistes.org