Three years ago, I was finishing the field experience portion of my Fulbright Fellowship in Senegal and met educators and educational leaders from different parts of the country. Since then, I completed my doctoral research about parent, family, and community engagement in Senegal and have had the pleasure of keeping in touch with colleagues and friends in Senegal. Scroll down to see what they have been up to and how you can support their efforts.
Diassap, Senegal
Diassap, a village in Senegal, West Africa, whose population is roughly 1,000 inhabitants, is a very welcoming community and is preparing to meet the needs of their growing population. The primary school is a newer addition to the village and has an enrollment of 97 students, according to the school’s director. Students who attend high school must leave Diassap and go to Thiès, about 2.5 miles away, and college students leave every morning to walk nearly two miles to their classes. The people of Diassap remain committed to supporting their children’s education, however. In fact, every year for the past five years, the Association for the Development of Diassap (ADD) has been providing school materials for students so that they are prepared to participate in their lessons during class.
THE PROJECT: Places and Spaces for Reading and Much More
The ADD, a group of men and women concerned about the development of their community, led by Christian Diop, have planned and begun fundraising to construct a library and multipurpose room to support the growing needs of students and families in the community. “For the library, it is important because it will help primary school students, middle school, and high school students,” said Diop of the project. “The multifunctional room will be used for more activities such as conferences, training, meetings, among others. It will also be a [place] to be able to help students who want to review their lessons [and] concentrate.”
So far, the ADD has secured a partner that has promised to assist with the construction of the room and the acquisition of books. The biggest problem, now, is funding for the purchase of materials and construction of the fence wall that will secure the plot where the library and multipurpose room will be. The Association continues to seek donations from members of the community, and other “people of goodwill.”
A Vision for the Future
If you are interested in supporting this very worthwhile project, please visit https://educatorsacrossoceans.com/making-connections/ to make a connection. Thank you in advance for your consideration and support!
