Education, the Key to Everything

 

My friend, Gna Gna has been close to talibes all her life. She grew up in Saint Louis. She has seen talibes begging on the streets as long as she can remember. She and her mother were a host family to my sister Lisa when she volunteered in Saint Louis years ago. Gna Gna and my daughter, Rowan have become friends over the years we have been volunteering here. Rowan has visited Gna Gna's school.

Gna Gna's family has long been a neighbour to Issa Kouyate, President of Maison de la Gare, watching him shelter hundreds of runaway talibes rescued from the streets in his own home over the years. Over long association with Issa, Maison de la Gare, and our family,  Gna Gna's family has become sensitized to the predicament and the potential of the talibes. They can now see these children through wide open eyes. Her mother, affectionately known to us as Mama Touty, eager to help, devoted days to guiding Rowan and I through the market labyrinths of Saint Louis as we furnished the newly built dortoir d'urgence at the Maison de la Gare Centre.

 

Gna Gna has graduated from high school and is preparing to continue to University. She wants to study architecture, and understands the importance of education. She knows it is a key to the doors of the world. And, she has learned that talibes are children of the world, in need of a helping hand to lead them to these doors.

Gna Gna presented herself at Maison de la Gare this morning, eager to offer herself as a part of a solution, as a local volunteer. With the help of staff member, Abdou Soumaree, Gna Gna gathers the talibes into the library. She begins by explaining, in Wolof to ensure they fully understand, the importance of education. She reminds them of Arouna Kande and his success as a talibe  who advanced through the public school system against all odds to earn his education. The talibe nod knowingly, appreciatively. Arouna is an example, a hero to these children. Then Gna Gna begins her French lesson.

 The children each have the opportunity to spell out their own names on a tablet. They are eager, and proud to share their accomplishments. As the lesson progresses, the crowd of talibes in the library grows, despite the fact that this is their free play time. They want to learn. They want to be like Arouna. Gna Gna explains vowels. She explains the importance of being able to read and write French in Senegal. The children agree. The crowd expands again. There is no more room in the library, so the talibes fill the doorway, leaning in for learning.

 

The lesson is a great success, in learning and in giving hope. Gna Gna will be back to give a new lesson each day. To encourage the talibes to be here again tomorrow, she finishes with "We can do this! We are a team!" The children enthusiastically agree.  

As I watched Gna Gna teach the class so competently, inspiring begging street children to imagine their limitless possibilities, I was struck with a sense that I was witnessing a massive leap forward. Local, young Senegalese are taking responsibility to make the change that is needed in this country. A new generation is seeing things differently. I sense the rumblings of an avalanche of change that may be on its way.

Later, after Gna Gna has left, I hear several voices practicing vowels. And, many letters have been traced in the sand by small fingers and sticks. Gna Gna has inspired these kids to want to learn. 

Later in the afternoon the computer room is packed with kids playing math computer games. 9 children at one computer collaborate to figure out the answer to 15 + 3 = . Hope for a better future persists at Maison de la Gare.

  

Following our discussions about the importance of education yesterday Arouna has met with a professor at his prospective High School. He says he will help Arouna find a way to continue learning, auditing classes, so as not to fall behind while he is waiting for a resolution to his lack of documents. And, Amadou Diao, too, has declared he will go back to Kolda to try to start school again. Maison de la Gare will try to help him sort out his lack of documents as well. 

Change, indeed. Insha'Allah.