Development Assistance Program

Counterpart International (Counterpart) is implementing a USAID-funded Development Assistance Program aimed at reducing food insecurity in 133 vulnerable communities in the St. Louis region of Northern Senegal. St. Louis is a food insecure area at the western coastal tip of the country where food and waterborne diseases, like bacterial and protozoan diarrhea, hepatitis A and typhoid are a common threat to the safety and health of those who live there. The distribution of nutritious food and health and sanitation awareness building within the communities has decreased the spread of these diseases.

This program also expands educational opportunities for children and improves caretaker practices in health and nutrition. Counterpart works with the Ministry of Health and village health centers to reduce illnesses, such as diarrhea and malaria through the training of community health workers, the construction of household latrines and growth monitoring and promotion.

A key focus of this program is HIV/AIDS, in the form of take-home rations to people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA), orphans, and vulnerable people. Prevention and sensitization activities are conducted in schools and other structures. Training on community home-based care is conducted and counseling for health workers and provides organizational support and training to HIV/AIDS health facilities, PLWHA associations and other AIDS community-based organizations. The program provides small grants to PLWHAs to conduct income generating activities in order to help support their families.

Recent Highlights: 

• To promote school enrollment and alleviate short-term hunger, Counterpart provides hot, nutritiously balanced meals daily to nearly 24,000 vulnerable children in 152 primary schools and 44 pre-schools. At these same schools, de-worming medications are distributed and administered to all students and staff twice a year. Among the results: moderate malnutrition rates have been cut from 23 percent to 12.3 percent and severe malnutrition has been cut from 6.4 percent to 4.9 percent. Vaccinations have increased from 20.5 percent to 70 percent. Likewise, primary school enrollment has increased from 64.9 percent to 99.1 percent.  Absenteeism in primary schools has fallen from 13 percent to 3.6 percent. Pre-school enrollment has increased from 702 children to 3,517. Public health and hygiene information is also given in order to educate children and parents. 
• More than 230 HIV/AIDS community-based organization members have been trained in community home-based care of PLWHAs and more than 130 health personnel have been trained in counseling.
• More than 90 PLWHAs have received small grants for income generating activities and 11 HIV/AIDS health facilities and 16 community-based organizations have also received grants.

Photos: © Counterpart International.