Translated in English by Aisha Dabo
The senegalese community living in New York could not help but show their joy during the meeting with President Macky Sall on 25th September 2013 at the African Methodist Church in Harlem as their leader upheld the commitments he made to his nationals.
The popular believe among many Senegalese is politicians hardly kept their promises; thus the peculiarity of the day was presidential party APR supporters, cross-carpeters and griots singing the praises of the fourth President of Senegal and his wife to the point of boring the public at times.
After issuing US$100,000 in early September, President Sall gave the Association of Senegalese in America US$50,000 as a contribution to the fundraising initiative to purchase a “Senegal House” in Harlem.
During the meeting, Sall also officially launched a US$400,000 Investment Support Fund for Senegalese living abroad, targeting women entrepreneurs in the United States.
The Director of the Investment Support Fund for Senegalese living abroad, Sory Kaba, pointed out that the money to be awarded without interest or deposit is not a gift but a loan that people will have to refund to sustain the program.
President Sall said the program was non-political and encouraged any woman entrepreneur of Senegalese nationality, member of a women’s group and living in the United States, to apply for it at the Consulate.
At the end of the meeting, the President left the room with the usual chaos as supporters were struggling for a handshake, photographers tried to capture the moment while security agents were adamant in doing their job and opportunists were waiting for some cash.
