Chance For All in an African Magical Classroom

The association Chance For All Senegal always in its dynamism of support and accompaniment to street children, talibés, children from daaras did not fail in these times of fight against COVID-19 to bring its help and still within the Saint Louis region. Indeed, affected by the virus, Senegal in its means of pandemic control has defined a curfew in preventive measures to limit the spread of the virus. However, this is not without consequences for life, the livelihoods of the children of the daaras knowing that the children mainly fed outside and that now freedom of circulation is limited.

The association Chance For All Senegal after the distribution of sanitary kits to some daaras now go there. They go there as to bring them meals and that in a small group. They stay with the children until after their meal and just before the curfew. The small group of volunteers always go around 5 P.M. to the chosen daara because it is not every day that they go to the same place. We do not limit ourselves only to this daara: those are the words of our interlocutor. “Every two days we go to a different daara to at least support four daaras in eight days in the surrounding localities”. Each time, they leave with large dishes, always with a different meal, well packed and, loaded in the back of their cars.

Arrived at their destination, they hold the dishes on their heads to transport them from their cars inside the daara. They help set up the dishes and organize the children around each dish. "We do not only make sure they eat but, we also remind them of hygiene measures and take few minutes to chat with them and entertain them," confided our interlocutor. Our volunteers from Chance For All Senegal support that repetition is educational and at the present time children do not need to be frightened but, to become aware of the situation and to always be able satisfy their first needs and that especially to be nourished. However, the association does not work alone. It is also thanks to their collaboration with many other local associations that they are able to achieve all this. In another journey with Chance For All Senegal and in this crisis situation they show us once again that they will always be at the front lines of assisting these children.

The coronavirus is still present with us. We have all become vulnerable confronted to this pandemic. We need to be resilient in order to fight this pandemic through aid and above all to be able to support the most vulnerable strata that we still and always will defend. Our interlocutor ended our interview on those words after allowing us to travel with them in another of their journey with the children of the daaras. Let’s wait for something more to come from these friends of children.