Quick Links : USAID/ALO/FLAWI : Project Overview/Senegal

USAID

The United States has a long history of extending a helping hand to people overseas struggling to make a better life, recover from a disaster or striving to live in a free and democratic country. It is this caring that stands as a hallmark of the United States around the world -- and shows the world our true character as a nation.

U.S. foreign assistance has always had the twofold purpose of furthering America's foreign policy interests in expanding democracy and free markets while improving the lives of the citizens of the developing world. Spending less than one-half of 1 percent of the federal budget, USAID works around the world to achieve these goals.

USAID's history goes back to the Marshall Plan reconstruction of Europe after World War Two and the Truman Administration's Point Four Program. In 1961, President John F. Kennedy signed the Foreign Assistance Act into law and created by executive order USAID.

Since that time, USAID has been the principal U.S. agency to extend assistance to countries recovering from disaster, trying to escape poverty, and engaging in democratic reforms. USAID is an independent federal government agency that receives overall foreign policy guidance from the Secretary of State. The agency works to support long-term and equitable economic growth and advancing U.S. foreign policy objectives by supporting:

We provide assistance in four regions of the world:

With headquarters in Washington, D.C., USAID's strength is its field offices around the world. We work in close partnership with private voluntary organizations, indigenous organizations, universities, American businesses, international agencies, other governments, and other U.S. government agencies. USAID has working relationships with more than 3,500 American companies and over 300 U.S.-based private voluntary organizations. top

USAID/ALO/FLAWI

The mission of the Florida West Africa Linkage Institute is to assist in the development of stronger cultural, educational, economic and social ties between Florida and the countries of West Africa. That mission is achieved through cultural exchange, student and faculty exchange, research and economic expansion activities, and increasing public and private dialogue among institutions and West African governments.

The Florida West Africa Linkage Institute (FLAWI) has a well-recognized and successful history of working with West African countries on linkage goals. A range of cultural exchanges has occurred between the faculty and students in those countries where exchange is appropriate. The three FLAWI institutions have held symposia offered by West African scholars. Several state universities and community colleges throughout Florida, many of them initiated by FLAWI, have conducted study-abroad programs. Projects and grants are currently in progress.

One of the most notable is the Association Liaison Office for University Cooperation in Development/United States Agency for International Development (ALO/USAID) grant, in the sum of $100,000, that FLAWI received to assist in the development of a community health program in a regional university center in Senegal. This program has been cited as a Presidential model for the whole of Africa. top

"Creating Healthy Communities" in Senegal

The objective of the project is to link health care education with local communities in Senegal, particularly in rural areas. FLAWI has worked with the Ministry of Education since 1994 to assist in reforming the country's education system to meet the needs of its ten million people. With additional funding from the World bank, the Government of Senegal plans to establish ten regional colleges in rural areas over the next several years using the American community college system as a model. The Senegalese government appropriated $1 million to construct the first such facility scheduled to open in the town of Bambey in early 2002. FLAWI and Bambey faculty and staff collaborated to design a two-year community health education program. The Duval County Health Department also contributed its expertise to the program. top

also see Project Overview/Senegal

contact

Florida West Africa Linkage Institute
University of North Florida ; 1 UNF Drive; Jacksonville, Florida 32224
Telephone: (904)620-2475, Fax: (904) 620-3870



Florida West Africa Linkage Institute