SOS Schools in Senegal

In Senegal, over a quarter of young children are not enrolled at primary school.

In Senegal, there are currently four SOS Nurseries and three SOS Primary Schools. These facilities provide education to children from SOS Villages and from the wider community. Staff members are well trained and the resources available to students are of a high standard.  Below you can find an overview on the SOS Children education projects.

Amy's Story

Living in Ziguinchor, Amy is 13 years old and shares his thoughts about the holy month of Ramadan. “During Ramadan, Muslims and Christians share happiness and enjoyment and avoid hurts between brothers and sisters, who help and love each other. Forgive others, share possessions with those who have nothing. In every religion, remember the recommended gestures such as pity, sweetness and kindness.”

Dakar : SOS Schools

The SOS Nursery at Dakar has around 140 children from the SOS village and the local community.

• All our educational activities are planned in collaboration with parents and the school also has meetings with other nurseries to exchange good practices and provide twinning arrangements.
• The nursery organises events for celebrations such as Christmas, Mothers’ Day and Mardi Gras, when a colourful fancy dress ball was held. At the end of each school year, we hold meetings with parents and take the children on outings, such as to the Magic Land amusement park.

Louga : SOS Schools

The SOS Nursery at Louga has nearly 150 children between the ages of 3 and 5 years, with approximately 20 coming from the SOS village and the rest from the local community.

• The nursery runs a full educational programme for the children and the teachers take part in seminars and attend talks run by the Departmental Inspection of National Education.
• With the help of our dynamic parents, the nursery organises lots of celebrations and activities to mark important events on the calendar such as Mother’s Day, Easter, Mardi Gras and Christmas. An annual end-of-year party and nursery fair are also held.

The SOS Elementary School at Louga has around 525 children, with approximately 65 from the SOS Village and the remainder from the local community.

• Generally around 90 per cent of our pupils move up each year to the next class and pass for entry into secondary school. The children’s success is supported by continuous assessments, mock and end-of-term exams and regular communal tests.
• Pupils take part in various extracurricular activities including sports such as athletics and football. They also celebrate important occasions such as Prize-giving, Independence Day and International Children’s Rights Day.

Kaolack : SOS Schools

The SOS Nursery at Kaolack has around 150 children, with approximately 15 coming from the SOS village and the rest from the local community.

• Play is an important part of learning for the children, with education also a daily activity. The nursery operates using a programme of education which is clearly defined by the Ministry and our teachers undergo regular training and participate in seminars on the national curriculum.
• The school organises various excursions for the children, such as an outing we made to Popenguine, which lies around 70 kms from Kaolack. And children take part in various events and cultural activities with other youngsters in the surrounding community.

The SOS Elementary School at Kaolack has nearly 600 children, including around 50 who come from the SOS Village, with the remainder from the local community.

• Pupils who move up to the next grade each year at the school average over 90 per cent and the success rate for passing the Primary School Leaving Certificate is around 94 per cent. Each year the school holds a prize-giving ceremony to award pupils who distinguish themselves in their results.
• Pupils take part in various cultural activities and celebrate special events such as World Children’s Day.

Ziguinchor : SOS Schools

The SOS Nursery at Ziguinchor has around 180 children, with approximately 15 coming from the SOS village and the rest from the local community.

• Activities in the nursery help the children explore their world and gain knowledge about their environment. Recently children have worked on four projects – the human body, fruit trees, printing and fishing. In line with these topics, the school took the children to a plantation and a printing company. There was also a visit to the fisheries division and to the wharf.
• At Christmas, the school invited forty children from poor districts to come and share the celebration meal. The nursery children performed songs and recited poems and returned home with presents.

The SOS Elementary School at Ziguinchor has nearly 500 children, including around 10 who come from the SOS Village or Family Strengthening Programme.

• Pupils who move up to the next grade each year average over 85 per cent and the success rate for passing the Primary School Leaving Certificate is around 88 per cent. Each there is a prize-giving ceremony for pupils who have distinguished themselves.
• Extra-curricular activities at the school include soccer tournaments and speech and drama competitions. The school also organises an annual fair.