Project profile — Providing Food and Nutritional Assistance in Senegal - Response to Coronavirus (COVID-19)

• Senegal (100.00%)

• Basic Education: School feeding (11250) (25.00%)
• Basic Health: Basic nutrition (12240) (17.50%)
• Government And Civil Society, General: Decentralisation and support to subnational government (15112) (7.50%)
• Agricultural development:
Agricultural development (31120) (5.00%)
Agricultural land resources (31130) (10.00%)
Agricultural water resources (31140) (10.00%)
• Developmental Food Aid/Food Security Assistance: Food aid/food security programs (52010) (25.00%)

• Gender equality (significant objective)
• Environmental sustainability (cross-cutting) (significant objective)
• Participatory development and good governance (not targeted)
• Trade development (not targeted)
• Biodiversity (not targeted)
• Climate change mitigation (not targeted)
• Climate Change Adaptation (not targeted)
• Urban issues (not targeted)
• Desertification (not targeted)
• Children's issues (not targeted)
• Youth Issues (not targeted)
• Disaster Risk Reduction(DRR) (not targeted)
• Indigenous Issues (not targeted)
• Disability (not targeted)
• Nutrition (principal objective)
• ICT as a tool for development (not targeted)

This project aims to help vulnerable populations cope with the negative effects of COVID 19 and the restrictions put in place by the Senegalese government to fight it. This project seeks to help vulnerable households avoid resorting to negative coping strategies, minimize the risk of acute malnutrition and prevent micronutrient deficiencies from being exacerbated in pregnant and lactating women. This project also helps stabilize and improve immediate access to the nutritious foods required, so that beneficiaries can truly participate in the project initiatives. Project activities include: (1) distributing unconditional cash transfers to targeted beneficiaries during the hunger gap and during the COVID 19 crisis; (2) providing mothers of students associations with training and capacity-building sessions to increase income-generating activities and boost their incomes; and (3) improving farmers’ access to food security by providing assistance to create community assets. This project expects to reach 8 regions and 20 departments, as well as 806,188 beneficiaries.

The expected outcomes for this project include: (1) improved food security among vulnerable populations; (2) improved nutritional security among pregnant and breastfeeding women, and among children under 5 in Senegal; and (3) increased resilience among populations and communities experiencing food insecurity who are exposed to climate shocks and other hazards.

Results achieved include: (1) provided targeted food assistance to 92,700 people. During the lean season, cash transfers enabled the beneficiaries to buy food in local markets, thereby stimulating the local economy; (2) provided diversified meals to 234,567 school children and local markets, more than 1,261 schools received supplies. Support for school feeding programs has led to better student attendance and concentration, better school results, better short-term student nutrition and economic relief for households; (3) trained 209 cooks on hygiene protocols to prevent the spread of COVID-19; (4) assisted 52,500 children and pregnant and lactating women in over 400 malnutrition treatment centres. Distributed 434 tons of specialized nutritional food to prevent and treat malnutrition in children and pregnant and nursing women. More specifically: 25,193 children aged six to 23 months; 13,371 children under five and 16,221 pregnant and nursing women; (5) rehabilitated the productive assets of more than 129,000 people. The rehabilitation of 3,140 hectares of land and the reforestation of 9,000 trees have contributed to improving the profitability of household agricultural activities, preserving natural resources and strengthening the social cohesion of communities; and (6) 23,000 farmers subscribed to an agricultural index insurance scheme against drought.

• Proactive disclosure