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| Learning
in the streets of Dakar |
| By Bassirou
Sow, Sud Quotidien, Senegal |
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|
 In
the heart of Dakar, "school in the service of street children",
as it is labeled by its founders, is barely visible from the
street. In fact very few passers-by even know of its existence.
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| The
"school in the service of street children" is squeezed in among
private houses and stores. Its five-classroom structure, dedicated
to underprivileged children, was built only last December, on
land donated by the non-governmental organization "Enda Third
World". |
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| Before
that, in the bustling rue Tolbiac where retail shopkeepers from
all over the Senegalese capital come to buy their wares, classes
were held outdoors on the sidewalk. |
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| "Pupils
sat on straw mats, because we had no tables or benches, much
less a luxury like an electric lamp. After sundown we were forced
to light candles to conduct evening classes," said the Director
who described how, in those days, pupils were exposed to the
blistering sun and gas fumes from the exhaust pipes of passing
cars, their voices often drowned out by the vociferous shouting
of drivers and the deafening roar of speeding cars. |
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| The
school was in fact bathed in the tumultuous atmosphere of a
busy traffic hub from the time it was set up in 1990 until last
year when solid walls were finally built and classrooms equipped
thanks to gifts from anonymous donors, assistance from non-governmental
organizations (NGOs) and the sale of a wide variety of crafts
produced and donated by local artisans. According to the Director,
the school's operating budget and indeed survival is ensured
by NGOs. |
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| A second
chance for learning |
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| The
school now counts 108 pupils from nursery school to about 4th
grade, and seven teachers all volunteers, who, "in exchange
for their devotion to education," said the Director, "receive
only a modest monthly remuneration". The teachers themselves
explain that their main objective is to give these children
the kind of instruction which will be useful for their further
schooling and, in the long run, enable them to earn a decent
living. |
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| Thus
, the teaching staff in this informal institution in the rue
Tolbiac prepares pupils for integration with the state school
system, by initiating them to reading and writing skills, in
order to provide them with a solid base on which to pursue their
studies. |
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| "At
the beginning of each school year, the staff of the Tolbiac
school help parents of school-age children to enrol them in
the formal school system", the teachers say, explaining that
their school also welcomes children age 7 to 15 who are not
enrolled. |
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| These
are generally orphans, children abandonned by their parents
or in difficult circumstances who were unable to enter school
at the proper age, and are getting instruction close to what
they would have received in the formal school system. This is
the case for Ousmane Sy, 17, who has been attending school in
the rue Tolbiac for the last three years. Speaking in his father's
shoe repair shop where he can now help with the business, he
says, "I write down the names of clients and their orders, and
can keep the accounts whereas, two years ago, I couldn't even
write my name." |
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| Realizing
children's dreams |
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| Every
Friday, after high prayers, the talibes, students attending
the Koranic school in Dakar and its suburbs such as Pikine and
Guediawaye, go to the rue Tolbiac to learn French (the official
language of Senegal) and notions of hygiene. The school also
gives free literacy classes in local languages to young boys
who were unable to attend French-language schools and girls
working as domestic servants. And, for those who seek additional
instruction, the school offers courses in English, Arab literature
and Wolof. |
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| Absa
Diallo is not a maid. She has a stall in the central-Dakar market.
At 25, she could barely write her name. "Now, I no longer need
to ask for help to run my business," she said. "Over the last
six months, in fact, I have started to expand my activities
within an association I set up last year with colleague friends
in the market". |
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| The
Director, who hopes that the school will soon be recognized
on the level of any other institution under the aegis of the
Ministry of Education, has only one aim: "to help our children
realize their dreams and to fight illiteracy." |
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Street
children learn in new classrooms in the heart of Dakar
© Bassirou Sow |
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