Learning for 100 more adults in Senegal.

by Diapalante

Project Report | May 10, 2022
Meet two of our 100 adult learners

By Mamadou Kane and Liz Chandler | Centre Co-ordinator, Diapalante trustee

Fatoumata

Thank you to everyone for your continuing support for Diapalante's 100 adult learners. In this update we would like to introduce you to two ladies. They show the widely differing educational backgrounds of adults who come to the Diapalante Community Education Centre for help. Both are highly motivated to learn and striving to improve their chances in life. We are glad you have given us the opportunity to help them.

Fatoumata

In Senegal there are many local languages, the predominant language among them is Wolof. However, the national language, the language used in school and therefore the written language is French - nobody's mother tongue. The use of French in school is a stumbling block for many and it is a major contributory factor to the low literacy levels among adults.

Fatoumata needs help at a basic level to improve her writing and reading of French. Her situation shows how the increasing need for literacy, even in less skilled jobs, is making the search for employment difficult for many. Fatoumata was married but is now divorced with three children to care for. Life is difficult and she has moved back to Kaolack to look for work. She is coming to the Centre so she can improve her reading and writing because she is hoping to secure a job as a petrol station attendant.

Joséphine

English is a foreign language but a very important language internationally. Joséphine's struggle to succeed at university is typical of many students. Progress is difficult if school didn't lay good foundations, when students don’t have access to textbooks, when interrupted by strikes or by illness or by periods when students can't pay fees. It is common for a student to face some or all of these problems and after years of struggle at university, too many leave without a degree.

"Hello my name is Joséphine, I am a Pastor and a student at the English department of the Université Cheikh Anta Diop in Dakar, Senegal. Since I had a lot of difficulties in my English speaking, a friend I met at the university, who was a member of the Centre suggested that I come and strengthen my English in the Centre. And since I started going to the Centre I see a clear progression in English and in computer science.

I would like to thank the staff and members of the Centre for their support."

We are sure that Joséphine would thank you too but she is unaware how the Centre is funded.

With best wishes from Diapalante and from our 100 adult learners.

Josephine

Permalink

Jan 11, 2022
The First Three Months

By Mamadou Kane and Liz Chandler | Centre Co-ordinator, Diapalante trustee

Makhtar learning in the Centre's library

The Diapalante Community Education Centre welcomes everyone regardless of age or background. Children attend in large numbers but it is often the adults who feel the most pressing need for help. Many Senegalese adults have jobs that do not provide an adequate income to support a family, leading to constant financial struggle and to long hours of work. The long hours make it difficult to look for other work or gain the skills needed to seek better work. So the Centre operates on a “drop-in” basis offering learners as much flexibility in attendance and learning objectives as possible. Adults often need more individual attention than youngsters both because of work commitments and because they are often learning formally for first time or after only a brief period of schooling.

Your funding is enabling us to help more adults gain appropriate work skills. Three months after launching our GlobalGiving appeal between 50 and 60 adults are learning English for their work (many are traders), more than 20 learn basic literacy - to speak, read or write in French, Senegal’s official language and about 20 more learn computer skills. As some learn more than one subject this is about 75 individuals. This significant increase in adult learners takes us towards our target of helping 100 adult learners each year and is made possible by your financial support.

Meet Makhtar

Makhtar is a motorcycle-taxi mechanic. He is in his late 30s and married with three children. The son of a mechanic he left school at the age of ten to join his father's home-based workshop. Today he very much regrets leaving school so early, and prioritises his children’s education.

Nowadays the situation in Senegal is changing. Makhtar is losing work as more and more organisations require him to be able to read contracts, issue invoices etc to secure their work. He is unable to read, understand and sign contracts which are in French, Senegal’s official language, learnt in school but not a mother tongue. He can speak some French and knows the French vocabulary associated with his work but needs to improve his reading and writing skills. Unable to pay for private lessons, he heard about the Diapalante Community Education Centre about 2 months ago. He now attends 2-3 times a week sometimes for a group lesson but often for a one-to-one session as his learning has to fit around his work. Makhtar is making rapid progress towards his goal as each newly learnt phrase is relevant to his work and contributes to improving his livelihood.

Makhtar at his motorbike-taxi repair workshop

Permalink

‹ 1 2 3 4 5

About Project Reports

Project reports on GlobalGiving are posted directly to globalgiving.org by Project Leaders as they are completed, generally every 3-4 months. To protect the integrity of these documents, GlobalGiving does not alter them; therefore you may find some language or formatting issues.

If you donate to this project or have donated to this project, you can receive an email when this project posts a report. You can also subscribe for reports without donating.