Regions: Africa   Asia   Latin America


Name of Organization: Health Education and Prevention Strategies Alliances (WHEPSA)

Country: Senegal

Project Title: "Les Communautés maintiennent les filles á l'école" ("Communities Keeping Girls In School")

Project Timeframe: 6 months

Location of Project: Kaolack

Budget Amount: $10,000

NGO contact and website:
112, Rue Marachel Joffre BP 2130
Kaolack, Senegal
Phone: (221) 941-7722 or 941-7817
E-mail: whepsa@sentoo.sn

Project's Primary Objective: Ensure the long-term sustainability of anti-child labor efforts.

Description of Organization: Women Health Education and Prevention Strategies Alliance (WHEPSA), a non-profit, community based NGO, was incorporated in 1996 and develops innovative alternative programming for distinctive communities. WHEPSA has developed programs for women to:
  • Address the development of women and families
  • Promote general health awareness, reproductive health, and nutritional health
  • Promote the scholarization of girls
  • Assure continued dialogue between women and their community
  • Reduce poverty
  • Prevent cultural isolation
  • Assist women to take charge of their bodies and spirits
The overall mission of WHEPSA is to research, develop, implement, evaluate, and publish varying approaches to service programs for women and their immediate families. These programs and projects are accomplished through lectures, demonstrations, workshops, trainings, camps, and other informational forums. WHEPSA has three divisions, Health, Education and Prevention. The project with Winrock/CIRCLE will be an integral part of the education division and parallel to WHEPSA's 10,000 Girls Educational Support Program.

Description of Project funded by CIRCLE: Too often, girls fail in school or must repeat classes. As girls grow older, domestic responsibilities and agricultural work increases. WHEPSA's survey school participants revealed that if girls are allowed to attend school but also work at home, in the fields or markets, only about 200 of each 15,000 school age girls enrolled in first grade will complete high school. Work takes precedence over school.

WHEPSA's CIRLCE project will work with 1,000 girls as part of an overall effort to to reduce the numbers of girls in child labor and to ensure the continued enrolment of 10,000 girls in the Region of Kaolack, Senegal. The CIRCLE initiative will support girls enrolled in school, girls no longer attending school, or girls never enrolled in school. Project-assisted girls will stay in school, complete and become a cadre of self disciplined, economically independent young women who will assist the development of their region and have a defined positive impact on their country.

Project Targets (Common Indicators):
Enrollment: 1000
Persistence: 100%
Transition: no transition to other non-CIRCLE funded programs
Completion: 100%