WAEMU
Addressing the challenge of employment is a driver for the socio-economic development of the WAEMU region. Our strategy aims to address this challenge by driving transformation in the agriculture value chain through an innovative approach.
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Goal
To enable 6.2 million young people in the WAEMU region—70 percent of whom are young women—to access dignified and fulfilling work by 2030. Our roadmap aims to bring about a shift in perceptions, resources, relationships, practices, and policies for the development of sustainable and resilient agrifood systems.
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Context
Agriculture, as the primary source of employment in the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU) region, constitutes a powerful development driver, with small-scale farmers at its core. The WAEMU region consists of Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Niger, Senegal, and Togo.
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Approach
The Farm to Fork strategy is based on the knowledge and data that inclusive food systems can only be designed from the bottom up to address the actual needs of populations. Through this approach, we are meeting the market demand for locally produced and processed food products and catalyzing the emergence of agro-industry champions at a national and regional level that will drive the sustainable transformation of agriculture in the sub-region.
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Priority
Agribusiness and adjacent sectors, agro-processing, market access, and primary production.
Agristories Episode 1
Bagoré Bathily, founder of La Laiterie du Berger.
Our WAEMU Quarterly Newsletter
English version
Read the Mastercard Foundation’s Quarterly Newsletter for the WAEMU Region – September to December 2024
Read more
Version française
Lire le bulletin d’informations trimestriel de la Fondation Mastercard pour la région UEMOA – Septembre à Décembre 2024
En savoir plusLearn more about our work in WAEMU
Armande Lo Encourages the Next Generation of Agripreneurs
WAEMU
Enabling Young Entrepreneurs in Senegal
WAEMU
Local Milk, an Engine for Employment and Success for Women in Senegal
WAEMU
Programs in WAEMU
The Foundation’s WAEMU office is located in Dakar, Senegal, and currently supports almost 20 active partnerships in the region. Focus sectors for Young Africa Works in WAEMU include agrifood systems, entrepreneurship, and the digital economy.
Research from WAEMU
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An Empirical Review of Youth Employment Policies in Senegal
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Disability-Inclusive Education and Employment: Understanding the Experiences of Young Men and Women with Disabilities - SENEGAL
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A Review of Youth Employment Policies and Their Impact in Senegal
WAEMU -
Disability-Inclusive Education and Employment: Understanding the Context – SENEGAL
Disability Inclusion WAEMU
Latest from WAEMU
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Mastercard Foundation President and CEO, Reeta Roy, Announces Decision to Transition from the Foundation
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WAEMU EdTech Conference 2024 Gathers 150 EdTech Stakeholders in Dakar to Discuss Scaling Start-ups for Success and Transforming Education
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World Data Lab and the Mastercard Foundation Announce Launch of the Africa Youth Employment Clock
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Angélique Kidjo’s Batonga Foundation Expands its Programs to Senegal to Reach More Adolescent Girls and Young Women
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Giving Citizens Digital Access to Their Health Data is a First Step toward Enabling Person-Centered Health
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Mastercard Foundation to Enable Three Million Youth to Access Employment Opportunities in Senegal
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2025 Mastercard Foundation EdTech Fellowship Applications
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Etudesk Unveils a Study Dedicated to the EdTech Ecosystem in the WAEMU Region
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Access to Financing Crucial for the Future of Agriculture in West Africa
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The Mastercard Foundation Fund for Resilience and Prosperity Launches Agribusiness Challenge Fund
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Institut Pasteur de Dakar in Partnership with Mastercard Foundation and the European Union inaugurates the Centre for Africa’s Resilience to Epidemics (CARE)
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Light For the World and Mastercard Foundation Partner to Enable Youth Employment for Young Africans with Disabilities
