Empowering Sahel women, girls: SWEDD project donates equipment to partner ministries.

The World Bank-supported initiative is aimed at empowering women and girls in the Sahel region and beyond, with the goal to drive demographic change and economic development.

The donated equipment includes mobile clinics, refrigerated trucks, and ambulances. The Minister of the Economy, Planning, and Regional Development, Alamine Ousmane Mey, who also chairs the project's steering committee, presided over the handover ceremony, and officially transferred the assets. 

The handover ceremony was coupled with a presentation of the SWEDD project's progress. Minister Ousmane Mey, in his address, expressed satisfaction with the project's tangible results, noting that the initiatives are bringing smiles to the faces of women and girls in the target regions. 

He highlighted the significant financial investment, stating that "16 billion FCFA have been disbursed for this purpose and nearly 80% of this amount has enabled us to achieve almost 90% of the development objectives and 80% of the development indicators that form the basis of this project's evaluation". 

MINJEC received three 20-tonne podium trucks, each capable of carrying three passengers in the front and equipped with sound systems, lighting, and independent power. 

The National Coordinator of the SWEDD project, Dr Mbah Ngami Glory, explained that these trucks are specifically intended for social mobilisation and community awareness to promote social change. The themes to be addressed will focus on keeping girls in school, developing life skills, and family planning.

MINSANTE, on the other hand, received the bulk of the healthcare-related equipment. These include four 10-tonne refrigerated trucks, each with four-wheel drive, and five 10-tonne forklifts. 

The refrigerated trucks are essential for the safe transport and storage of medicines, while the forklifts are intended for large-scale drying of pharmaceutical products, ensuring their quality and efficacy.

According to Dr Mbah, the delivery of this new equipment is expected to significantly enhance the reach and impact of the SWEDD project's efforts to improve the health and wellbeing of women and children, contributing to a more prosperous and equitable future for the Sahel region.

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3459 of Friday May 30, 2025