Overview

While Senegal is one of the most stable and successful democracies in Africa, its population of 16 million remains impoverished and undereducated. Nearly half the population lives below the poverty line, and the average person only receives just over three years of formal education.

Senegal is located on the Western coast of the African continent, bordering Mauritania, Mali, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, and the Gambia. Desertification threatens its rural environments, leading to massive internal migration toward coastal and urban areas. Its coastal tourism and fishing economies have limited opportunities for these hundreds of thousands of migrants, meaning families struggle to put food on the table and make ends meet, and straining already-limited schools, medical clinics, and community infrastructure.
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Khady’s Story

Khady knew that she was very lucky to attend elementary school at the young age of 12. She was a bit older than some of her classmates since she started school late, but she was grateful to be in the 5th grade at the Moms Against Poverty school in Mbour, Senegal.

At the end of the summer, the monsoon season begins in Senegal. Khady’s family began making the necessary preparations. They built shelters for their livestock and saved up stockpiling rice, cooking oil, and spices in their home to ensure they wouldn’t have to leave home in the middle of a storm. Khady’s parents had lived through decades of this weather and made perfect preparations. But during one stormy afternoon, Khady began to feel ill, starting with a scratchy throat and a headache followed by a fever.

Home remedies and pain medication didn’t make a difference, and her fever wouldn’t break. But with all the preparations for the monsoon, Khady’s parents didn’t have the resources to take her to a doctor. They started to get more worried as she became bedridden from severe body aches and wouldn’t eat or drink. Searching for a solution, they reached out to Khady’s elementary school principal to see if he could help.

Working with our local staff in Senegal, Khady’s principal enrolled her in Moms Against Poverty’s Health Emergency Program, which covers students at all of our schools in Senegal in the case of unplanned medical expenses. Our staff helped arrange her hospital intake, doctor visits, bloodwork, and examinations. They discovered that she suffered from a throat infection set on by the wet weather, which was gradually spreading throughout her body, and recommended an antibiotic treatment.

When Khady was eventually discharged from the hospital and the city emerged from the last day of rain, it was a new day for her and her family. A few days later, it would be her first day of 5th grade at the Moms Against Poverty elementary school, and she was in great health to continue her studies and looking forward to the year.

50,000

+668,000

Moms Against Poverty’s projects in Senegal have centered around the city of Mbour on Senegal’s central coast. In 2000, Mbour was a small fishing town with a population of approximately 50,000. Twenty years later, Mbour is home to 668,000 people, who are mainly internal migrants from rural and desert communities fleeing desertification and searching for economic opportunity in an urban setting. The immense population growth has led to shortage of schools and resources in Mbour.

Education

Moms Against Poverty empowers children, families, and teachers in Senegal by constructing and maintaining high-quality elementary and preschool schools.

Since 2015, we’ve built or expanded eight schools, serving over 4,000 children daily.

Our schools are beacons of hope in their communities, helping children realize their dreams of a better future and helping teachers work in dignified conditions.

Hunger Relief & Basic Provisions

Moms Against Poverty provides regular preschool nutrition programs at all our preschools, helping our youngest kids get a head start.

Decades of research show that providing a meal during the school day improves attendance and increases the health and well-being of students.

Parents are incentivized to send their children to school partly because it defrays the cost of feeding their children, and children are more engaged in class when they’re not running on an empty stomach.

The result is well-nourished and successful students at our schools, making our community better and brighter.

Health Care & Wellness

Moms Against Poverty invests in health infrastructure in the communities we serve in Senegal.

Our flagship project is our maternity clinic in the rural village of Sessene, which provides space for up to 15 patients in delivery and pre-and post-natal care, using modern and clean equipment and well-trained staff for the highest level of care for mothers and their young children.

We also ensure regular doctor visits for the students attending our schools to provide preventative medical care.

Orphan Care

Moms Against Poverty cooperates with an orphanage in the rural village of Mbodiene. The orphanage serves 25 to 30 children at a time, mostly children younger than age 5.

Maison Sourire, or “Smile House,” provides a warm and welcoming home for children who have lost parents, been abandoned, or been taken from their parents by the authorities.

Smile House staff provide tailored care to each child, seeing to all of their nutritional and physical health needs, helping them make friends with their fellow youngsters, and working with local authorities to place children in positive home situations.

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2022
2021
2020

Education

In collaboration with the US Embassy in Senegal, we built and equipped 2 classrooms at the Fandane Elementary School in the impoverished rural village of Fandane, serving over 100 children.

Health Care & Wellness

Built and equipped a maternity clinic in the impoverished rural village of Sessene, serving Sessene and 17 other neighboring villages.

Free medication was provided to a medical clinic serving over 2,000 children in the Zone Sonatel neighborhood of Mbour

Hunger Relief & Basic Provisions

900 students at 4 Mbour preschools were provided nutritional meals for the school year

Orphan Care

Built an outdoor playground at Maison Sourire, an orphanage in Mbodiene

Education

Built and equipped 3 new classrooms at the Diamaguène Elementary School in Mbour, serving over 180 children.

Health Care & Wellness

Built new toilets at the Diamaguène Elementary School in Mbour, benefitting over 1,000 elementary school children

In collaboration with the Ministry of Health, we provided over 750 children in the Médine Extension neighborhood with health insurance cards as part of a pilot program.

Free medication was provided to a medical clinic serving over 2,000 children in the Zone Sonatel neighborhood of Mbour.

Hunger Relief & Basic Provisions

900 students at 4 Mbour preschools were provided nutritional meals for the school year

Orphan Care

25 children at the Maison Sourire orphanage in Mbodiene were provided with year-round food, water, milk, and hygiene supplies

Education

Built and equipped an office and toilets at the Coumba Dinding Sonko Elementary School in Mbour

New desks, tables, and classroom equipment were provided for two elementary schools in Mbour, serving over 800 children

Built a playground at the Demain Ensemble school in Saly

Refurbished the Cheikh Amadou Lô Elementary School in Mbour after storm damage, repainting walls, re-tiling floors, and strengthening the roof, providing safe learning conditions for over 1000 students.

Rebuilt storm-damaged walls at 1 elementary school.

Health Care & Wellness

In collaboration with the Ministry of Health, we provided over 750 children in the Médine Extension neighborhood with health insurance cards as part of a pilot program

Over 2,000 children were provided with free medication at a community health clinic

Free medication was provided to a medical clinic serving over 2,000 children in the Zone Sonatel neighborhood of Mbour

Hunger Relief & Basic Provisions

Provided 900 students at 4 preschools in Mbour with nutritional meals for the school year

Orphan Care

Provided 25 children at the Maison Sourire orphanage in Mbodiene with year-round food, water, milk, and hygiene supplies

Education

We built and equipped 6 new classrooms at the Diamaguène Elementary School in Mbour, enabling 360 more children to attend school.

Hunger Relief & Basic Provisions

Distributed food and hygiene packages to 2,000 children and their families struggling during COVID-19 lockdowns.

We provided 900 students at 4 preschools in Mbour with nutritional meals during the school year.

We distributed 1,500 Christmas toys to elementary and preschool children in Mbour in need during the holidays

Orphan Care

Provided 25 children at the Maison Sourire orphanage in Mbodiene with year-round food, water, milk, and hygiene supplies

Your Impact: Profound Change for Impoverished Children!