Back in France

I have to apologise for not posting on the blog for such a long time.

We moved back to France around Christmas and the readjustment to life in Europe has been a little difficult. 

In Dakar, Christiane A. has taken over my role as the sponsoring fund liaison with the school. She is the one who takes the money to the school every month, who gets the receipts signed and who checks the list with the students' names and their parents' signatures, to make sure they received the money.

We are in touch very regularly.

I still handle the donations and the dividing up the amounts and I tell her how much to take to the school every month.

Mr Diatta and I speak over the phone every 2 weeks or so and he tells me what's new at the school.

The very good news is that a Danish company based in Dakar wanted to sponsor educational projects and contacted Dakar Women's Group. The DWG Charity Committee steered them towards Ecole Ousmane Sembène and they liked the school. So they financed the school books for two grade levels. The school now has its own books for 6th grade and 5th grade. The students don't have to buy the books anymore, but they rent them from the school for 1/4 of the price. Mr Diatta thinks that each book can last four years and then there will be enough money to replace them.

Hopefully, two more grade levels will have books next year, and the two last ones the year after that.

The bad news is that one of the teacher has to have surgery. Mr Diatta sees it as his duty as his employer to finance at least part of this surgery. While it wasn't easy, he has managed to find the money for the surgery and it will be done very soon.

I am still trying to raise money for the sponsoring fund. Some of you will be reading this because you received my e-mail.

I will be selling things at our local "vide-grenier" (attic sale, or yard sale) on April 5. Anyone living in the Toulouse region can get in touch with me if they have things to donate that can be sold that day. There will be another vide-grenier in September and I will also accept donations for that.

Moraene's efforts (read below) are an inspiration and I will also organise cake sales, parties etc. over the summer to raise money.

Please feel free to contact me if you have other ideas, I am open to any suggestions.

Ideas

I want to express our thanks to Moraene R., who sent us a contribution for the sponsoring fund from the UK. Moraene had friends over for coffee and cake and her friends made a donation for the school. At Christmas, she made sweets and sold them to a few friends in order to raise a little more money. Moraene, I know you are not wealthy and your efforts are very much appreciated. Thank you!

It has been over a year now that I started the sponsoring fund. The first sums I received, I divided in 12 and handed them over to the school over the 12 months of 2008. That money is now gone. We have had other contributions, and some regular donors who send money each month, but our goal of having 2/3 of the tuition fees paid for the 24 poorest children of the school is not reached yet...

Oh, how I hate this asking for money! But maybe you could smoke one pack of cigarettes less, or take out a book from the library instead of buying it, or skip dessert once at your favourite restaurant... and send us that money instead? 

If you have a Paypal account, you can click on the button to the left of the main page of this blog. If you don't have a Paypal account, please contact me and we'll find a way.

The kids and their parents are grateful...