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Focus on Africa

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Introduction

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The African continent, composed of 54 countries, possesses an immense wealth of geographical, cultural and linguistic diversity.

Significant progress has been made in sub-Saharan Africa, including a halving of the number of malaria deaths over the past 15 years, while the number of democracies has doubled since 2000. 

Four of the world's ten most dynamic economies were in sub-Saharan Africa in 2017.
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Africa is the region of the world with the youngest population, thus offering great human potential, but also a significant demographic and social challenge. 

The continent's economic development is dynamic, but this development is not yet sufficient for the entire population to engage in a decent economic activity that allows them to support their needs. 

Challenges on the continent such as climate change, multiple conflicts, weak government and judicial institutions, growing inequalities and uncontrolled urbanisation continue to undermine the progress already achieved in development.
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According to World Bank forecasts, 90% of people suffering from extreme poverty will live in sub-Saharan Africa by 2030. 

Switzerland's international cooperation in Africa remains important to reduce inequality and poverty, contribute to economic development, promote peace and respond to global challenges.  
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North Africa

Following the political upheavals of 2011, Switzerland's engagement is mainly aimed at supporting these countries in their political, economic and social transitions.
 
Switzerland's support focuses on democracy and human rights, economic development and inclusive employment, migration and protection.
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Eastern and Southern Africa

Eastern and Southern Africa is a region of marked contrasts. Switzerland supports the countries of this diverse region in the areas of health, rural development, democratic transition and governance, as well as economic development and employment, with a particular focus on youth and women.
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West Africa

In a fragile context of growing insecurity and poverty, Switzerland is committed to rural development and food security, local governance and decentralisation, as well as basic education and vocational skills development.
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Egypt

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Egypt is home to a large population of migrants, refugees and asylum seekers from the Middle East and Africa. Migration in Egypt is multifaceted as it plays a simultaneous role as a destination, transit and origin country of migration. The refugees are mainly from Syria, Sudan, Ethiopia, Eritrea and South Sudan.   

The majority of migrants and refugees face many challenges, mainly in areas of protection and basic needs (education, health, food, and housing). Migrants are particularly vulnerable to poverty, insecure food supply, poor quality services, as well as sexual and gender-based violence.
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In Egypt, Community Based Organizations are the key actors in responding to migrant’s basic needs. These organizations have the greatest knowledge of community needs, the highest amount of community trust and the most culturally and linguistically competent staff.   

Switzerland contributes to St. Andrews for Refugee Services (StARS). StARS is one of the few NGO's in Cairo that provides to a total of 19'000 refugees and migrants high-quality services and offers a safe and inclusive space for them to come together as a community.
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The project with StARs will strengthen the institutional and operational capacities of Community Based Organizations.  

Through the project support, these organizations will be able to serve thousands of beneficiaries a year, saving a considerable number of lives and showing communities by example how they can empower themselves.   

«I have been with StARS for a year and one month. I am a doctor. I was searching for a job where I can work with refugees as I am a refugee myself. We have a network of doctors and give free consultations and medication. We are trying to save lives and we do our best to help everyone», said Rimaz Mohieldin.
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Through education, legal services and psychosocial support, StARS works with refugees and vulnerable migrants in Cairo to increase their ability to meet their basic needs. Additionally they respond to sexual and gender based violence incidents as well as any emergency in the community.   

Children education services are delivered in the form of a school located within StARS premises and servicing 260 children.
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Fatma Aly is 26 years old and from Sudan. She and her children benefit from the services of StARS. 

«I have three children. One is ill in hospital. My other two go to school at StARS. One comes to this branch and one to the nursery located elsewhere. I wait here for my daughter to finish classes, then we pick up my other daughter from nursery and go to hospital to the youngest of the girls». 


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The context shows growing challenges when it comes to deliver protection and basic services to migrants. These Community Based Organizations often have little or no assistance and support from larger, better-resourced organizations despite the fact that they play a critical role.   

Switzerland has intensively invested in supporting the civil society and continues on investing in civil society actors in order to achieve a change at the national level.   

More information:   

SDC North Africa   

SDC Migration
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Mali

Since 2012, the crisis affecting Mali's government, institutions and security has exposed the shortcomings of the country's public administration. The crisis has compounded other challenges such as high population growth, unequal distribution of resources between regions and low incomes.   

