THE FOUNDATION

Context

World trade is broken down as such :

38% for the European Union

15% for the United States

28% for Asia

1% for Africa

Africa is, without a doubt, marginalized or even excluded from the global production of wealth and that’s reflected in the daily lives of its peoples. In particularly street children, the youth who are either unemployed or involved in a precarious informal sector, clandestine migration, insufficient access to grass root social services, malaria, HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, maternal and infantile mortality, conflicts and lack of education, etc…
Yet, the cradle of humanity has a vast and important mining, farming and cultural potential. However it needs financing in technology and know-how in order to exploit its assets efficiently.
African, internationally recognized, seasoned businessman and social entrepreneur, Monsieur Youssou Ndour seeks and proposes ways and means for the development of the continent. He wants to show that the situation in Africa is not a misfortune.
In that perspective, the Youssou Ndour Foundation (Youth Network for Development) was born. Located in Dakar and under legal status number 2003-189 of April 2003, its mission aims toward the mobilization and networking of all resources willing to contribute to the improvement of the African situation.
This foundation aims to contribute in finding ways for the betterment of Africans and their natural partners such as governing bodies, non-profit organizations, grass root organizations and enterprises.

The Offices

The foundation is structured in order to realize its mission of public utility according to the basic conditions of the laws in place.

The Board of Directors is the main organ of the Foundation and is composed of 20 members among which a President elected for 3 years.

Youssou  Ndour
Mtre Mamadou Diop
Mor Talla Diop
Lisa Goldman
Ibrahima Guèye (Asse)
Mamoudou Ibra Kane
Rob Hallett
Michele Lahana,
Abdoulaye Mané
Alioune Ndiaye
Mtre Layti Ndiaye
Mtr Moustapha Ndiaye
Boubacar Ndour
Ngoné Ndour
Soukeyna Ndoye
Cheickh Seck
Ibrahima Malick Thioune
Cheikh Amidou Touré
Mady Touré
Cheick Tidiane Traore

The General Administrator is in charge of management according to objectives pre-established by the Board of Directors. In addition to that, a team has been put together in order to support the Administrator. For each project, a skilled team is recruited for its expected length.
For accounting purposes, there are two levels: an internal control and an external auditor.

The Goals

The Youssou Ndour Foundation’s main goal in Senegal and in Africa is to contribute to sustainable development, which translates in an equitable, livable, and viable world based on three pillars: the social, the economic and the environmental. More precisely, the Youssou NDour Foundation aims to contribute to the fulfillment and well being of the populations, and of the vulnerable groups in particular.
That translates in the contribution and the promotion of the rights of children, the creation of decent employment, the promotion of health and preventive behaviors, the promotion of culture as factor of development, the protection of the environment, the promotion of civism and peace.

Strategy

In order to contribute to the development of the continent, the Youssou Ndour Foundation intervenes in several axes :

Given a specific issue, the most vulnerable beneficiaries are targeted according to the means available. For example, pregnant women in the fight against malaria.
In addition to that, the Youssou Ndour Foundation seeks solutions in favor of the most sustainable economic arguments. Those solutions correspond either to conclusive experiences from far away or to models to test out. Each solution is a specific project, therefore a project management, which allows each partner to track the destination of its contribution.

Then, the Youssou Ndour Foundation is open to partnership with States, International Organizations, Non-Profit Organizations, Enterprises, Grass root Community Organizations, opinion leaders and project holders.
Finally, the communication of results emanating from projects carried out for the benefit of a greater number. Communication also reflects upon a change of behaviors for the emergence of the new African.

Target Audience

"I want to use my music to break the silence of suffering children…while contributing to building capacities within their families and communities…"
Youssou Ndour

First of all, the action of the Youssou Ndour Foundation is mainly oriented toward problems affecting children. However, those issues are strongly linked to their parents’ situation, notably their presence, their availability, their resources, their level of information and training etc…
This is to say that it is impossible to intervene for the benefit of the children without tackling that of the father and mother. That contributes in expanding the area of intervention and it means that any sustainable solution must result from a multidimensional approach integrating the society at large.