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Microfinance opens the doors to the future
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...and volunteers play an invaluable role
Maison de la Gare has recognized for many years that it is not enough to simply improve the daily lives of talibé children begging on the streets.
Many of these children have participated in our programs for more than ten years and are now too old to continue in their daaras.
For years, we listened to older talibés talk about the possibility of finding a new life in Europe, risking crossing the ocean to the Canary Islands or crossing the desert to the Libyan coast. Many tried, but few succeeded. Others wanted to follow their role models to become marabouts themselves, thus perpetuating the cycle.
Our poultry apprenticeship program in the nearby town of Bango was made possible in 2018 by a grant from the U.S. Department of State. It was our first effort to support some older talibés in learning a skill or trade that would enable them to become self-sufficient in Senegal. This project quickly gained traction.
through the sewing apprenticeship program located at our Saint-Louis center. However, it quickly became clear that with hundreds of talibés reaching maturity each year, this would no longer be enough.
When the American association Friends of Senegal contacted us in early 2020 to offer a microfinance program, we jumped at the chance. It was an opportunity not only to help graduates of our apprenticeship programs establish themselves, but also to offer support to many other people with ideas for starting independent businesses.
After a difficult start, as we learned how best to select and support borrowers, the microfinance program began to flourish.
To date, 121 loans have been granted.
Of the 22 loans granted in 2022, 14 were to talibés. Each of these young people has the vision of creating a successful business that could provide them with financial security. The scope of these young people's proposals is inspiring. Three of them have started chicken-raising businesses. One of them has expanded his small restaurant, hiring several talibés. And one of his first talibé employees took out a loan to open his own restaurant. A former talibé sells charcoal and animal feed to local families. Two others sell products by traveling on foot throughout the neighborhoods of Saint-Louis: one food products and the other clothing. One boy, Khassimou, runs a coffee and doughnut stand, while another, Bobo, operates a very popular fresh fruit stand. Yet another young man
successfully launched into the sale of dried and smoked fish in neighboring villages. And it continues.
Each of these borrowers repays their loan within the agreed timeframe, typically within 10 months. We would like to support many more young people in this way. One limitation in achieving this goal is the time required to provide business training to potential borrowers, help them develop bankable business proposals, and monitor and support these borrowers in carrying out their projects. Volunteers can have a significant impact in this area. They will be able to inspire hope and expectation of a brighter future for these talibé elders who have spent their entire youth in difficult conditions of apprenticeship and begging on the streets.
At a recent loan committee meeting, three volunteers from England, Fenella, Josh, and Ella, each presented a loan proposal they had developed with the borrowers. All three proposals were approved.
The borrower Ella worked with, Pourmera, is a young divorced woman who runs a business focused on selling women's accessories. We included female borrowers in our program both to represent the broader community and to provide role models for entrepreneurial success for our talibé borrowers.
The loans we have granted so far represent just the beginning of this effort to give older talibés a solid foundation for the future, for their financial empowerment. We are grateful to the volunteers who have helped us with this program, and we hope to welcome many more. They are thus helping to protect children's rights for a better future.
