The challenging start for the Senegalese national team at the global football tournament sparked widespread debate regarding generational handover and the role youth should play in our country. Although the coach had a roster of incredibly talented young players (around 18 to 22 years old), he opted to field older, more established players considered to be "veterans." Beyond sports, this situation mirrors a much broader reality: the contribution of young people is often undervalued in Senegalese society, whether economically, socially, or politically.

In the development sector, youth programs are often designed behind closed doors. They tend to treat young people as passive groups that need to be "managed," "trained," or "integrated." It is as if the youth were merely a vulnerable demographic, waiting for technocratic solutions devised by "more capable" experts.

Yet, the social, economic, and civic dynamics we have witnessed in recent years tell a completely different story. Despite extreme challenges like irregular migration or violent political protests, Senegalese youth are on the move. They aren't waiting for external solutions. Instead, they are developing clever, well-thought-out resilience strategies to carve out a space that the formal system still struggles to provide them.

Faced with this boundless energy, it is worth taking a step back. We need to look differently at the subtle signals of change and rethink how we work with young people. They must be treated as full-fledged partners we trust, empower, and invite to the decision-making table.

In Senegal, UNDP and its partners have chosen a systemic, inclusive, equitable, and humanistic approach, one that deeply listens to young men and women in all their diversity. Indeed, beyond the alarming youth unemployment figures (23.6%), the NEET rate (Not in Education, Employment, or Training) is striking. Globally estimated at 34%, it reaches 48% in the southern region. In areas like Ziguinchor, nearly one in two young people falls into this category. 

However, these statistics do not reflect a lack of ability; rather, they highlight the system's failure to value youth-led activities and the sectors they control, hindering their ability to spread their wings. Young people have their own aspirations and resilience strategies. Our solutions would be far more effective if co-created with them, aligning with the pace of youth-driven transformation. As a famous Senegalese proverb wisely says: "Loo xam ci Demba, Demba gën la koo xam" (What you know about Demba, Demba knows better than you).

That is why UNDP’s approach relies on three interconnected pillars: creating more inclusive socio-economic opportunities, strengthening youth leadership in all its diversity, and transforming the narrative around youth. This last pillar is perhaps the most crucial, as it paves the way for policies, investments, and partnerships that truly reflect the realities young people face on the ground.

This dynamic of continuous learning has been built alongside technical agencies, state institutions, and private sector actors. By fostering systematic synergies, we reduce fragmentation and build more coherent responses. Today, this approach is a living, evolving framework, enriched by experience and constantly adapting to the transformations driven by the youth.

Rethinking Youth means challenging our traditional intervention frameworks and questioning why we value certain professions while making others invisible. Rethinking Youth means recognizing that they are not waiting for us to set them in motion: they are already moving forward with whatever means they have. If we want to support them, we must be ready to walk at their pace, create genuine spaces for co-construction, and allow ourselves to be surprised by their innovations.

The example of "Jakarta" motorcycle taxis perfectly illustrates this. Dominant narratives often associate them with "urban disorder," insecurity, or accidents. While these concerns are legitimate, they overshadow the fact that Jakartas are a homegrown response to structural issues: a lack of road infrastructure, insufficient public transport, urban gridlock, and the logistical needs of the informal economy.

In regions like Thiès, Matam, Kaolack, Sédhiou, or Ziguinchor, driving a Jakarta is primarily a survival strategy. It is a way for thousands of households to put food on the table and avoid unemployment or irregular migration; it acts as a crucial social safety net. These motorcycles connect communities, transport students and patients, support small businesses, and keep local economies flowing smoothly.

In the Casamance region (Kolda, Ziguinchor, Sédhiou), 21,000 motorcycle taxi drivers (including 10,000 in Ziguinchor alone) play an essential role in the local economy. In terms of direct impact, these young people inject 35 million FCFA daily into gas stations and 5 million FCFA into small trade and food stalls sectors predominantly run by women. Every month, they contribute 30 million FCFA to the municipality through taxes.

Beyond transportation, this sector fuels a virtuous cycle of reinvestment. Thanks to tontines (savings circles), many young people reinvest their earnings, turning their handlebars into a lever for more stable employment. This network nourishes the entire local ecosystem (mechanics, spare parts distributors and stands) as one of the main drivers of resilience for thousands of families across Casamance.

Similarly, the stigma surrounding domestic work, and the thousands of young women in this field, requires a radical shift in perspective to sustainably transform a sector where young adults are the vast majority. A study by CRADESC estimates that 56% of domestic workers in Dakar are between 15 and 35 years old. Often earning only half the minimum wage, they are frequently left at the mercy of informal placement agencies and households.

To address this, the pilot project led by UNDP and Calinounou Group demonstrates that facilitating access to quality training and formal contracts, which guarantee social protection and better wages, allows these young women to change how they see themselves. In doing so, the community’s perception also evolves, opening the door to a future full of opportunities.

This same desire to shatter social stereotypes and negative narratives drives other young people who have chosen to reinvent traditional sectors like agriculture. Starting from scratch, Moustapha, an agripreneur in Niaguiss, has spent the last decade developing an integrated farm to make working the land more attractive to his generation. His commitment is primarily aimed at changing his community's mindset. In his village, parents still struggle to understand why a university graduate would choose farming over a salaried office job.

Thanks to his partnership with UNDP, he was able to equip his farm with a high-performance greenhouse and smart sensors. This technological upgrade not only helps him create more jobs and business opportunities for local youth, but above all, it proves that it is possible to succeed right here in Casamance. One of the most telling signs of change is the enthusiasm of young people who now proudly come to take selfies on his farm. With his modern greenhouses and his own vehicle, he is living proof that agriculture is no longer synonymous with precarity. 

However, for young people to fully invest in this sector, a major hurdle remains: the lack of trust from elderly people, which restricts youth access to land ownership. That is why UNDP, in close collaboration with local associations, is working to build spaces for intergenerational dialogue dedicated to land transfer.

Through all these realities, we can see that the solutions already in place—often quietly driven by the youth themselves—are a major asset in tackling the systemic challenges of their empowerment. Shifting our perspective on employment by amplifying what young people are already doing, positively transforming the perception of undervalued jobs, and investing in grassroots dynamics emerging across the country means recognizing that youth are not a problem to be solved. They are a societal energy to be harnessed, and partners we need to trust more.

Ultimately, what matters most is asking ourselves this crucial question, both for our shared future and that of our national football team: will we always take enough risks to let the youth score more goals?

Contact

aminata.ba2@undp.org