Category: Senegal

“My name is Woudé Balde. I was born on 20 October 2005 in Dioumana, a village 2 km from Thiéty, the commune’s administrative centre. I go to Lycée Alpha Molo Baldé in Kolda and am general secretary of the girls’ club in my village. After passing the BFEM [brevet de fin d’études moyennes or middle…

Mariatou Diallo is a 15-year-old 5th grade student at Gadapara middle school in Kolda city, southern Senegal. Mariatou comes from a vulnerable family. Her parents didn’t care about the civil status of their children and have never registered Mariatou and her younger brothers with the civil authorities. Mariatou was at risk of remaining without an…

Of these three stories from Senegal, two feature girls who have benefited from the ENDA Jeunesse Action Senegal programme ‘A l’école en toute sérénité’, funded by the Dutch children’s organization Kinderpostzegels (1). The third story describes how another girl’s opportunities were transformed by ‘Her Choice’ (2).

Loly Dia is an 11-year-old girl in Senegal and the child of divorced parents. When Loly’s mother won custody of her, she fled with her to Dakar, the capital. However, without a job, her mother was unable to send Loly to school, and Loly was forced to abandon her education.  Loly, her mother and grandmother…