On the eve of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, the General Delegation for Rapid Entrepreneurship for Women and Youth (DER/FJ) held a ceremony at its headquarters in Point E on Monday, December 2, 2025, to celebrate its beneficiaries living with disabilities. The event included the presentation of awards, the allocation of 0% interest loans, and the signing of an agreement with the Directorate of Social Action.

The Presidential Advisor for Disability Issues, Cheick Saad-Bouh Diouf, forcefully reiterated that "disability is not a limitation; the only limitation is the inaccessibility of opportunities," emphasizing the need to eliminate the obstacles that have, for too long, hindered the empowerment of thousands of citizens. He insisted: "It is time to open doors, to transform solidarity into concrete opportunities."

Within the framework of Senegal's Vision 2050 and the 2025-2029 national strategy, the Head of State has placed the empowerment of people with disabilities at the heart of his priorities. It is within this context that the DER/FJ presented the Project to Support and Promote Entrepreneurial Initiatives of People with Disabilities (PAPI2), a structuring mechanism based on zero interest rates, the elimination of age limits, and the digitalization of access to financing.

According to the Director General of DER/FJ, Dr. Aïssatou Mbodj, “removing the barriers that prevent access to financing is not a choice, it is a duty.” She reiterated that “every citizen must be able to undertake a project, without discrimination,” before specifying that 92% of funding is now distributed via digital tools to accelerate inclusion. To date, 1,014 beneficiaries have received funding for a total amount of 806.8 million CFA francs, 70% of whom are women, across all 46 departments of the country.

Inspiring stories, such as that of Taï Bouba, an agricultural entrepreneur financed to the tune of 40 million CFA francs after an initial full repayment, illustrate the concrete impact of the scheme.

Powerful testimonies and slam poetry performances enlivened the gathering in an atmosphere of joy and appreciation for all the people with disabilities who came in large numbers.

The authorities reiterated three strong commitments: equity, dignity and transformation, affirming that disabled people are "full-fledged economic actors, not passive beneficiaries".

Finally, the DER/FJ reaffirmed its determination to build a more equitable, more united and resolutely inclusive Senegal, where every citizen, without distinction, can undertake, succeed and contribute to national development.