Centralised governance has not produced the desired results; even in cities, people do not have access to basic services (e.g. water, education, healthcare). Some 70% of people in Mali live without electricity and 42% have no access to healthcare.
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In the 1990s, decentralisation reforms improved access to infrastructure, encouraged private sector development and reduced inequalities, which are often a source of conflict.   

To stimulate the growth of secondary cities, Switzerland is co-financing a programme with the World Bank to support Mali's urban communities. It is providing expertise in local governance support and economic development.
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The programme is helping to improve access to basic services and facilities (water, electricity, roads, health, education) for urban communities. It also trains local elected officials to manage planning priorities and implement public works. Neighbourhood associations and user committees supervise and maintain the new infrastructures.
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For better administration and financial governance, the programme's 14 partner cities have been equipped with tools to help with urban planning, budgeting, accounting, auditing and citizen registration. This enables local officials to account for the proper management of human and financial resources.
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This project helped to plan and build:
 
- 270 fully equipped classrooms and 6 health centres 
- 48km of gutters and drains          
- 17km of paved urban roads in Bamako and 8 secondary cities
- 16 retail infrastructures (markets, bus stations)   

In total, around 300'000 people have benefited directly from these projects and improved their incomes.   


More information:

SDC Mali

Follow SDC Mali on Twitter here

 
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Burkina Faso

In Burkina Faso, over 40% of people live below the poverty line. The country's economy depends heavily on agriculture and small craft businesses, which provide the main income for nearly 80% of the population. Inadequate basic services and high population growth are putting pressure on existing infrastructure.
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Swiss-backed decentralisation efforts launched by the government of Burkina Faso in 1991 seek to develop high quality public services geared to people's needs. The reforms have faced obstacles, especially inadequate transfer of resources to communities and a lack of know-how among local officials.
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Decentralisation improves transparency and efficiency in local governance. Citizens become more involved in development plans within their communities. Switzerland supports local actors in the drawing up of these plans in consultation with the population.
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With Switzerland's support, 30 regional authorities have been able to develop social (education, health, access to drinking water) and economic (transport and market) services which cater to over 6 million people.
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More than 700 Swiss-backed projects have made a difference in the areas of education, health, water, local economic development and registry services. For example, a network of more than 300 km of rural roads has been built in the east of the country, connecting cities and providing access to markets. More than 110'000 people have gained access to drinking water thanks to the building of infrastructures such as wells.
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The programme also aims to foster local democracy by strengthening associations and the media. This improves oversight of local government, encouraging elected officials to demonstrate greater transparency and accountability.
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Increased awareness among local elected officials about gender equality means that women's associations are now systematically involved in decision-making at local and regional level. 


More information: 

SDC Burkina Faso 

SDC Good Governance

Follow SDC Burkina Faso on Twitter here
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Great Lakes

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The conflicts that ravaged the Great Lakes region (Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda) during the 1990s caused intense suffering among the population and weakened the social fabric. Over an entire decade, rape was systematically used as a weapon of war. 

Today, even though the fighting has officially ended, the continued prevalence of sexual and gender-based violence remains a serious concern.    

The majority of victims are women, but men and boys are also affected – a fact that is often a taboo subject. Victims tend to be stigmatised and rejected by their community.
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Apart from physical injuries, such violence also leaves psychological scars. To address both the physical and psychological impact on victims, Switzerland launched a programme in all three countries in 2011 to provide psychosocial support for women who have suffered sexual violence. 

The programme works not only with victims but with the entire community to facilitate their reintegration.
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The involvement of men is a decisive factor for the success of this approach. The programme seeks to bring about behavioural change by focusing on prevention and raising awareness among men and local authorities of the issue of sexual and gender-based violence.
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«Healing workshops» offer victims an opportunity to regain their mental health over time and enjoy sound social relationships. Set up within the communities, they provide spaces for sharing and communication between people who have been through the same ordeals and have similar needs.   

For example, widows can attend workshops on dealing with grief and emotions, while couples are offered workshops on mediation, forgiveness and reconciliation.
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People who have suffered violence often fall into poverty and lack the personal and financial resources to take care of themselves. By attending healing workshops, they have an opportunity to pursue new life projects and, for example, secure a bank loan to set up their own business. 

