By Isseu Diouf Campbell
The Office of Senegalese Citizens Abroad organized, in partnership with the Consulate General of Senegal in New York, an Investment and Habitat Forum dedicated to the Senegalese community living in the United States on July 30-31 in Harlem.
Managers of several Senegalese government programs including the Priority Investment Guarantee Fund (FONGIP), the Sovereign Fund for Strategic Investments (FONSIS), the Investment Support Fund of Senegalese Citizens Abroad (Faise) the Diaspora Guarantee Fund (FONGAD) and several property developers participated in the event.
Religious leader Serigne Mame Mor MBacké, currently in the United States for the 2016 Cheikh Ahmadou Bamba cultural weeks was present at the opening of the Forum.
According to Sory Kaba, CEO of the office of Senegalese Citizens Abroad, the forum’s objective was to allow members of the Senegalese diaspora in the United States to familiarize themselves with the different government programs in terms of promoting investment and access to real estate.
As for the Consul General of Senegal in New York El Hadj Amadou Ndao, it was rather to reassure an overcautious Senegalese diaspora that was in the past victim of unscrupulous developers.
“Some of them have been abused in the past,” said Consul Ndao. “Some promoters appeared as owners of lands, houses or even real estate projects. The Senegalese trusted them by investing their money without receiving anything in return. “
The forum started on July 30 at the National Black Theatre and continued on July 31 at the Senegalese Consulate in New York on 116th Street.
Translation: Oumar Diouck
