Project Updates & Meeting the President of Senegal

Senegal has opened its borders for travel once again! One of our founders, Fiona, was able to make our first country visit since the start of the pandemic. (International travel is currently permitted so long as the traveler produced a negative Covid-19 test.)

Visiting the school in Agnam (in the Podor region), a potential site for future development.

As soon as the regional lock down on travel was lifted, our team sprung into action. Three of four new gardens have been completed since June, one more is halfway done, two classroom projects and a health post have been started, all while maintaining the ongoing work. Fiona says, “Our staff are superstars!”

Visiting with the midwives and medical staff of the health post in Biddy.

In addition to spending some quality time with our team, Fiona also toured some new sites for future development in both the Podor and Keur Soce regions. Both regions were lush and green from the recent rains.

Members of the Keur Ngor community using sandbags to protect their garden from run off and flooding caused by excessive rains.

Some parts of Senegal have received as much as 8 inches of rain overnight which resulted in some localized flooding. Fortunately, our areas were not significantly impacted and communities have used sandbags to protect gardens and other areas from flooding.

Inside an elementary school classroom under construction in Donaye Tarédj.

The most unexpected thing that happened during the trip was a surprise visit from the President of Senegal, Macky Sall. The Mayor of Keur Soce was informed that the President would be stopping by Keur Soce on his way to see a government-financed rice project just outside of town. Mayor Malick Ndiegane said he could choose four people to meet the President and two should be from Andando!

We had the honor of meeting President Macky Sall in his recent visit to a government-financed rice project near our base in Keur Soce. One of our founders, Fiona, is pictured here with President Sall.

Boubou Sy (Andando Country Director) and Fiona represented Andando. President Sall asked about what we did, how often we were in Senegal, how long we had been there, etc. He spoke with us for quite some time and we were able to congratulated him on his government’s steps toward development. It was a huge honor to meet the President, a very successful trip.

Fiona and some of our staff demonstrating the variety of trees we are growing as part of our reforestation project.

Your support enables our staff to continue to build these strong connections in the community. Thank you for investing in their future!

Back to School!

Senegalese students will be returning to their classes soon; for those in Daga Sambu and Fas Toucouleur, this will mean new classrooms and latrines! Over the summer a block of three new classrooms were constructed in Fas Toucouleur, doubling the current capacity of the school.

Excited students outside the nearly completed classrooms in Fas Toucouleur.

Last year 125 students at this school were meeting in temporary classrooms constructed of thatch and millet reeds. This year they will be able to attend class indoors.

Volunteers use cook stoves like these to prepare breakfast for students each day.

Outside of the classrooms, two new latrines were constructed, which will improve sanitation conditions and decrease absences due to illness. School administrators tell us that they anticipate an increase in enrollment, attendance, and test scores because of these upgrades.

Two new cook stoves have been installed for the nutritional programs at other Andando partner schools. With the promise of a full belly, young learners are encouraged to attend school and can focus on their studies.

Community volunteers building walls for teacher housing adjacent to the school.

We are excited to see community involvement increase. On a recent visit to the school in Fas Toucouleur, we met with several volunteers, teachers, parents, and administrators. They are collaborating to make their own improvements by constructing teacher housing adjacent to the school yard. They told us of their increased pride in the school and their hope for a stronger future.

This summer, students visited the National Assembly as well as several other culturally significant sites.

Thank you for empowering individuals and communities to make sustainable, long-term investments in future generations. Your continued contributions make this possible!

Of course, we are not done yet. We continually receive requests from community leaders and school officials to partner with them. Each community is filled with gifted, young students who are eager to contribute to a brighter future for their families and neighbors.

We need your help to make this a reality. Will you join us by becoming a monthly donor? A donation of $5 can provide one student with all the school supplies they need for the upcoming year. There are over 3,000 students in our current partner schools and we hope to add 500 or more in the coming year.

Join our circle of Monthly Donors. Click here for more information. 

Construction Update: Fas Toucouleur Primary School

Several months in and the construction at Fas Toucouleur Primary School is nearing completion! Because of your support (and a matching grant from One Days Wages) three new classrooms are being built. This will double the capacity of the school. Students will no longer be studying in temporary thatch buildings. Latrines are also under construction, which will improve sanitation conditions and decrease absences due to illness.

We are excited to share with you the progress of the construction so far. Click here to see previous posts about this project.

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Pre-Construction - Students inside one of the existing classrooms (left). Exterior of one of the existing classrooms with the temporary thatch classroom attached (right).

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February 2019

We met with the community leaders and school administrators to finalize the terms of who was responsible for which aspects of the project and established a timeline for the work.

We then surveyed the ground to determine the best location for the rooms, keeping in mind elements such as wind, hot afternoon sun, as well as proximity to water and latrines.

