Learning for 100 more adults in Senegal.

Hello, my name is Bachir. I am married and the father of two children.

I am the first of six children. My mother is a housewife and my father was a trader. My dad did his best, he did all he could for me to succeed in school before he passed away in 2001.

Since primary school, I’ve been really interested in health and helping people. My interest began with the influence of my neighbour, a doctor who ran his clinic from his home. He was like a father figure to me and I acquired medical knowledge when I was young. When I was at college, if ever one of my friends got injured, I would take them home and take care of them, administering first aid.

After getting my baccalaureate in Science I went to university for a year and then went to a specialised health school and got my degree.

I worked in the regional hospital of Kaolack for 3 years, and in Tambacounda for a year. Then I went to specialise in nutrition working with Nestle as a trainee. Then I moved on to work in Senegal for the Indian pharmaceutical company Troïkaa as a medical representative,

I work with many Indian people who work not in French, our official language, but in English, I think it is their first language. When you speak English fluently you can work more closely with them. If they ever want to promote someone, a good level of English will be a criterion - because you’ll be able to speak, understand and communicate more freely with them.

I attend the Diapalante Centre to improve my communication in English, which will give me more knowledge, opportunities and recognition in relation to my work. English language will give me more chance to travel, communicate with partners and attend some of the many seminars in this field which are organised in English.

I am grateful to my early mentors who were my parents, my neighbour and my teachers. And now I am also grateful to Diapalante, the staff and volunteers here, and the people I will never know, whose donations fund the Centre. Thank you because without the Diapalante Centre potential promotion would be really impossible for me. I don’t have the money to study English even though better English will help me to increase my work knowledge and my salary. In addition, the Centre also strengthens me in computer science, which is also an essential tool in my work. They help me to learn the skills to do my work better, so I can in turn support my family and my community.

Note: Bashir is possibly the most educated among our 100 adults but he is still in need of our help. Our youngsters are inspired by seeing adults, especially an educated adult, learning the same English and IT sessions as themselves and sharing the same struggles and successes along the journey. These adult role models motivate the youngsters and give them ambition and determination. Although nobody mentions it, they are also demonstrating that learning is often a lifelong process.