Mr. Speaker, thanks to an initiative by the Fonds de solidarité de la FTQ, a solidarity fund will be established in Senegal.
The board administering this fund, under the aegis of the Senegal national workers confederation, comprises the country's main labour and management organizations, as well as well as associations from the country's informal sector. It has received financial support from the Agence intergouvernementale de la Francophonie, and the Government of Quebec.
This fund basically reproduces the Quebec model but, of course, takes into consideration the necessary adaptations for the economic, social and cultural specificity of Senegal.
Initially, the fund will be involved in job creation by providing financial and technical assistance to small and medium size local businesses in getting started, resuming operations, consolidating their operations, or expanding their production capacity.
Quebec is, therefore, contributing to the birth of Senegalese economic strength. As a result, the Senegalese will be masters of their own domain.