Apply by
January 1, 2025
Know by
March 1, 2025
Depart on
September 26, 2025
Duration
2 years, plus 3 months training
Project description
Senegal is a beautiful and ecologically diverse country but is experiencing natural and human-induced environmental degradation that affects ecosystems vital to local communities. This degradation negatively affects people’s welfare and undermines sustainable management of natural resources for future generations. Senegal’s current land use system contributes to deforestation and a decline in soil fertility and water quality which is exacerbated by climate change. With well over a third of the population living below the poverty line, Senegal, like many of its regional neighbors, is affected by high rates of food insecurity, health vulnerability and gender inequality. To address these constraints and ensure better food security, intervention at the grass-roots level is necessary to improve communities’ management of natural resources and the environment. Adults and youth need to acquire the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary for the preservation of the environment and the intensification and diversification of agricultural production systems.
The goal of the Peace Corps Senegal Environment Project is to help individuals and communities in Senegal sustainably manage their natural resources ensuring food security and a healthy environment.
To This Effect, Volunteers Will Work To
- Increase youths’ and adults’ capacity to be good environmental stewards.
- Increase the capacity of communities to plant and care for trees to strengthen access to nutritious foods, generate income, and restore and protect land.
- Increase the capacity of communities to manage natural resources and the environment in sustainable, healthy and productive ways.
Volunteers will work to meet the objectives above by engaging in the following activities:
- Conducting environmental education with youth and adults both within and outside of school settings.
- Promoting and planting multi-purpose tree species that enhance soil fertility, reduce erosion and protect fields against animals (shade/beautification trees, live fence trees, nitrogen-fixing species, etc.).
- Supporting the establishment and management of individual/community gardens and fruit tree orchards to produce quality fruits such as mango, various citrus species, papaya, guava, soursop, sweetsop and cashew. These fruits are sold in local markets or consumed by families supporting both improved nutrition and access to revenue.
- Supporting the establishment/rehabilitation and management of community/school gardens to promote food security and environmental awareness.
- Engaging in general gardening extension and promoting community engagement in the management of their natural resources and challenges (e.g., fire management, reforestation/forest protection activities, erosion control, water management, animal grazing, solid waste management, beekeeping, etc.).
You don't need to be an expert in forestry and environmental change to be a successful Volunteer. While serving, you will act as a co-facilitator, a catalyst, a liaison, and a resource person for farming communities.
As an actor in the development of Senegal and as part of the wider Peace Corps effort to share our story with our counterparts and host governments as well as to bring that story home to the US, you will monitor and report on your work activities throughout your service through field visits, surveys, and stories.
Peace Corps Senegal promotes gender awareness, gender equity and girls’ and women’s empowerment. You will receive training on gender dynamics in Senegal and you will have the opportunity to implement gender-related activities that are contextually appropriate. During your service, you will look for ways to work with community members to promote gender-equitable norms and increase girls’ sense of agency.
Flexibility and adaptable thinking are important for Volunteer service and the success of Volunteer service is largely dependent on these competencies.
Climate change activities
As The Impacts Of Climate Change Become Ever More Evident, The Social, Economic, And Environmental Conditions Faced By Local Communities Will Become Increasingly Problematic, Particularly For Vulnerable Households In Low-lying Areas And Historically Marginalized Communities. As a Peace Corps Volunteer, You Will Be Trained To Use a Participatory Approach And Tools To Identify Locally Determined Priorities And Conditions, Including Those Related To The Impacts Of Climate Change. The Types Of Interventions Undertaken Will Be Guided By National And Local Priorities For Climate Change Adaptation As Identified In Your Country’s National Adaptation Plan (NAP) And Those Environment-related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs 6, 12, 13, 14 & 15) That Have Been Identified For Local Action. As An Environment Volunteer, You Will Be Trained To Use This Knowledge To Work With Government, Local, And Community Stakeholders To Mitigate Some Of The Adverse Impacts Of Climate Change While Promoting Resiliency, And Engaging In Projects And Activities That
- strengthen the ability of vulnerable households and communities to respond to extreme weather events such as cyclones, hurricanes, and typhoons;
- enhance local and community capacities for effective implementation of NAP and SDG priorities;
- reduce greenhouse gas emissions through promoting the expansion of renewable energy technologies;
- support the development of sustainable mechanisms that incorporate the “3 Rs” (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) of effective solid waste management practices; and
- work with Volunteers in other sectors to integrate climate change adaptation practices into their activities (e.g., work with Health Volunteers to reduce respiratory health issues of women and girls through use of improved cook stoves; work with Education Volunteers to mitigate the impact of heat waves on local teaching or establishing tree nurseries and planting trees to reduce the time that students use in collecting firewood).
Required Skills
Qualified candidates will have an expressed interest in promoting environmental awareness in schools and communities, and one or more of the following criteria:
- Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Science degree in any field
OR
- 5 years' professional work experience
Desired Skills
Competitive candidates will have one or more of the following criteria:
- Bachelor of Science/Associate degree in Forestry, Watershed Management, Natural Resources, Environmental Science or Ecology, or other related fields.
- Bachelor of Science/Associate degree in any degree plus 3 years’ work experience in forestry, nursery management, or other related fields.
