COOPI (Cooperazione Internazionale Senegal)

COOPI (Cooperazione Internazionale Senegal) is the Senegal country programme of COOPI – Cooperazione Internazionale, an Italian humanitarian non-governmental organisation founded in Milan on 15 April 1965 by Padre Barbieri. COOPI describes itself as an Italian humanitarian organisation working to break the cycle of poverty, and states that it is present in 30 countries across Africa, the Middle East, Latin America and the Caribbean, running 194 humanitarian projects that reach more than 7.5 million people. Since 1965 it reports having helped 140 million people through more than 3,400 projects in 70 countries, employing 6,000 expatriate staff and 71,000 local staff. In Senegal, COOPI's engagement is documented on its official country page. The organisation worked on public health in Senegal from 1993 to 2002. From 2004 to 2010 it implemented social and economic promotion interventions for vulnerable groups — women's cooperatives, people with disabilities and young people from disadvantaged neighbourhoods — in several regions including Casamance, Dakar, Thiès, Louga and Saint-Louis, with the aim of strengthening attitudinal and professional skills and supporting labour-market insertion. Since 2004 COOPI has also worked in the migration sector through co-development and diaspora professionalisation interventions. Since 2006 COOPI has run a distance-support (child sponsorship) project in Ziguinchor focused on protecting the right to education for children from families facing socio-economic difficulties. From 2016, in the Tambacounda region, COOPI has worked in partnership with IOM and AICS to create employment opportunities for vulnerable young people and returning migrants in their areas of origin, through vocational training and sustainable employment pathways in the agricultural and livestock sectors. The Senegal programme is presented on COOPI's website under the "Dove Lavoriamo" (Where We Work) section, with content also available in French. Its intervention sectors include economic development, and its projects include "Garantire i diritti fondamentali dei bambini" (Guaranteeing the fundamental rights of children) and "L'economia senegalese riparte dalla diaspora" (The Senegalese economy restarts from the diaspora). COOPI publishes an annual report, including a Rapport Annuel 2024.

COOPI – Cooperazione Internazionale was founded in Milan on 15 April 1965 by Padre Barbieri. According to its official website, the organisation has since grown into an Italian humanitarian NGO present in 30 countries across Africa, the Middle East, Latin America and the Caribbean, running 194 humanitarian projects that reach more than 7.5 million people. From 1965 to the present, COOPI states it has helped 140 million people through more than 3,400 projects in 70 countries, employing 6,000 expatriate staff and 71,000 local staff. The Senegal country programme is one of COOPI's long-standing engagements. According to COOPI's Senegal page, the organisation worked on public health in Senegal from 1993 to 2002. From 2004 to 2010, COOPI implemented various social and economic promotion interventions in favour of vulnerable groups — women's cooperatives, people with disabilities and young people from disadvantaged neighbourhoods — in order to strengthen their attitudinal and professional skills and favour their labour-market insertion in various regions of the country, including Casamance, Dakar, Thiès, Louga and Saint-Louis. Also from 2004, COOPI has worked in the migration sector through co-development and diaspora professionalisation interventions. Since 2006, COOPI has carried out a distance-support (child sponsorship) project in Ziguinchor, focused on protecting the right to education for children from families with socio-economic difficulties. From 2016, in the Tambacounda region, COOPI has worked in partnership with IOM and AICS to create employment opportunities for vulnerable young people and returning migrants in their areas of origin, through vocational training and sustainable employment pathways in the agricultural and livestock sectors. The Senegal programme is presented on COOPI's website under the "Dove Lavoriamo" (Where We Work) section, with content also available in French. Its intervention sectors include economic development, and its projects include "Garantire i diritti fondamentali dei bambini" (Guaranteeing the fundamental rights of children) and "L'economia senegalese riparte dalla diaspora" (The Senegalese economy restarts from the diaspora). COOPI publishes an annual report, including a Rapport Annuel 2024.

• 2016

  COOPI begins partnership with IOM and AICS in Tambacounda for youth and returning migrant employment.

• 2006

  COOPI launches a distance-support (child sponsorship) project in Ziguinchor focused on the right to education.

• 2004

  COOPI begins social and economic promotion interventions for vulnerable groups in Senegal (until 2010) and migration/co-development work.

• 1993

  COOPI begins public health work in Senegal, continuing until 2002.

• 1965

  COOPI founded in Milan on 15 April by Padre Barbieri.

Country programme of an Italian humanitarian NGO focused on poverty reduction, emergency response, reconstruction and development in Senegal.

• Sostegno a distanza (distance support) project in Ziguinchor

  Child sponsorship project focused on protecting the right to education for children from families with socio-economic difficulties.

• Employment creation in Tambacounda with IOM and AICS

  Partnership since 2016 creating employment opportunities for vulnerable youth and returning migrants through vocational training and sustainable employment in agriculture and livestock.

• Social and economic promotion for vulnerable groups (2004–2010)

  Interventions for women's cooperatives, people with disabilities and youth from disadvantaged neighbourhoods in Casamance, Dakar, Thiès, Louga and Saint-Louis.

• Migration and co-development interventions

  Work in the migration sector since 2004, including co-development and diaspora professionalisation.

1. 1Senegal | COOPIcoopi.org
2. 2Chi Siamo | COOPIcoopi.org
3. 3COOPI (Cooperazione Internazionale Senegal) - Wikidatawikidata.org