Project completed thanks to numerous donations
With the focus to do more for the education of children worldwide, we want to build toilet facilities for the CATG school in Goudem/Senegal in our next project. Thanks to the generous donation of ARGE Verein Dortelweil in Bad Vilbel, on the outskirts of Frankfurt am Main, we will now tackle the project.
As you know, the container filled with school bags has reached its destination. The children of the CATG school in Goudem / Senegal were very happy about the school bags.
In the course of this action, the idea matured in us to create a formal structure that would enable us to initiate and finance further aid measures in Goudem. We founded the Carez Foundation and received official recognition as a non-profit organisation from the Mainz tax office at the beginning of 2022. We will explain more about the name and the members in our website section about us.
Shortly after the establishment of the Foundation, we received from the ARGE Dortelweiler Vereine the entire proceeds of the (Corona) Christmas Market 2021 initiated by them in the amount of 1,520.00 Euros (see Wetterauer Zeitung, 22.02.2022).
This community has managed no effort to organize a Christmas market where all profits are donated to assist Carez-Foundation in their plan to build toilets facilities in a school that is lacking basic needs (running water, electricity ....)
Due to the restrictions after an increase surge of COVID19 infections in Germany, the Christmas market event could not take place but that did not stop them to raise funds under these restrictions. The amount of 1520 euro was collected and donated to Carez-Foundation by ARGE Verein.
I have the opportunity during a field trip to our sponsored school CATG in Goudeme, Senegal to participate in a meeting where conservations took place with the children’s parents, the schoolteachers, headmaster and other stakeholder (Abdoulaye Dia, founder of the school) It was our intention to discuss the possibility of building toilet facilities for the school with the help of donors already identified in Bad Vilbel. It has transpired during the meeting at the school that there is a pressing need to have two addition classrooms for the next school term and reduce the delay experienced during the “double flux” method used due to the lack of classrooms facilities for all schools’ children. Five grades/classes of ca.60 pupils are sharing the three classrooms available in the school.
Everything that's done for me, without me, is done against me
As the saying goes from Nelson Mandela, “Everything that's done for me, without me, is done against me”, we have agreed to change plan from building the toilets and decide for the two classrooms instead. The money generously collected is now being used for the building of these classrooms.
To this effect, we had a follow up meeting with the reduce number of participants where a quotation was agreed for the cost of the building material and labor. (The file with detailed pricing and participation level is attached to this article).
The erection of the classrooms is scheduled to completed by June 2022. Each grade at the start of the next school term 2022 – 2023 will have their own classroom from Grade 1 to grade 6.
I cannot finish the story without mentioning the level of participation from the local community evaluated at 25% to the total cost. It is comforting the Wolof tradition “ndimbeul na ci fek lokhol borom”(help those who help themselve) and reassuring that the lack of appreciation for formal schooling is no longer a drawback of the schooling situation in Goudeme.
The total cost of 75% for this project is approximately €2,025.00, covered by the contribution of the ARGE association €1,520.00 and anonymous donations of €505.00.
An update will be made after the completion of the two classrooms and the renovation of the existing 4 classrooms (end of June 22).
The next upcoming projects are the purchase of a multifunctional printer and the construction of boys' and girls' toilets
School council meeting
Vote
The school council and the parent council are consulting on where the donation is most needed now.
Kostenschätzung für den Neubau von zwei Klassenräume & Renovierung der Wände
Cheikh Ahmed Tidiane Gueye Bilingual School (CATG)
Goudeme, Fatick Region, Senegal
Exchange rate Euro/FCFA: 650
Februar 2023
Completion of the additional classroom
