Opportunity Information: Apply for 72068521RFA00009
The Better Lives for Mes Enfants Activity is a USAID/Senegal funding opportunity designed to reduce forced child begging in urban Quranic schools (daaras), with a particular focus on protecting talibes who are being compelled to beg. The activity is structured as a three-year effort with a total planned award amount up to $2.34 million, and it emphasizes practical, community-led approaches that can change local norms and strengthen child protection responses on the ground. In addition to preventing exploitation within urban daaras, the activity also supports, when appropriate, the safe and healthy return of affected children to family-based care. Where returning home is not immediately safe or feasible, the opportunity anticipates that some children may need temporary placement in shelters supported by the Government of Senegal or by non-governmental organizations, as part of a broader case management and reintegration process.
A key feature of this opportunity is that it explicitly builds on USAID's prior work in Senegal under the Combating Forced Child Begging in Dakar activity (implemented during 2014-2016 and again 2018-2020). That earlier effort reportedly contributed to a reduction in the number of talibes forced to beg in certain targeted municipalities in Dakar, and the grant seeks to carry forward what worked, especially strong community-level engagement. The framing suggests USAID is looking for applicants who can mobilize local actors, build community ownership, and sustain results beyond the life of the award, rather than relying only on top-down enforcement or short-term service delivery.
Beyond responding to children already in exploitative situations, the activity also aims to address drivers that lead families to send children away to distant urban daaras in the first place. One strategy highlighted in the opportunity is support for community-created and community-supported local educational options. The idea is that when credible, accessible learning opportunities exist closer to home, families may be less likely to place children in remote settings where oversight is weaker and risks of coercion and forced begging can increase. In practice, this points toward locally grounded solutions that blend education access, community participation, and child safeguarding, tailored to local realities.
From a policy standpoint, the activity is meant to align with USAID's Counter-Trafficking in Persons (CTIP) Policy and the broader U.S. Government strategy Advancing Protection and Care for Children in Adversity. That signals an emphasis on child protection principles, victim-centered approaches, and safeguards to prevent harm, including careful procedures for identifying children at risk, providing appropriate services, and supporting safe reintegration. It also suggests applicants should be prepared to coordinate with relevant Government of Senegal entities and credible local partners, particularly where shelter placement, family tracing, and return processes are involved.
Administratively, this opportunity was issued by USAID/Senegal (USAID-Dakar) as a discretionary funding opportunity under a Cooperative Agreement, indicating USAID expects substantial involvement during implementation (for example, in planning, technical direction, and monitoring). The funding opportunity number is 72068521RFA00009, the CFDA number listed is 98.001, and USAID anticipated making one award with an award ceiling of $2,340,000. Eligibility is described as unrestricted, meaning a wide range of applicant types may apply, subject to any additional eligibility clarifications contained in the full notice. The opportunity was created May 6, 2021, with an original closing date of June 21, 2021.Apply for 72068521RFA00009
- The Agency for International Development, Senegal USAID-Dakar in the other (see text field entitled explanation of other category of funding activity for clarification) sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Better Lives for Mes Enfants Activity" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 98.001.
- This funding opportunity was created on May 06, 2021.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 21, 2021. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $2,340,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility.
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FAQs: Better Lives for Mes Enfants Activity (USAID/Senegal)
1) What is the Better Lives for Mes Enfants Activity?
It is a USAID/Senegal funding opportunity focused on reducing forced child begging in urban Quranic schools (daaras) in Senegal, with particular attention to protecting talibes who are compelled to beg.
2) What problem is this opportunity designed to address?
The activity is designed to reduce forced child begging linked to some urban daaras and to strengthen practical, community-led child protection responses that can prevent exploitation and support affected children.
3) Who are "talibes" in the context of this opportunity?
In this opportunity, "talibes" refers to children in Quranic schooling contexts who may be at risk of, or subjected to, coercion and forced begging, especially in certain urban daara settings.
4) What is the main focus of the program's approach?
The opportunity emphasizes practical, community-led approaches that can shift local norms, mobilize local actors, and strengthen child protection responses on the ground, with an emphasis on sustaining results beyond the award period.
5) How long is the activity expected to last?
The activity is structured as a three-year effort.
6) What is the total planned funding amount?
The total planned award amount is up to $2.34 million, and the award ceiling is $2,340,000.
7) How many awards does USAID anticipate making under this opportunity?
