Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye participated in the cleanup efforts in the Thiaroye suburbs of the capital Dakar on National Cleanup Day ahead of the rainy season.
President Faye, along with Water and Sanitation Minister Cheikh Tidiane Dieye, participated in a garbage collection activity in Thiaroye, a suburb of the capital Dakar, ahead of the rainy season starting in July.
Numerous Senegalese citizens, spanning across different age groups, also took part in the event.
As part of the first-ever National Cleaning Day celebrated this year on June 1, many government officials joined cleaning activities in various cities across the country.
Senegal’s recent adoption of regular cleaning routines is part of a global trend in environmental campaigns, but it also carries historical and political significance. While such initiatives highlight growing concerns about pollution and environmental degradation, they also serve as a means for leaders to portray their nations as environmentally conscious.
The concept of regular clean-up days is not new, and it has been seen in other countries like Rwanda and Nigeria. In Senegal, the tradition of community cleaning, known as Set Setal, dates back to the late 1980s. Initially driven by young people protesting political corruption and poor sanitation, Set Setal became a popular movement aimed at both improving hygiene and challenging political norms.
However, the recent introduction of official Cleaning Days by President Macky Sall has overshadowed this grassroots history. Sall’s agenda for economic and social development, known as the Plan Sénégal Emergent, has absorbed and coopted the Set Setal movement into its framework, emphasizing economic growth over grassroots activism.
While the new Cleaning Days may present a sanitized version of Senegal’s cleaning movement, they also reflect a broader global trend towards environmental consciousness. Whether in Senegal or elsewhere, these initiatives underscore the importance of environmental stewardship and community engagement in tackling pressing issues like pollution.
In January 2020, the Senegalese President Macky Sall announced a nation-wide ‘Cleaning Day’. Together with a ‘Zero waste’ campaign and followed by monthly ‘Cleaning Days’, he invited citizens to contribute to the de-cluttering and cleaning of public spaces.