United Nations Earth Summit+5 Success Stories - The Sahel Initiative - Primary Environmental Care for Children and Women in the Sahel

EARTH SUMMIT+5
Special Session of the General Assembly to Review and Appraise
the Implementation of Agenda 21
New York, 23-27 June 1997
SUCCESS STORIES FROM AFRICA

The Sahel Initiative - Primary Environmental Care for Children and Women in the Sahel

Location West Africa

Responsible organization UNICEF West and Central Africa Regional Office.

Description This is a two-year sub-regional project (1994-1996) aimed at integrating the Primary Environmental Care (PEC) approach in the UNICEF-assisted programmes in eight western African countries (Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Chad, The Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Mauritania, and Senegal). The project started with each participating country reviewing the effects of environmental degradation on children and women in the country. These country studies were then discussed at a workshop held in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, in November 1994. The workshop analyzed regional trends and, identified opportunities and mechanisms for enhancing sustainable livelihoods strategies of communities in the Sahel. On this basis, the eight countries proposed their respective PEC demonstration activities to be carried out in selected communities.

Issues addressed Combating poverty
Protecting and promoting human health
Combating desertification and drought
Promoting sustainable agriculture and rural development
Water management
Global action for women towards sustainable development
Children and Youth in sustainable development
Strengthening the role of indigenous people
Promoting education, public awareness and training.

Objectives PEC emphasizes community-based development approach for the attainment of sustainable livelihood through integration of three elements in action: meeting basic needs empowering people and communities sustainable managing of natural resources.

Results achieved The eight sub-projects, still on-going are expected to be complete in early 1997. Some initial achievements, have been identified by an evaluation made in the second quarter of 1996, inlude: Participatory Rural Appraisals as implementing tool of PEC conducted in Cape Verde, brought about visible changes in the community's attitudes towards self-reliance and women's participation. In Burkina Faso, (one of the two target communities) a completed Primary Rural Appraisal is currently developing its own local action plan.
In Chad, activities to improve urban sanitation and environment catalyzed funding from other sources. The community itself built a school of environmental observation under the sub-project in Guinea Bissau, and another local innovation - Radio Cassumay - is proving to be an effective way to reach a wide audience with limited inputs.
In Niger, (3 of the 10 villages supported by the sub-project) completed monographs of the village environment. Schools, communities and technical services personnel at local level were mobilized to take initiatives on their own to improve the environment.

Lessons learned The Sahel Initiative emphasizes community participation. Moderate funds were used strategically to mobilize communities, to improve their life through sustainable development. This approach requires adoption of a flexible project framework and timetable.
The participating countries of the project used different "entry points" to introduce the concept of sustainable development. For example: Chad and Mauritania focused on a few urban communities where high disease rates were directly linked to poor environment and sanitation. The Gambia and Niger chose 17 rural schools to introduce environmental education; and, Burkina Faso, Guinea Bissau, Cape Verde and Senegal each identified a number of rural villages to experiment with integrated community-based sustainable development, encompassing a range of issues from health, nutrition, education, water and sanitation to women's participation, environmentally sound income generation schemes, and community management of natural resources.

Financing Government of Sweden and the Global Environment Funds of UNICEF The total programmable amount for the eight countries is US$302,370.00.

Contact Ms. Yin Yin New, Regional Monitoring and Evaluation Officer, UNICEF Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire Mr. Gourisankar Ghosh, Chief
Water, Environment and Sanitation Cluster, Programme Division
UNICEF TA-26A New York 10017 NY
tel.: (212) 824 6664 Fax: (212) 824 6480
email: gghosh@unicef.org

Copyright © United Nations
Department of Economic and Social Affairs
Comments and suggestions: esa@un.org
1 November 1997

	The Sahel Initiative - Primary Environmental Care for Children and Women in the Sahel
	Location	West Africa
	Responsible organization	UNICEF West and Central Africa Regional Office.
	Description	This is a two-year sub-regional project (1994-1996) aimed at integrating the Primary Environmental Care (PEC) approach in the UNICEF-assisted programmes in eight western African countries (Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Chad, The Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Mauritania, and Senegal). The project started with each participating country reviewing the effects of environmental degradation on children and women in the country. These country studies were then discussed at a workshop held in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, in November 1994. The workshop analyzed regional trends and, identified opportunities and mechanisms for enhancing sustainable livelihoods strategies of communities in the Sahel. On this basis, the eight countries proposed their respective PEC demonstration activities to be carried out in selected communities.
	Issues addressed	Combating poverty Protecting and promoting human health Combating desertification and drought Promoting sustainable agriculture and rural development Water management Global action for women towards sustainable development Children and Youth in sustainable development Strengthening the role of indigenous people Promoting education, public awareness and training.
	Objectives	PEC emphasizes community-based development approach for the attainment of sustainable livelihood through integration of three elements in action: meeting basic needs empowering people and communities sustainable managing of natural resources.
	Results achieved	The eight sub-projects, still on-going are expected to be complete in early 1997. Some initial achievements, have been identified by an evaluation made in the second quarter of 1996, inlude: Participatory Rural Appraisals as implementing tool of PEC conducted in Cape Verde, brought about visible changes in the community's attitudes towards self-reliance and women's participation. In Burkina Faso, (one of the two target communities) a completed Primary Rural Appraisal is currently developing its own local action plan. In Chad, activities to improve urban sanitation and environment catalyzed funding from other sources. The community itself built a school of environmental observation under the sub-project in Guinea Bissau, and another local innovation - Radio Cassumay - is proving to be an effective way to reach a wide audience with limited inputs. In Niger, (3 of the 10 villages supported by the sub-project) completed monographs of the village environment. Schools, communities and technical services personnel at local level were mobilized to take initiatives on their own to improve the environment.
	Lessons learned	The Sahel Initiative emphasizes community participation. Moderate funds were used strategically to mobilize communities, to improve their life through sustainable development. This approach requires adoption of a flexible project framework and timetable. The participating countries of the project used different "entry points" to introduce the concept of sustainable development. For example: Chad and Mauritania focused on a few urban communities where high disease rates were directly linked to poor environment and sanitation. The Gambia and Niger chose 17 rural schools to introduce environmental education; and, Burkina Faso, Guinea Bissau, Cape Verde and Senegal each identified a number of rural villages to experiment with integrated community-based sustainable development, encompassing a range of issues from health, nutrition, education, water and sanitation to women's participation, environmentally sound income generation schemes, and community management of natural resources.
	Financing	Government of Sweden and the Global Environment Funds of UNICEF The total programmable amount for the eight countries is US$302,370.00.
	Contact	Ms. Yin Yin New, Regional Monitoring and Evaluation Officer, UNICEF Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire Mr. Gourisankar Ghosh, Chief Water, Environment and Sanitation Cluster, Programme Division UNICEF TA-26A New York 10017 NY tel.: (212) 824 6664 Fax: (212) 824 6480 email: gghosh@unicef.org