They also learn how to use various tools for managing small projects. With these workshops and the skills they offer, victims can build new lives for themselves.
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The psychosocial approach incorporates medical, psychosocial and legal aspects and places particular emphasis on the reintegration of victims into their communities.   

To achieve a sustainable reduction in sexual and gender-based violence in the Great Lakes region, it is essential to continue working at the community level and improve the healthcare available. 

It is also imperative that the countries concerned pursue their efforts to combat impunity.
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In 2019, some 26'000 people – 70% of whom were women – directly benefited from this project across the three countries. Of the 11'000 new cases of rape, 80% of the victims were women. More than 600 victims received legal aid, and 50 judgments were delivered in favour of the victim. 

The progress made to date is encouraging, but challenges remain in this region weakened by years of conflict.     

For further information: 

SDC The Great Lakes Region

SDC Gender Equality



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Niger

As a landlocked country in the heart of the Sahel, Niger is trying to preserve its stability in a regional environment marked by a constant deterioration in security. As a fragile country, it must face the growing expectations of a mainly young and impatient population. 

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With half of Niger's population under the age of 15, the country faces the challenge of providing all its citizens with a good quality education. In terms of vocational training, only 1% of needs are covered.  

In support of the Niger authorities, Switzerland launched a programme in 2011 to support vocational training in the country's rural areas. 

The objective is to contribute to the establishment of a local education, training and vocational integration system that meets the needs of young people and the local labour market.
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Thanks to Switzerland, various training structures have been initiated or strengthened in the rural regions of Dosso and Maradi, in southern Niger. Switzerland supports a dual learning system, similar to that offered in Switzerland, enabling apprentices to combine theoretical and practical learning in their mother tongue.   

Since 2013, 15'000 young women and men have received training. They acquire formal basic knowledge and the practical skills necessary for a professional activity.
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The «vocational training centres» welcome young people who want to learn mechanics, carpentry, electronics or even cooking.
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The «integrated agricultural training sites» provide practical training in agriculture, livestock, market gardening and rural machinery. 


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Thanks to the agricultural training programme, Nana Aicha Yacouba, an 18-year-old girl from the Maradi region, has been entrusted with the management of the family orchard: 

«With my father we planted an orchard of 100 mango trees on our family farm. I am the one who brings the techniques (grafting and planting) and my father trusts me completely despite the fact that I am the youngest and also a girl. He follows me without hesitation in my decisions. We maintain the orchard together and will hopefully make a good profit when the plants start to bear fruits.»  

More information: 

SDC Niger

SDC Basic Education and Vocational Skills Development


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Tanzania

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Most young women and men in Tanzania are not involved or do not participate in decision-making processes about issues that affect their lives. Niambie (Talk to Me in Swahili) is a multi-media project connecting Tanzanian youth through a weekly radio show and social media. 

The project is funded by Switzerland and implemented by BBC Media Action. Niambie aims to provide relevant, credible and balanced information to help young people understand their rights and responsibilities. It seeks to build the confidence of youth to engage in their communities and democratic decision-making processes.
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The radio show hosts and interviews various experts and influencers such as trending musicians on different topics from health and governance to personal finance. 

The experts offer their professional opinion while celebrities share their views on a selected topic in everyday language. 

Listeners get involved in the discussion by posing questions or sharing their comments by calling in or through social media. Both audiences and guests have engaged in freestyling and singing to share their views.
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Niambie has been able to reach 3.8 million female and male listeners since its inception in 2013. Young people who listen to the show have expressed greater knowledge and confidence to engage in democratic processes. 

Niambie listeners say the show has helped them improve their understanding of civic decision-making and the importance of keeping their leaders accountable.
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The goal of equal opportunities and rights between young women and young men is central to Niambie. The show's episodes put a strong focus on gender equality. 

Young female listeners report to have learned from topics on gender discrimination and violence, sexual reproductive health and challenges faced by young girls when going to school, among others.   

«I have learned a lot from Niambie. For example, as a young girl, I now know I can engage in politics and share my views. I also connect with my peers from across the country through the Niambie Facebook page to discuss everyday issues» Zainab Juma Kabelengwa, Dar es Salaam.
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Switzerland recognizes that inclusive democratic and electoral processes are key to societal development. The support to Niambie is primarily aimed at achieving youth participation in their own development processes.   

