Tables & benches

Now that EOS has new tables and benches, I was wondering what they'd do with the old ones. Mr Diatta told me he was selling them at 1000 CFA (€1.50) a piece, to other, smaller, private schools. More than half had already been sold when I had an idea.

I had visited another DWG project recently, the Aminata Mbaye center for mentally handicapped children in Grand Yoff. Here it was just the other way round: the center has lots of space but not many students and not much furniture. One large classroom especially had nothing in it. Suddenly it clicked in my mind - what these people needed were the old tables and benches from EOS! They were too small for 4 kids to sit on, but for 1 or 2 kids, they'd be perfect. I spoke to Mr Diatta who was enthusiastic about it, he even offered to donate the money he had got for the units he'd already sold. (I wasn't very comfortable with that, so I said no.)

So on Sunday, I went to the school to pick up some of the old tables and benches and drove them to Grand Yoff. I borrowed my husband's car which is bigger than the one I drive, but still only managed to fit 6 of each into the back (it's a small pick-up truck). The center was very happy with the new furniture, they had been dreaming of benches for the kids without being able to buy them. There are still 15 old tables and 15 old benches left at EOS, and they will be getting those, too. 

In the end, one good thing turned out to be two good things!