Once the location for the classrooms was established, excavation and construction could begin. In the photo above, the green lines indicate where the new block of classrooms will be constructed. You can see an abandoned hut in the middle of the proposed site. This will be removed.

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The abandoned hut, which will be removed to make way for new classrooms (left).

Materials were delivered on-site in mid-February. Local contractors along with residents set to making the bricks needed for construction.

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March 2019 - The footing and walls start to take shape and the roof to the hut has been removed.

May 2019 - Workers seal the concrete walls.

The new block of classrooms (left) and new latrine (right) will be ready for classes this fall.

Amath Diop School Director

The community has continually emphasized what this project will mean for them.

"It will boost enrollment, increase attendance, bolster test scores, and set this community on the path towards a brighter future."

As the classrooms are nearing completion, they will be ready to be filled with eager students when classes resume this fall. Thank you for making this possible

Construction Underway at Fas Toucouleur Primary School!

Last fall we reached out to you and asked for your help to build a school.

Thanks to  the support of our community, and with a matching grant from One Days Wages, we met our goal and construction is actively underway at Fas Toucouleur Primary School.

Improvements at the school include the addition of three classrooms, a block of latrines and classroom libraries. We recently met with all of the stakeholders in the program, and spoke with some students.

Existing classroom (pictured on left) with temporary thatch classroom attached (pictured right). New construction will replace the thatch classrooms.

Everyone involved is very eager to utilize the new upgrades at the school.

The community has continually emphasized what this project will mean for them. "It will boost enrollment, increase attendance, bolster test scores, and set this community on the path towards a brighter future."

On the latest visit, we finalized the terms of who was responsible for which aspects of the project and established a timeline for the work.

We surveyed the ground to determine the best location for the rooms, keeping in mind elements such as wind, hot afternoon sun, as well as proximity to water and latrines.

Local community leaders blessed the project and renewed their commitment to do all they can to make the process as smooth as possible. Construction is already underway!

Materials have been delivered and local workers are making bricks that will be used for the foundation and walls of the new buildings.

Workers excavating the ground and laying the foundation and the exterior walls.

After the foundation has been laid, the walls start to go up!

The students are excited to have new, permanent classrooms such as the one pictured here. Our existing similar programs have resulted in higher test scores, as well as an increase in student enrollment.

Your investment in this project, and others like it, provide a brighter future for young students which will be felt throughout the community for generations.

Check back for more updates as construction continues.

Student Field Trip!

Students from three partner schools in Keur Soce enjoying the Dakar Zoo on the annual Student Field Trip.

One exciting activity we sponsor is an annual field trip for students at our partner schools. Students jump on a couple buses to spend two days in Dakar visiting various sites of interest like Goree Island, the Dakar zoo, National Parliament, and the African Renaissance Statue.

For many, this may be their first time seeing the ocean, the animals in the zoo, and perhaps even their first time out of the community. This low-cost program can really open the eyes of many of these students, and is a fun activity to look forward to and motivating factor for those graduating out of primary school.

Tour guide at Goree Island sharing the history and significance of the site.

This year's trip is coming up in just a few months, when more than 100 new students will get to experience many of these things for the first time!

This is only possible because of your support - thank you for broadening horizons for these students. 

Mbouma School Finished!

Hoisting the Flag

Presentation

Today is a very important day for the town of Mbouma, Senegal, and a very important day for Andando as well. The town of Mbouma officially opened the brand new Mbouma Junior High School and it is now open and filled with happy students!

By partnering with local builders, school administrators, parents, happy students - and all our donors around the world!!! - we are very proud to be a part of this milestone for this rural farming town in southern Senegal. Starting last summer, we asked many of you to join us in building this landmark structure for this community in need, and you responded.

Finished schoolhouse.

Working hard over the last 8 months, we walked together with the people in Mbouma in creating a safe and healthy learning environment that will be the home to future generations. They previously met in harsh conditions, which prompted some parents to pull their children from school thinking it was just not worth it. Now they have a place they can be proud of and a foundation to use as a building block for future successes.

The Principal Expressing his Gratitude

The town marked the occasion with a big ceremony where everyone was invited. The village chief, the principal, the teachers, parents, and students were all there, as well as some regional dignitaries representing various government ministries. As is the case in Senegal, everyone makes a speech and the event is marked with much fanfare. They concluded by the first official raising of the Senegalese flag - an important symbol for each school - the singing of the national anthem, and some refreshments for everyone.

The Community Gathering and Celebration

We were excited to be able to a part of this and we hope you will share in that excitement with us. This is also the first school construction project that Andando has done, and we hope it is just the first of many more to come! Thank you again for all who helped make this a reality!