FIT! Senegal: the digital platform that transforms training and employment in view of the Dakar 2026 YOG
FIT! Sénégal is a vocational training project that prepares young people in Senegal for the challenges of work and the opportunities of the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games. With the support of European partners, the digital platform transforms skills and employment into an innovative and sustainable mode.
A challenge, an opportunity: preparing Senegalese youth for the future
Senegal has one of the youngest populations in the world. Yet for many boys and girls, access to qualified jobs remains an obstacle course: insufficient school infrastructure, training misaligned with market needs, and little recognition of technical professions.
In this context, the Dakar 2026 YOG become much more than a sporting event: they are a driver for change. The FIT! Sénégal initiative – Vocational Training and Employment, Horizon YOG 2026, led by LuxDev in collaboration with GIZ, AFD, AICS, and other partners, has a clear goal: to turn challenges into opportunities for personal, professional, and economic growth.
The heart of the project: a web-GIS platform to monitor results
To monitor the entire training and employment ecosystem in a transparent and effective way, gisAction has developed a web-based monitoring and evaluation platform powered by GIS technology. The goal? To measure in real time the impact of activities on the territory and create tangible value for all stakeholders involved.
Technologies serving development:
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Kobo Toolbox for collecting geolocated field data, even offline
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AGOL Databridge, a custom solution developed by gisAction that acts as a “bridge” between Kobo Toolbox and ArcGIS Online
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ArcGIS Online for data management and cartographic visualization
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ArcGIS Hub for interactive presentation of results to decision-makers and stakeholders
Each project component can access personalized dashboards, while a central console enables monitoring of macro indicators. An integrated and interconnected system designed to foster collaboration and dynamic data analysis.
In addition, innovative approaches such as Geodesign applied to GIS demonstrate how workflows can evolve to support sustainable planning.
A joint commitment: who does what?
- LuxDev: Introduces sport as an educational tool in 84 schools, enhances the attractiveness of courses, and supports YOG volunteers in their path toward employment.
- GIZ (Germany): Through the Vocational Training Reform Support Project (RéFoP).
- AICS (Italy): Strengthens local employment agencies, supports SMEs, and promotes the inclusion of young people, women, and people with disabilities.
- AFD (France): Focuses on the quality of training with new infrastructures, updated curricula, and public-private governance.
- AFD – Creative Industries: Develops new training paths in cultural sectors, strengthening sustainability through replicable and participatory models.
Governance, sustainability, and inclusion
Governance, sustainability, and inclusion
The initiative is structured on multiple levels, from the central steering committee to local operational teams. Monitoring and efficiency are ensured by the committee itself, supported by GIZ, AFD, AICS, and LuxDev, which oversees the use of resources and adherence to the timeline. Moreover, it is fully integrated into Senegal’s national strategy for technical and vocational training, engaging key actors such as 3FPT and ONFP.
The approach is holistic and inclusive: gender equality, accessibility, digitalization, and environmental sustainability are cross-cutting themes embedded in every stage of the project and in its indicators.
A project that looks beyond 2026
A project that looks beyond 2026
With an operational duration of 5 months (from January to May 2025), the project lays the groundwork for a scalable and lasting model. Beyond the sporting event, what will remain is a network of opportunities, skills, and digital tools for Senegal’s new generations.
GIS technology becomes a key tool to connect data and decisions, facilitate needs analysis, and build effective solutions to support the professional future of Senegalese youth.
Who we worked with
Who we worked with
LuxDev, the Luxembourg Development Cooperation Agency, is Luxembourg’s official agency for international cooperation. It manages most of the country’s bilateral aid and operates in about 15 partner countries across Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Europe. LuxDev focuses on poverty reduction and sustainable development through projects in areas such as education, health, agriculture, governance, and climate resilience.
Scenarios
Services
Topic
MEAALS and International Cooperation