From the Director - Sept 2026

It’s always thrilling to watch a project come to completion and begin to take on a life of its own in a community. Knowing how dedicated our partners are in Belel Kellé, we knew the new maternity ward would hit the ground running, and that is exactly what has happened.

Belel Kellé’s new maternity ward provides a safe, well-equipped space for mothers and newborns while also expanding opportunities for community health outreach, like this recent visit from doctors with ASFO.

Less than a month after opening its doors, a public health organization called ASFO hosted a two-day, free healthcare event. Doctors, nurses, and pharmacists set up at the health post to offer free consultations and prescriptions to hundreds of people from surrounding villages.

The maternity ward’s pharmacy brings medications and more complete care close to home that would otherwise be difficult or impossible to access.

This sort of outreach is both easier and more effective when it can be delivered from a proper facility with clean running water, electricity, equipment, and staff. We commend our partners in Belel Kellé, as well as Hub City Church, for everything they did to make this project possible, and we are proud to support the important work being done here.

Construction is moving quickly at Ndiakhaté Elementary School, where new classrooms will create space for 100 to 150 additional students.

Farther south in our Kaolack region, work is progressing on Ndiakhaté Elementary School, which is set to open its doors in October, just in time for the start of the school year. In the past, hundreds of students were turned away or chose not to attend school because of a lack of space. With the additional classrooms, 100 to 150 more students will be able to study here. Increased enrollment will also help secure additional teachers, allowing us to continue expanding the school in the years ahead.

Finally, this month we reached an incredible milestone. Together with our partners, Andando has now planted more than 100,000 trees! A special thank you to Rick Steves’ Climate Smart Commitment, whose support over the years has been instrumental in scaling this work.

To all our supporters, thank you for helping make these achievements, and all of Andando’s work, possible.

“Jéréjëf!” – Thank You!

- Garrison Harward, Executive Director
Garrison@Andando.org

Giving Aïssatou Space to Learn

We’re excited to welcome Ndiakhaté as Andando’s newest partner community, where we are beginning our work together by constructing two new classrooms at the village elementary school. We recently sat down with fifth-grade student Aïssatou Ndiaye to learn more about the conditions students face today and what these new classrooms could mean for children like her.

“There are kids who want to study, but when they arrive, the class is already full.”

Aïssatou Ndiaye, is one of the top students in Ndiakhaté and has big dreams for her future despite the difficult conditions at her school.

Aïssatou’s words perfectly illustrate the core problem facing this large rural community. More than 500 children in Ndiakhaté are old enough to attend school, but the elementary school currently enrolls only about 200 students, leaving more than 300 children without a place. For those who are enrolled, classrooms are crowded, and students sometimes share a single table with five or six classmates.

“That’s not good because you won’t feel comfortable to sit normally to write and do other things,” Aïssatou explained.

This small school has just four undersized and aging classrooms for 200 students, with more than 300 additional children waiting to enroll.

Despite these challenges, there is a strong desire for education in Ndiakhaté. Parents continue bringing their children to the school hoping to enroll them, and students like Aïssatou have big ambitions for what an education can make possible.

“About studies, I’d like to become a doctor; that’s what I want. Because when I see doctors, I feel really proud. That’s why I want to become one; it’s my dream.”

Construction is underway on two new classrooms and should be completed by the end of September, in time for the new school year.

Construction of Ndiakhaté’s two new classrooms is now underway. By the start of the coming school year, they will create space for at least 100 additional students to enroll while also reducing overcrowding for Aïssatou and her peers, giving them a better chance to continue on to junior high and high school.

Aïssatou already knows what that difference could mean.

“Of course it will be different since the fifth-grade class is large, but we can split it into two classes. It will be much more comfortable to sit and write there. It will be for sure!”

The need in Ndiakhaté is much larger than two classrooms, and this is only the first step in our partnership. But it is an important one toward ensuring that every child in the community has the opportunity to attend school, learn in better conditions, and pursue dreams like Aïssatou’s.

Help us make room for more children like Aïssatou to learn. Your support allows Andando to build classrooms, expand access to education, and continue working with communities like Ndiakhaté to ensure that every child has the opportunity to pursue their dreams.