Hope for begging talibe children, St-Louis Senegal

Maison de la Gare and its work through the eyes of a volunteer

Lucas recently volunteered with Maison de la Gare and the talibé children. His report testifies to the power of a short stay to bring about significant change, both for the children and for the volunteers themselves.

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I arrived in Maison de la Gare’s center in Saint Louis from Aix-en-Provence, France, on a Tuesday morning in July. Maison de la Gare is a non-governmental organization that helps talibé children with their care and education. The organization also helps these young people to become self-supporting adults, offering them apprenticeship training and, for some, microfinance loans to help them start up their own businesses.

I was in regular contact with the center's coordinators before my departure, and they did everything possible to ensure the smooth organization of my stay. I thank them for this support.

I landed in Dakar on a Monday evening. A driver picked me up at the airport took me to a hotel in the town of Thiès, some 30 km from the airport. The night at the hotel went very well, with breakfast included. I met two other volunteers in the hotel, Emma and Soraya from Andorra. The same driver picked the three of us up in the morning to take us to our host families in Saint Louis, a 3½ hour drive through fascinating Senegalese towns, villages and countryside.

Arriving at Maison de la Gare’s center later that day, Adama (the volunteer coordinator) showed me around and introduced me to all the staff. I soon felt right at home.

I was lucky enough to stay with a local host family, a great way to become familiar with Senegalese culture. Every day, Mme Bawo prepared her best dishes and local specialties for me.

It was a 10 to 15 minute walk from her home to the center. I found the people enroute very welcoming and was never bothered on my way. There is a police presence in the town, and I always felt safe.

I supported the talibé children for two weeks, working with the teachers and other staff members. We were asked to be at the center from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., and from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., from Monday to Friday.

We had many different tasks … teaching children about hygiene and cleanliness, supporting them in the classrooms, helping with medical care, playing with them, preparing snacks, tending the vegetable garden, and much more. Every skill that a volunteer can bring is valuable in helping to improve the living conditions of the talibé children, both at the center and in the daaras where they live.

Ranging in age from 5 to 20, the talibé children have very different needs and expectations. During these few days, we taught the youngest children the alphabet, numbers and colors through games, coloring and fun activities, always striving to keep their full attention. The older talibés are more interested in mastering languages, particularly French and English.

We were free on the weekends to explore Saint Louis. Staff at the center helped us to organize a pirogue trip on the river that runs through the city, and a carriage ride to explore the island of Saint Louis and its extraordinary fishermen’s village.

These two weeks were an extremely enriching experience, and I enjoyed every moment of it so much.

If you care about the situation of the talibé children (how could you not?), I urge you to join Maison de la Gare as a volunteer. They will do everything possible to ensure the success of your stay.

Links:

• This report on Maison de la Gare's website
• Ce rapport sur le site web de Maison de la Gare, en francais
• We invite you to follow Lucas' footsteps as a volunteer

A day of medical consultation and treatment, and of hope

Dahira Touba Médecine is a religious association committed to health care and community service. The branch of this organization at Saint Louis’s Gaston Berger University organized a day of medical consultation and treatment for talibé children at Maison de la Gare’s center, in partnership with the university's health department. They also donated a wealth of much-needed medical supplies.

Maison de la Gare warmly welcomed this initiative, which brought together doctors, nurses, and medical students. Our nursing team, Awa Diallo, and Alagie Jallow, visited fifteen daaras before the event, to invite the children to come. Over a hundred accepted the invitation.

A Day of Solidarity

The medical team set up early in the morning to prepare the consultation stations in Maison de la Gare’s center, and to organize the medical donations. Beginning around 10 a.m., talibés, marabouts, and local residents flocked to the center. The health professionals, from the Dahira and from Maison de la Gare, combined their skills to offer high-quality consultations and care tailored to the needs of each patient.

A warm welcome was extended to each participant, with volunteers on hand to provide guidance and answer questions. Waiting areas were provided for patients, ensuring a relaxed atmosphere conducive to efficient consultations.

The day began with a brief but meaningful opening ceremony, with speeches from the organizers who stressed the importance of free access to healthcare for all. Representatives from both Maison de la Gare and Dahira Touba Médecine expressed their gratitude to the participants and encouraged the community to take full advantage of the services on offer.

Consultations began immediately after the ceremony, with medical teams divided into different sections to treat various ailments. Each patient received a full examination, and the teams were able to diagnose and effectively treat a variety of health issues. Medical students, supervised by experienced doctors, played a crucial role in bringing their expertise and energy to the event. Their commitment and dedication were praised by all participants.

A valuable medical contribution

The most frequent pathologies encountered during the day were burns, sprains, headaches, abdominal pain, conjunctivitis, dermatitis, and malaria. Thanks to their expertise and their medical equipment, the doctors were able to make precise diagnoses and prescribe treatments adapted to each case.

The medicines donated by Dahira Touba Médecine helped to relieve the suffering of patients and provide them with the treatment they needed. The medical teams carefully managed the distribution of medicines to ensure that each patient received both the appropriate drugs and clear instructions for their use.

Beyond the medical consultations, the day was a valuable opportunity for education and awareness-raising. The teams organized information sessions after each patient consultation, to explain preventive measures against common illnesses and the importance of personal hygiene and healthy living practices. They distributed brochures and leaflets to reinforce these messages and provide additional resources.

A resounding success

The day ended with a heartfelt thank-you from the Maison de la Gare team to the doctors and medical students from Dahira Touba Médecine. Their contribution has been invaluable to the community, offering not only medical care but also renewed hope. The event demonstrated the importance of collaboration and solidarity in improving the health and well-being of all.

The talibé children fall through an enormous gap in the Senegalese healthcare system, and this day was a wake-up call for everyone.

Links:

• This report on Maison de la Gare's website
• Ce rapport sur le site web de Maison de la Gare, en francais
• Learn more about Maison de la Gare's work for the talibes