More information:  

SDC Tanzania   

SDC Good governance

Listen to Niambie's latest show (Swahili) here   

Follow Niambie on Facebook here
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Zimbabwe

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Climate change is affecting the rural population in Southern Africa hard. Due to frequent droughts, pest infestation and the adverse effects of weather patterns, farmers are finding it very difficult to survive through rain fed agriculture. The dry spells in particular have been devastating.   

In Zimbabwe, the precarious economic situation and high inflation has further exacerbated the situation. The economic crisis has affected small farmers very directly. 

At the end of 2018, seeds and fertilizers were more than twice as expensive as in the previous year. The interplay of climatic and economic shocks has triggered a humanitarian emergency.
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Masvingo is the first province in Zimbabwe to implement the World Food Programme (WFP) R4 Rural Resilience Initiative. The project, brought to Southern Africa by Switzerland, supports smallholder farmers in adapting to the effects of climate change. 

R4 combines agricultural and financial components. The R4 initiative includes four risk management strategies, namely risk reduction (asset creation), risk transfer (weather-indexed micro-insurance), risk taking (credit) and risk reserves (savings).

The primary objective is to help poor households improve their food security and deal with climate shocks such as drought.
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Farmers apply soil- and water-friendly practices, rehabilitate deforested and desolate areas and set up simple infrastructures such as dams, fishponds and irrigated vegetable gardens that provide them with new sources of income.   

The greatest innovations under the R4 initiative is that poor smallholder farmer's receive a drought insurance through the community work they do. This pays automatically if there is too little rain during the growing season. 

Finally, savings groups are formed in which the participants invest part of their income each month in order to obtain small loans for non-agricultural activities.
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Tariro Fariva and her daughter Lana live in Masvingo. The project has benefitted the two strong women and their family greatly, providing fresh fish and vegetables for the family. 

Tariro has gained a lot of knowledge about sustainable farming and financial literacy and is able to implement these approaches in other aspects of her life. She has now started her own poultry and goat farming initiative.   

By 2021, 6'000 farming families in Zimbabwe are to be involved. In Malawi and Zambia, where R4 has been operating for four years thanks to Swiss support, there are already almost 50'000 participants, two thirds of whom are women.  
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Farmers gradually reduce their vulnerability to climate risks. Some of the farmers have managed to save some money and are buying and selling groceries in the community. Some are also using the money for emergencies including school fees and medical costs.

From the outset, private insurance companies, microcredit institutions and buyers of agricultural products have been involved in the project to ensure sustainability.   

Kwaneiso Mawere takes a break from digging and says «the most important knowledge that I have gained is how to farm for business».
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Women often have to fill a gap because some young men from rural areas are looking for employment in urban centers or in neighboring South Africa. Women are thus at the center of the household and have to do hard work such as fetching water every day. 

This creates an element of cohesion: women come together and discuss their problems. Men are also encouraged to participate in order to bring a balance between women and men in communities.   

«We have created income generating projects such as fish farming and market gardening. I started selling vegetables at schools and in the community and am able to pay school fees for my children. I am expecting to fly higher with my life and I am happy for that», says Tafadzwa Sigauke.
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All of this can be promoted in Southern Africa on a national and regional basis. The R4 initiative in Masvingo is showing great promise in helping vulnerable rural farmers to increase their food and income security in the face of increasing climate risks and shocks in Zimbabwe. 

International climate policies should do everything to ensure that lessons learnt from Zimbabwe are taken into account in other contexts. 

More information:   

SDC Southern Africa 

SDC Climate change and the environment
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Overview
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Chapter 1 Introduction

Focus on Africa

Chapter 2 North Africa

North Africa

Projects

Chapter 3 Eastern and Southern Africa

Eastern and Southern Africa

Projects

Chapter 4 West Africa

West Africa

Projects

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  • Credits: Niambie, SDC / Christina Rizk, SDC / Esther Mbabazi, SDC / Esther Nsapu, SDC / Gulshan Khan, SDC / Gulshan Khan , Samuel Schlaefli, Samuel Schlaefli