Senegalese youth decry employment opportunities

In Dakar, Senegal, desperate youth are determined to change their destiny.  For four days, millions of young people invaded the streets of Senegal to demand change.

While they represent 55% of the 17 million population, these young people feel neglected by authorities.

"The state should review public policies, especially public policies for young people. And young people need three main things: training, employment, and support. The youth need funding, and capacity building because we the youth need to be occupied. But if the youth have no occupation, it only takes one thing at all for them to rebel", Yves Nzalé, Coordinator of the Group of Unemployed Graduates of Senegal told our Correspondent, Wahany Jonhson-Sambou.

Yet the state still boasts of having injected hundreds of billions of CFA francs to tackle unemployment.

In response to recent protests, President Macky Sall announced a new emergency program for employment and socio-economic integration of young people.

It is a program of 350 billion CFA francs or $637 million.

"We know that President Sall had done a lot in terms of financing and it did not bear fruit. So, in my opinion, we should not return to this type of financing but rather see how the previous financing was managed. Because, in my opinion, it is not a problem of money. Unfortunately, in our countries, we think that everything is a problem of budget, so it gets increased and increased, but it is the very management of these budgets that must be questioned", said Prof. Abou Kane, an Associate of Economics at the Cheikh Anta Diop University of Dakar.

Jonhson-Sambou reports that: ‘’The demonstrations of the last few days have revealed to the world what everyone here already knew. Blocked horizon, uncertain future, the Senegalese youth is suffering. Unemployment, precariousness, lack of perspective and, a dire situation that has rocked the country for days. And everyone hopes that the message is clear, this time despite skepticism that reigns after the speech of President Macky Sall on Monday.’’