- Interest in sharing agroforestry and natural resources management practices
- Interest in sharing tree propagation and maintenance technologies (agroforestry)
- Interest in cashew, moringa and mangrove value chains
- Strong desire to work outdoors in challenging weather conditions
- Good interpersonal and leadership skills (e.g., public speaking and partnership building)
- Interest in working with youth as well as adults for environmental awareness and the promotion of gender equity
While It Is Not Necessary To Be An Environment Expert To Be a Successful Volunteer, Peace Corps Senegal Welcomes Applicants With Experience In The Following Areas
- Experience developing tree nurseries, grafting, pruning and planting for food production
- Experience building live fencing windbreaks or firebreaks
- Experience working to improve energy efficiency
- Experience teaching water and/or soil management techniques
- Experience or interest in beekeeping
- French language skills are desirable but not required.
Candidates with French language skills, especially strong speaking skills, are encouraged to apply.
Required Language Skills
There are no pre-requisite language requirements for this position. The dominant languages in Senegal are Wolof and Pulaar, but there are many other smaller language groups as well. You will receive intensive training in the most common language of the village where you will live and you will attain a proficiency level in that language by the time you complete your Pre-Service Training. Most of your work will be carried out in a local language.
Peace Corps Senegal does not train in French, preferring to focus on the primary language that the Volunteer will speak. However, French language skills can be useful in Senegal, particularly when traveling or when working with people from other parts of the country. You are encouraged to learn as much French as possible prior to arrival in country.
Living conditions
Peace Corps Senegal Volunteers live with a host family either in their home in a separate room or in a small house on the family compound. Sharing meals and camaraderie with your host family will help you to understand the culture, enjoy the security of family life and learn the language of your community. When living with a host family, Volunteers have a private room/hut and private latrine/toilet within the family living environment.
Many Volunteer homes do not have access to running water or electricity. Water is collected at a community pump or well. Cell phone coverage in Senegal is fairly good and you will have a Peace Corps-issued cell phone or may use your own. The internet is becoming more widely available, although it is still not available everywhere. Internet coverage is more commonly available in larger towns and cities.
It can be very useful to have a laptop and a smart phone, but you may not wish to invest in the most expensive model. The dust, heat, and humidity of Senegal are hard on electronics. Cheaper, used, and/or hardier models may be better options. To support all Volunteers to have the basic tools necessary for their work, Peace Corps will provide an optional 1-time grant as part of the settling-in allowance at the end of Pre-Service Training (PST) to buy a simple laptop/tablet (based on local market availability).
Senegalese dishes consist of a staple of rice, millet, or corn with vegetable sauces and sometimes with fresh or dried fish. Meat is also available but more of a rarity. Access to produce is seasonal and variety is often limited by geographic locations. Vegetarians can make arrangements with their host families to maintain their diet, but this usually further decreases variety.
Senegal enjoys a good primary road system, but transportation remains a challenge. You will usually travel in crowded, shared taxis and buses over rough roads, particularly outside of urban areas. You will travel by bike – Peace Corps provided – or on foot or donkey/horse cart for shorter trips within your community and to nearby towns or villages. In all cases, Peace Corps Volunteers are expected to observe Peace Corps Senegal’s transportation policy.
Senegalese pride themselves on being well dressed. A neat and dignified appearance will say a lot about your desire to be accepted as a colleague. During Pre-Service Training, the dress code is business casual. There is a lot of beautiful cloth available in Senegal, and many Volunteers have clothing made by local tailors. Volunteers should not wear clothing that is overly tight, and clothing should always come at least as low to cover the knees. Long shorts, covering the knee, are acceptable for sports, but otherwise are rarely worn.
Through inclusive recruitment and retention of staff and Volunteers, the Peace Corps seeks to reflect the rich diversity of the United States and bring diverse perspectives and solutions to development issues. Volunteers who are of an American racial, ethnic, or national minority or whose religious or spiritual beliefs differ from the majority may experience curiosity and unwanted attention from Senegalese nationals.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQI+) Volunteers are welcomed within the Peace Corps Volunteer and staff community, and many LGBTQI+ Volunteers have served here successfully. However, Senegal has restrictive laws that target certain sexual acts. Peace Corps Senegal is unable to accept same-sex couples. Volunteers will need to be mindful of cultural norms and country-specific laws and use their best judgment to determine how to approach topics related to sexual orientation and gender identity in their communities and host countries. Staff and former Volunteers will address these topics during Pre-Service Training and identify potential support mechanisms for incoming Trainees.
Learn more about the Volunteer experience in Senegal: Get detailed information on culture, communications, housing, and health/crime statistics in order to make a well-informed decision about serving.
Medical considerations
Before you apply, please review medical clearance and legal clearance to learn about the process.
Couples information
Senegal Can Accommodate Couples Serving Together But Working In Different Projects. Therefore, Your Partner Must Qualify And Apply For One Of The Following Positions
- Sustainable Rural Agriculture Extension Agent
- Urban Agriculture Outreach Agent
Couples will live together during Pre-Service Training as well during the two years of service. They will share a hut or room within a family home or compound, as do single Volunteers.