USAID anticipated making one award.
8) What type of award instrument will be used?
The opportunity is a Cooperative Agreement, which typically indicates substantial involvement by USAID during implementation (for example, in planning, technical direction, and monitoring).
9) What does "substantial involvement" by USAID mean in practice?
Based on the opportunity description, USAID expects to be actively engaged during implementation, including involvement in planning and providing technical direction and monitoring, consistent with a Cooperative Agreement.
10) Is this opportunity focused only on responding to children already being exploited?
No. In addition to responding to children already in exploitative situations, the activity aims to address drivers that lead families to send children away to distant urban daaras in the first place.
11) What upstream or preventive strategies are highlighted?
One highlighted strategy is supporting community-created and community-supported local educational options. The idea is that credible and accessible learning opportunities closer to home may reduce the likelihood that families place children in remote urban settings where oversight is weaker and risks of coercion and forced begging can increase.
12) Does the activity include returning children to their families?
Yes. When appropriate, the activity supports the safe and healthy return of affected children to family-based care.
13) What happens if returning home is not immediately safe or feasible?
If a safe return home is not immediately possible, the opportunity anticipates that some children may need temporary placement in shelters supported by the Government of Senegal or by non-governmental organizations as part of broader case management and reintegration.
14) Are shelters directly part of the activity design?
The opportunity anticipates shelter placement may be needed for some children in certain circumstances, as part of case management and reintegration, with shelters supported by the Government of Senegal or NGOs.
15) What earlier USAID work does this activity build on?
It explicitly builds on USAID's prior work in Senegal under the Combating Forced Child Begging in Dakar activity, implemented during 2014-2016 and again 2018-2020.
16) What results are attributed to the prior activity?
The prior effort reportedly contributed to a reduction in the number of talibes forced to beg in certain targeted municipalities in Dakar.
17) What does USAID appear to be looking for in applicants?
The framing suggests USAID is looking for applicants who can mobilize local actors, build community ownership, and sustain results beyond the life of the award, rather than relying only on top-down enforcement or short-term service delivery.
18) How does the opportunity describe the role of communities?
Community-level engagement is emphasized as central, with an expectation of locally grounded solutions, community participation, and approaches that can change local norms related to child protection and forced child begging.
19) Is the activity aligned with any specific USAID or U.S. Government policies?
Yes. The activity is meant to align with USAID's Counter-Trafficking in Persons (CTIP) Policy and the U.S. Government strategy Advancing Protection and Care for Children in Adversity.
20) What does alignment with CTIP and Children in Adversity suggest for implementation?
The opportunity signals an emphasis on child protection principles, victim-centered approaches, and safeguards to prevent harm, including careful procedures for identifying children at risk, providing appropriate services, and supporting safe reintegration.
21) Is coordination with the Government of Senegal expected?
Yes. The description suggests applicants should be prepared to coordinate with relevant Government of Senegal entities, particularly where shelter placement, family tracing, and return processes are involved.
22) Are partnerships with local organizations relevant to this opportunity?
Yes. The opportunity points toward coordinating with credible local partners, especially for shelter support, case management, family tracing, return, and reintegration processes.
23) Who is the issuing agency for this funding opportunity?
The opportunity was issued by USAID/Senegal (USAID-Dakar).
24) What is the funding opportunity number?
The funding opportunity number is 72068521RFA00009.
25) What CFDA number is listed for this opportunity?
The CFDA number listed is 98.001.
26) Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is described as unrestricted, meaning a wide range of applicant types may apply, subject to any additional eligibility clarifications contained in the full notice.
27) Does "unrestricted eligibility" mean there are no conditions at all?
Not necessarily. The summary states eligibility is unrestricted, but it also notes that applicants are subject to any additional eligibility clarifications contained in the full notice.
28) When was this opportunity created and when did it close?
The opportunity was created on May 6, 2021, and had an original closing date of June 21, 2021.
29) Is the activity limited to Dakar?
The opportunity references prior work in Dakar and reductions in targeted municipalities in Dakar, and it focuses on forced child begging in urban daaras. The summary provided does not specify that the new activity is limited only to Dakar.
30) What kind of solutions does USAID seem to want to avoid relying on exclusively?
The opportunity suggests a preference for sustainable, community-owned approaches and indicates USAID is not looking to rely only on top-down enforcement or short-term service delivery.
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