Help us to maintain the school canteen

Update October 2022

Thanks to all of you who donated, we were able to maintain the canteen in the schoolyear 2021-2022. School is starting again soon, schoolyear 2022-2023. There is still no news from our request with the Senegalese Government for a subvention. So we relaunch the Gofundme-request, hoping at the same time that a perennial solution will be found this year.

The School

In 2018 we, Fara, Elesia Grant (Aischa)and Atie, started to set up a school canteen in the village Bonoba near Lac Rose Senegal.

We were able to use a not used collapsed room. With help from the locals we managed to fix this room into a place where meals could be cooked for the children four times a week. Normally at lunch break the children went home for their food. A lot of them weren’t coming back. The parents took them to the fields to work with them or babysit their younger brothers and sisters + also very important healthy meals were provided.

The results of this program were outstanding.

The cooking moms busy working in the canteen

We started the school canteen with 120 pupils at school. A year later 280 children are participating every day. Since the schoolyear 2019-2020, about 50 toddlers are visiting the school aswell, and important,all the pupils stay in school the whole day. Before the canteen was realised the children went home during the lunchbreak and didn't came back. The parents took them to the fields to work or babysit their siblings.Staying at school means 3 more hours of education each day

The costs for the groceries (bread, beans, rice, onions, etc… 415 euros per month) (keep in mind that 280 pupils are fed 18 times per month)were paid till now by Fara(who lives and worked in Luxemburg). She retired in January 2021, which meant a serious setback in her income. No more money for the groceries. We are hoping that your donations will help us to maintain the canteen through another year (schoolyear 2021-2022). During this year we will try to work out a plan to ensure permanent financing, Your input if you have any ideas are more than welcome.

Why this school? Fara has lived in Bonoba from 2005 till 2015. Her husband was born and grown in the neighbourhood of the village. She worked in the capital, Dakar, during those years. She has started many projects in the village, and has a lot of plans for the future (Bonoba is lucky to have her!).

For work reasons she had to go back to Luxemburg the last past 5 years. Luckily, she was able to travel to Bonoba during all her holidays, in order to keep an eye on all the running projects. Aischa (Elesia Grant) lives all the time in Bonoba. Very important bridge for Fara being abroad.

Now she has retired, she will stay 6 months in the village every year. When her Senegalese husband, who now works and lives in Luxembourg, has the opportunity to leave , they will move permanently to Bonoba . The time for permanent leaving Luxembourg depends on finding a job in Senegal for Fara's husband. (probably within 3 years)

Atie and Aischa are the helping friends. We will be happy to answer all your questions, don‘ t hesitate to mail us!