Elhage

Elhage grew up in The Gambia, in the village of Diagha, with one brother, six sisters, his parents and his grandfather. When he was ten years old, Elhage's parents sent him to Saint Louis with the head of a daara, a forced begging marabout. There is no school near his village, and a Quranic education with this marabout was the only opportunity Elhage's parents had to educate him.  Elhage says that if 

there had been a school near his village he would have remained at home to go to school. 

His family are farmers, cultivating the land during the rainy season. Elhage says it is a hard life, and his family does not have any money. A few months after the rains, it becomes very difficult to live. And, once the food saved from the harvest runs out, they go hungry. Elhage says he wants to be able to help his family because they have nothing and they do not eat well.

Elhage spent over ten years in the daara in Saint Louis, submitting a forced begging quota to his marabout each day. He says his life was very difficult. The talibes at his daara were worried of severe consequences if they failed to submit their begging quotas. Elhage always was sure to submit his. Although, he says that as he aged it became more and more difficult to make his quota. He convinced his parents not to send his younger brother to the daara, because it was such a difficult life, much more difficult than at home.

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Spending time at Maison de la Gare made Elhage's life as a forced begging talibe more bearable. He says the activities brought some fun into his life and the lives of his friends. And, he was able to eat better. Elhage has an optimistic spirit and nearly always has a smile on his face despite his challenging life. Seeing the chance for an education, Elhage began taking classes at the Centre. Pular is Elhage's native language. He now speaks four languages. He learned English and French at Maison de la Gare.  And, Wolof on the streets of Saint Louis. Two and a half years ago Elhage joined the karate program and later was sponsored to join the Sor-Karate dojo. He has earned his yellow belt and is close to being ready to test for orange. Elhage  says "Maison de la Gare has brought something good into my life. I feel like I have opportunity".

In 2017 Elhage returned home to the Gambia, having memorized the Quran and been freed from his obligations to his daara. He only spent a few weeks there then returned to Saint Louis. He says there was nothing for him in The Gambia, no opportunity.  Now 23 years old, Elhage more or less lives at Maison de la Gare because there is no work at home, and he felt his education was not complete. He wants to train to have an opportunity for a better life. He has joined the new tailoring training program recently launched at Maison de la Gare, along with some of his friends, other older talibes and recently freed talibes. Elhage knows it will be important to read and write and to do math if he will work in a tailoring business. He is very optimistic about this opportunity to learn a trade. He wants to become fluent in English, since that is the language of work and education in The Gambia, and French, since that is the key in Senegal. So, he continues in classes with the Maison de la Gare teacher, Aida Dieng. And, English classes with Kalidou and international volunteers. Elhage helps out around Maison de la Gare whenever he can. When runaway talibes rescued off the streets are brought to the Dortoir d'Urgence in the night by the Maison de la Gare team, Elhage helps to get them settled in. The younger kids trust him and look up to him.

According to Elhage "education and job training are the key to the future for talibes and for me." He is grateful to Maison de la Gare that he has the opportunity for both.