The PLASEPRI programme supports the private sector and make the most of the Senegalese diaspora in Italy. Interview with Mariarosa Stevan, former director of the Dakar UTL
Transform the Senegalese diaspora in Italy, one of the most numerous, to generate sustainable development is the goal of PLASEPRI, a bilateral Italian Cooperation programme operating in Senegal since 2009. Now nearing its 2015 conclusion, PLASEPRI, financed by the Italian Development Cooperation, is a platform geared at supporting the private sector and making the most of the Senegalese diaspora in Italy.
A new form of multicultural enterprise
PLASEPRI can be considered a model for a new form of multicultural enterprise in which local communities, small and medium sized enterprises, micro-finance institutions, governments and cooperation can intersect and generate virtuous circles that foreground integration, social approaches and trust among partners.
What the Fasol Brothers and Khadim Sall tell us in this video interview is only one of the many stories of friendship, solidarity and enterprise the programme has made possible over the years, despite obstacles such as squandered remissions and access by women, as Mariarosa Stevan, former director of the Dakar UTL, explains.
An “emerging” Senegal
The Italian Development Cooperation expert, who has been monitoring the programme over the last two years, also explains the DGCS’ approach to this “emerging Senegal”, consistently a Sub-Saharan African priority for Italy.
