Yaakaar: A New Pathway for Talibé Children

How Maison de la Gare is building long-term hope through education and stability

For years, Maison de la Gare is a true lifeline for the talibé children of Saint-Louis — a place where they can find safety, care, and a moment of peace in lives often marked by hardship. We welcome boys living on the streets, offer them a safe place to rest, food, medical care, and psychosocial support, and, when possible, we help them to find their families or to return to their daaraThis remains essential. But we have always known that protecting children is only the first step. To truly transform their future, we must also offer them opportunities to learn, grow, and imagine a different life.

This is the vision behind Yaakaar — a word in Wolof that means far more than “hope.” It evokes a deep, forward-looking confidence … the belief that change is possible and that better days can be built through collective effort. The Yaakaar program marks a major evolution in Maison de la Gare’s mission. It does not replace the support we offer to children every day; it strengthens it by adding a long-term, structured pathway that looks beyond immediate protection toward the future they deserve.

A safe and stable environment where children can breathe again

At the heart of Yaakaar is a dedicated dormitory built for the boys enrolled in the program. Eighteen boys now live there full time in a space designed for safety, dignity, and comfort, complete with age-appropriate sanitation facilities. For children who have known instability and the streets, this dormitory is more than shelter — it is a place to rest, to feel protected, and to begin rebuilding.

The seven girls in the program continue to live with their families, but they participate fully in Yaakaar’s daily activities. Each day, they join the center for learning, meals, and recreation, ensuring equal access to all aspects of the program while maintaining their family ties.

A team of four specialized educators provides daily supervision, emotional support, and individualized guidance. Their presence offers the stability and trust the children need to adapt to this new chapter of their lives.

Opening the door to learning — for many, a first time

Yaakaar introduces a new educational model within Maison de la Gare. For most of the children, this is their first formal learning experience. Two dedicated teachers guide them in learning the alphabet, the basics of reading, and an introduction to English. The lessons are adapted to each child's pace and level, boosting their confidence and celebrating their progress.

The goal is simple but transformative: to give talibé children the foundational skills they need to one day enter the formal school system — and to believe they belong there.

Recreational, sports, and creative activities round out the program, helping the children develop social skills, confidence, and joy. These moments of play and expression are essential to their emotional well-being and sense of belonging.

To reinforce their identity as students and their pride in this journey, the children wear Yaakaar uniforms — a symbolic but powerful marker of their commitment and their place in this new community.

Strengthening our mission without leaving anyone behind

Yaakaar represents a major step forward, but it does not come at the expense of our core work. Every day, hundreds of other talibé children continue to rely on Maison de la Gare for hygiene, medical care, meals, sports, psychosocial support, and protection. Night rounds, the emergency dormitory, and all frontline services remain fully active.

What Yaakaar adds is a new dimension — a long-term, sustainable pathway that complements our emergency response. It is a pilot project with a clear ambition: to demonstrate that an educational model adapted to the realities of talibé children is not only possible, but essential. A model that protects. A model that educates. A model that restores hope.