L'ecole de la Rue

One of the requirements for my program is that I must complete and Integrative Cultural Research Project (aka an ICRP). An ICRP includes finding something particular to Dakar that I am interested and a way to 'integrate' myself in that aspect of life. We spend about 3 months volunteering wherever we choose and at the end of our stay write a 10-15 page research paper discussing the aspect of Senegalese life in which we choose to volunteer. Oh and that 10-15 pages is in French!

Anyway, I mention this now because on Tuesday we visited an informal school called 'L'ecole de la Rue' or 'The School of the Street.'  Informal schools are schools that do not follow a government mandated syllabus, they serve students who have failed out of school or for some other reason cannot attend public schools. This particular school also operates during traditional summer vacation (August-September) and offers English/French classes at night. L'ecole de la Rue is located in a impoverished areas just outside Centre Ville.

These are the types of homes the students were living in

Laundry hanging in the 'street'

Impoverished areas here are not like those in the U.S. Often times in the U.S poor neighborhoods are seen as unsafe and you need to be more vigilant when traveling through them. Our experience was quite the opposite. After learning about the school, we took a tour of the neighborhood and were accompanied by all the students-ages 3-13. First of all, there was no taking attendance, counting students, holding hands when crossing roads etc. I doubt the professor would have noticed had some of the students left the tour. Second of all, I was shocked by how open and inviting families were. One women welcomed us into her home while she explained how she controlled one of the two water taps. Other people allowed us into their work space where some were beading flip flops by hand and others using scrap metal to make small coal burning stoves.

Founder and professor of the school

The kids loved being with us, holding our hands, and most of all seeing the digital pics we took. They were all in high spirits but it was difficult to see the conditions in which they lived and were attempted to learn. The Senegalese education system is very different from that of the U.S. and I'm thinking my ICRP will somehow be education related, focussing on street schools.

The nicest/largest classroom of L'ecole de la Rue

Grace with a few students

Oh and sorry mom, I know I said this would be up yesterday, but the power went out about 20 mins after I talked to you and I'm just now getting a chance to post it. As my prof often says, 'That's Senegal for you.'