Senegal French and Community

Sample Itinerary
  • Who? Groups of 5 – 20 school students aged 16+
  • When? Projects have flexible dates and run all year round
  • Where? Saint Louis, Senegal.
Riding on a camel
Riding on a camel

Groups working on our Care and French project in Senegal will spend their mornings working in a local kindergarten with children aged from 3 to 6 years old. Teachers tend to be poorly trained as well as overstretched at the kindergarten and often have very few ideas as to how to work productively with large numbers of children. You will have an important role in adding to the staff's repertoire of songs, games and activities; ensuring that your contribution lives on beyond your placement. Alongside teaching basic numeracy, building vocabulary in French and English, and organising sports activities to improve coordination and motor skills, you can also organise arts and crafts sessions.

Your afternoons will be spent working at a drop-in centre for street children, serving food and helping children with brushing their teeth and washing clothes. Spending time playing or drawing pictures with the children is a welcome break from their daily routine of begging on the streets.

French will be your main language of communication whilst volunteering. To supplement your French lessons, you will live with a local host family where you can put your new vocabulary into practice. Senegalese people are very hospitable and living with a host family is a great opportunity to immerse yourself in another culture.

Your group will be based in Saint Louis where Projects Abroad Senegal is based. Saint Louis is perhaps the most ‘French’ of all Senegalese towns, with its colonial architecture, patisseries and shady streets. At the same time, it provides a fascinating insight into the every-day lives of the Senegalese as their country changes and is a great location for an introduction to West Africa.

 

Sample Itinerary

Placement: Ecole Maternelle Abu Abass SallProject: French and Community
Region: St Louis, Senegal Supervisor’s: Banda Johnson

  • First week

    Click for details
    Day No.DateWeekdayTimeActivity
    101/08/2010Sunday20:00 – 21:00Arrive in Dakar and settle in to Hotel
    202/08/2010Monday06:00 – 10:00Travel to St Louis
    10:00 – 12:00Introduction to Host Families, settle in
    12:00 – 13:00Lunch at traditional Senegalese restaurant with Staff
    13:00 – 16:00Tour of St Louis
    16:00 – 18:00French Lesson
    18:00 – 19:00Dinner at Host Family
    19:00Rest and Relax
    303/08/10Tuesday09:00 - 12:00French Language Lessons
    12:00 – 13:00Lunch at Host Families
    13:00 – 17:00Introduction and care work at Ecole Maternelle Abu Abass Sall (Care Centre)
    17:00 – 21:00Dinner and Group Social
    404/08/10Wednesday09:00 - 12:00French Language Lessons
    12:00 – 14:00Lunch at Host Family
    14:00 – 17:00Care work at Ecole Maternelle Abu Abass Sall
    17:00 – 18:00Dinner at Host Family
    18:00Rest and Relax
    505/08/10Thursday09:00 - 12:00French Language Lessons
    12:00 – 14:00Lunch at Senegalese restaurant
    14:00 – 17:00Painting at Ecole Maternelle Abu Abass Sall
    17:00 – 18:00Dinner at Host Family
    18:00Rest and Relax
    606/08/10Friday09:00 - 12:00French Language Lessons
    12:00 – 13:00Lunch at Host Family
    13:00 – 17:00Painting at Ecole Maternelle Abu Abass Sall
    17:00 – 18:00Dinner at Host Family
    18:00Rest and Relax
    707/08/10Saturday08:00 – 12:00Departure for weekend in Mauritania
    12:00 - 13:00Visit local Peul village
    13:00 – 14:00Arrival at Camp Site, Packed Lunch
    14:00 – 18:00Visit the sand dunes, swimming and relaxation time.
    18:00 – 21:00Dinner songs and drumming around the campfire.

  • Second week

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    Day No.DateWeekdayTimeActivity
    808/08/10Sunday09:00 – 12:00Relax on the beach
    13:00 – 14:00Lunch
    14:00 – 17:00The chance to have traditional henna by locals
    17:00 – 21:00Travel back to St Louis
    909/08/10Monday09:00 - 12:00French Language Lessons
    12:00 – 13:00Lunch at Host Family
    13:00 – 17:00Painting at Ecole Maternelle Abu Abass Sall
    17:00 – 18:00Dinner at Host Family
    18:00Rest and Relax
    1010/08/10Tuesday09:00 - 12:00French Language Lessons
    12:00 – 13:00Lunch at Host Family
    13:00 – 17:00Care work at Ecole Maternelle Abu Abass Sall
    17:00 – 18:00Dinner at Host Family
    18:00Rest and Relax
    1111/08/10Wednesday09:00 - 12:00Creating a peace garden at Community Centre
    12:00 – 14:00Picnic in Mamoura Forest
    14:00 – 17:00Care work at Ecole Maternelle Abu Abass Sall
    17:00 – 18:00Dinner at Host Family
    18:00 – 21:00 Marakshi night in Moroccan home
    1212/08/10Thursday09:00 - 12:00French Language Lessons
    12:00 – 13:00Lunch at Host Family
    13:00 – 17:00Painting at Ecole Maternelle Abu Abass Sall
    17:00 – 18:00Dinner at Host Family
    18:00Rest and Relax
    1313/08/10Friday09:00 - 12:00Finishing touches to painting at Ecole Maternelle Abu Abass Sall
    12:00 – 13:00Lunch at Host Family
    13:00 – 17:00Care work at Ecole Maternelle Abu Abass Sall
    17:00 – 20:00Cookery and farewell Meal with Staff
    20:00Packing for Departure
    1414/08/10Saturday Departure
    1515/08/10Sunday Departure