Senegal: Youth Olympic Games Bring Historic Pride and Social Concerns

Senegal is hosting the first Olympic Games held on the African continent, with around 2,700 athletes competing at the Dakar Youth Olympic Games and in nearby cities through November 13. While the event is being presented as a showcase for African youth, some residents are concerned about rising living costs and everyday economic hardship. In Dakar’s La Médina neighborhood, artisan shoemaker Mamadou Wadji says he was evicted from his family workshop in September to make way for a stadium expansion and relocated with other artisans to an unfinished school. He says informal-sector workers have not benefited from the Games’ economic gains.